What is happening to my beloved Columbia? The hallowed studio with the pretty lady logo once stood for quality--for well-crafted films and professionalism.
"Stepmom" is the latest in a string of horrible misjudgments ("Idle Hands", "Gloria", "8MM"), compounded by the fact that a lead role in the film was given to Susan Sarandon, an amateurish actor of questionable ability. There is not a single moment in this movie where Sarandon does not attempt to draw unnecessary attention to herself.
As if one callous, whiny and completely-devoid-of-humanity character weren't enough, Sarandon's Jackie is joined by a daughter, played by Jena Malone. Malone's Anna becomes nauseating even more quickly than Jackie, if that's possible. (Just when I thought I was innoculated against the last batch of misandristic female characters, along comes a new strain.) The sad fact about what could have been an interesting film is that the entire plot is simplified to a Dick and Jane level. Anna and Jackie are portrayed as so cruel and unreasonable, it's impossible to see any value in them at all. Instead of a thoughtful exploration of the issues raised by divorce and remarriage, the film turns into a pep rally for the same old good little girl played by Julia Roberts. It's disheartening that Columbia could only evoke understanding for her character by making the other females cartoonish and stupid.
The other disappointing aspect of "Stepmom" is its sexist double standard. It's strange how when female characters divorce their spouses and move on, they are usually presented in a heroic light ("Message in a Bottle", "The Good Mother", "First Wives' Club") but when a man decides to begin a new life after a divorce, he's portrayed as committing the unpardonable sin. Is Hollywood's case of estrogen poisoning that acute?
"Stepmom" is the latest in a string of horrible misjudgments ("Idle Hands", "Gloria", "8MM"), compounded by the fact that a lead role in the film was given to Susan Sarandon, an amateurish actor of questionable ability. There is not a single moment in this movie where Sarandon does not attempt to draw unnecessary attention to herself.
As if one callous, whiny and completely-devoid-of-humanity character weren't enough, Sarandon's Jackie is joined by a daughter, played by Jena Malone. Malone's Anna becomes nauseating even more quickly than Jackie, if that's possible. (Just when I thought I was innoculated against the last batch of misandristic female characters, along comes a new strain.) The sad fact about what could have been an interesting film is that the entire plot is simplified to a Dick and Jane level. Anna and Jackie are portrayed as so cruel and unreasonable, it's impossible to see any value in them at all. Instead of a thoughtful exploration of the issues raised by divorce and remarriage, the film turns into a pep rally for the same old good little girl played by Julia Roberts. It's disheartening that Columbia could only evoke understanding for her character by making the other females cartoonish and stupid.
The other disappointing aspect of "Stepmom" is its sexist double standard. It's strange how when female characters divorce their spouses and move on, they are usually presented in a heroic light ("Message in a Bottle", "The Good Mother", "First Wives' Club") but when a man decides to begin a new life after a divorce, he's portrayed as committing the unpardonable sin. Is Hollywood's case of estrogen poisoning that acute?