11/12/06 In Her Shoes

In Her Shoes (2005), directed by Curtis Hanson

watched w/ Leslie (partially); DVD (borrowed from parents) @ home & car ride (Raleigh, NC)

Now to a much more light-hearted and less inspiring type of movie-making. Playing off an oh-so-not-clever title, and I guess being adapted from some trite novel of similar name, this movie flops onto the screen with a little more potential than the average so-called "chick flick." And I'm not simply trying to pigeon-hole this bore-fest as nothing more than that stomach-churning genre of "chick flick"-ness, but it does little to keep the interest of the viewer in developing characters or relationships. You see, I think the audience is to not only get that these two sisters share little more in common than an obsessive love of shoes (get it), but that it takes a significant life-questioning moment for either of them to place themselves in the other's shoes (get it) to fully understand or appreciate the other as not only a sister but a human being. Lame. Unless you are a fan of high-priced fetish-inducing stiletto heels or over-bearing stress-inducing sister fights...well, I guess those can be morbidly intriguing, like a car wreck...than steer clear. I really though that having acclaimed director Hanson (of "L.A. Confidential," "8 Mile," and "Wonder Boys" fame), and even a producing credit from Ridley Scott himself...their would be something to trigger an emotion from the on-screen talent. And I mean an emotion that's not over-done far-fetched and nauseatingly nauseating. All three ladies on the screen (Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley MacLaine) play it for too big of laughs or cries, never making me believe they care about each other...but hey that's what family is for right? Let's set the formulaic script so that you can get a taste of what's annoying, and a pinch of "I-can-see-it-coming-a-mile-away" plot jumps. OK, straight-laced boring sister Rose (Collette) tries to always reason with and knock some sense into care-free wildchild sister Maggie (Diaz), who wants nothing more than to loosen up her sister and party their cares away. When the sisters are forced to live together, late-night hi-jinks, dirty laundry & stealing of boyfriends lead the two to irreconcilable differences and a split from seeing one another. Maggie decides, with no real direction in her own life, that she will search for the long-lost grandmother that will unlock the key to her past and perhaps help her understand herself better. When Maggie and her grandmother (MacLaine) hit it off, she tries to reunite Rose with the two of them...leading to even more hi-jinks, hurt feelings and dark secrets galore! Will stuck-up Rose let down her hair and show some spirit? Will Maggie buckle down & get a job, or just keep shaking that ass in string bikini bottoms (don't get me wrong, a movie that can showcase Cameron Diaz behind shaking is ok in my book...but is that all she does anymore?)? I'm probably making it sound too exciting, because it's really not. I'm playing it up for yuks, because you won't find many here. I guess it's supposed to push the bounds of loyalty and family, and maybe introduce purpose and feelings to distant relatives...but I don't care. We all have our own family dysfunctions to work out in some way, shape or form...so who cares what these chicks with the same taste in Keds have to say about it anyway?

2 out of 5 stars