Rose (Collette) is a successful Philadelphia lawyer whose life is turned upside down by the arrival of her close but tearaway sister Maggie (Diaz), recently thrown out by their father and stepmother (Howard and Azzara). What Maggie does to Rose is even worse. Thrown out again, she heads for Florida to see her long-lost grandmother Ella (MacLaine), who turns out to be the one person who might be able to tame the wild beast. Meanwhile Rose doesn't miss Maggie, since she's busy falling for a colleague (Feuerstein). Give her time.

Hanson and Grant are wise enough to keep things understated, so the film is more warmth and wit than outright humour. Sure there's a lot of overwhelmingly emotive sister-my-sister stuff, but it's the recognisable truth that gets us laughing (and crying)--a sense of authentic interaction and self-examination that's sharply observed by cast and crew. Despite being played by top stars, these people feel almost painfully real, and we enjoy every moment we're with them.

Collette, of course, is the shining light in the cast, completely inhabiting Rose to such an extent that we learn things about her when she's doing absolutely nothing. MacLaine is wonderfully restrained, speaking volumes through subtlety for a change, using blank eyes and a wry smile to say what in previous films would have been a fit of hysteria. And Diaz is surprisingly good; the role plays to her ditzy-sexy strengths, while giving her a chance to reveal Maggie's deeply buried self-doubt.

This is a story about expectations and hopes, disappointments and self-flagellation, and mostly how difficult it is to see ourselves for who we really are. This makes it sound like existential slop, but it's actually a sparky James L Brooks-like comedy. It's also beautifully observed--perhaps a bit too long, but we can't help but fall in love with it.

themes, language, innuendo

11.Aug.05