Stepmom Reviews

Don't expect any surprises from this lightweight drama with a heavyweight cast: The most impressive thing about it is that the actors manage to sound so earnest while mouthing the most shameless cliches imaginable. Workaholic lawyer Luke Harrison (Ed Harris) has just moved his glamorous photographer girlfriend Isabel (Julia Roberts) into his fabulous loft. The only problem: ex-wife Jackie, an earthy and devoted mom based in the Hudson Valley, who takes issue with Isabel's parenting chops. Jackie and the kids -- bratty preteen Anna (Jena Malone), and cute-as-a-button Ben (Liam Aiken) -- resent Isabel's bumbling intrusion into their lives. But as weekend stepmothers go, pretty Isabel is no wicked witch: The worst that can be said is that she's got punctuality issues. This humdrum film virtually begs us to equate the stars with their characters, because there's no other reason to care about their silly problems. They don't even have trouble finding curbside parking in New York for their many expensive cars. While trying to reinvent the melodramatic wheel, a slew of Hollywood screenwriters only succeed in making the flat premise triter and more sentimental by giving Jackie terminal cancer. And you know you're in trouble when little Ben gets all the best lines in a screenplay not conspicuously studded with bon mots. The not very enlightening insight beneath it all is that really nice people will be there for each other in times of trouble. And just in case you missed that point, they play "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," throw pillows around and tickle one another at not one, but two significant junctures. That's Hollywood shorthand for bonding. Overall, this treacly picture feels like the Cliff Notes version of two of this year's more satisfying heartstring-tuggers, ONE TRUE THING and THE HORSE WHISPERER. Skip it and rent one of them.