The Mirror Has Two Faces Movie Review 1996

Gregory (Bridges) is a hunky, but flustered, professor (hunky professor?) looking for romance without all that complicated sex, which shortly leads him to plain but soulful Rose (Streisand), the ugly duckling of her family. Rose's mother (Bacall) seems more happy with her much married sister (Rogers), who is headed down the aisle again with gorgeous Alex (Brosnan). Rose decides it's her turn, despite Gregory's protests, and she weds the bow-tied (and perhaps hog-tied?) educator anyway. When Gregory leaves her on a promotional book tour, frumpy Babs decides a big makeover is in order. Her newfound outer beauty, however, becomes the beast on the inside. Premise is marred by Streisand's unwillingness to look bad, and there's a too-subtle transformation between the "ugly" Rose and the updated version. Bacall gives a memorable, Oscar-nominated performance. Remake of 1959 French film. La Streisand added to her reputation for being a "difficult" perfectionist with her constant reshoots and personnel firings that extended the film's schedule.

Distribution

Sony Pictures Home Video, Sony Pictures Plz., 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, Phone: (310)244-7306, Fax: (310)280-2485, URL: http://www.spe.sony.com, Remarks: Formerly Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 127 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Romantic Comedy, Stolen from France, Cinderella Stories, Marriage, New York, New York, Family Ties, Wedding Bells, Campus Capers

Screenplay

Richard LaGravenese

Cast

Barbra Streisand, Jeff Bridges, Pierce Brosnan, Mimi Rogers, Lauren Bacall, Brenda Vaccaro, Austin Pendleton, George Segal, Elle Macpherson

Cinematography

Dante Spinotti, Andrzej Bartkowiak

Director

Barbra Streisand

Music

Barbra Streisand, Marvin Hamlisch

Producer

Barbra Streisand, Arnon Milchan, Cis Corman, TriStar Pictures, Barwood Films, Sony Pictures

Awards

Golden Globes 1997: Support. Actress (Bacall); Screen Actors Guild 1996: Support. Actress (Bacall).