Stepmom Movie Review 1998

The opening scenes make it look like a comedic catfight-filled ride. Harris is a divorced dad with two kids, a supermom ex-wife (Sarandon), and a glamorous new girlfriend (Roberts), whose career seems more important than the kids. Jibes and glares are traded by the two women until mom is stricken with some form of untreatable terminal cancer. This changes the story from broad comedy to emotional drama as Sarandon must train the younger woman to be the new mom. Columbus seems comfortable with the shift, and manages to keep everything upbeat. The script, penned by five writers, becomes more cliched as the film goes on, but stays just this side of chick-flick.

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 124 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Stepparents, Disease of the Week, Female Bonding, Shutterbugs, New York, New York, Divorce, Terminal Illness

Screenplay

Jessie Nelson, Steven Rogers, Ronald Bass, Gigi Levangie, Karen Leigh Hopkins

Cast

Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Ed Harris, Jena Malone, Liam Aiken, Lynn Whitfield, Darrell Larson, Mary Louise Wilson

Cinematography

Donald McAlpine

Director

Chris Columbus

Music

John Williams

Producer

TriStar Pictures

Awards

Natl. Bd. of Review 1998: Support. Actor (Harris).