In Her Shoes


Starring: Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette, Anson Mount, Shirley MacLaine, Candice Azzara
Directed by: Curtis Hanson
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2005

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two very different sisters (Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette) prone to fierce rivalry meet their long-lost grandmother (Shirley MacLaine), and they begin to reexamine their lives and priorities, and learn perhaps they are not so different after all.

Review:

Tim: This is a film that should have been a lightweight, silly, stupid girl movie. While it's far from great, director Curtis Hanson manages to save this from a much worse fate. While it has some terrible moments, for the most part, it is not too bad. It occasionally loses its focus and you start wondering how far it is going to wander. However, there is enough emotional moments to make the viewing experience worthwhile.

Toni Collette is very believable, and overall, quite good. Cameron Diaz, on the other hand, just comes across as annoying. She has a few decent moments, but mostly her illiterate (seriously) borderline retard (ok, not really) character is frustrating and I just did not enjoy watching her on screen. I very often don't. Shirley MacLaine is good, and brings a level of experience to the cast.

The film is better than I expected, but it does occasionally slip into the melodramatic, deep trenches of chick flick depths to which even I dare not tread. More often, however, we see a surprisingly heartfelt story of two very different sisters and their grandmother. This gets better as the movie goes on, and accounts for some powerful scenes, especially towards the end.

Females will probably enjoy this movie far more than I did. I managed to take some enjoyment from it, but sisters fighting over clothes and shoes doesn't strike a very resonant chord with me.

In Her Shoes is 100% a chick flick, but Hanson directs it with his excellent style, and we find that there is a great deal to like here. It is only a decent movie, but sometimes that is good enough. I wish this had been better, but I also didn't hate watching it, either.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: There's Something About Mary, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Divine Secretrs of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood