I forgot what a great character Hagar Shipley is and was reminded of two things - one that this has to be in Canada's top ten for books and two, why a fab book should never be made into a movie.
The audience was smashed over the head with repetitive motifs that reminded me of an after school special rather than the subtle way the book imposed. Burstyn's performance was excellent but the point where she confronts her son John's girlfriend over the dishes - was the weakest part of the film. The performances felt off here. Not sure maybe some stuff was cut out that we didn't get to see. Great cast mostly - great characters - great story and yet sadly an average film.
The story is great and the lead was great, I just wanted so much more from this movie than was delivered. My expectations from a great book may be hampering my objectivity here, but I felt that this one could have been better.
The audience was smashed over the head with repetitive motifs that reminded me of an after school special rather than the subtle way the book imposed. Burstyn's performance was excellent but the point where she confronts her son John's girlfriend over the dishes - was the weakest part of the film. The performances felt off here. Not sure maybe some stuff was cut out that we didn't get to see. Great cast mostly - great characters - great story and yet sadly an average film.
The story is great and the lead was great, I just wanted so much more from this movie than was delivered. My expectations from a great book may be hampering my objectivity here, but I felt that this one could have been better.