tieman64
Directed by Richard Benjamin, "Mermaids" stars Winona Ryder as Charlotte Flax, a 15-year-old girl who lives with Rachel (Cher), her eccentric mother.Set in the 1960s, "Mermaids" watches as Charlotte struggles to cope with her mother's inability to settle down. Rachel's "promiscuity" irks her daughter even further. In response Charlotte develops an infatuation with Catholicism, nuns and convents; she hopes to evade her mother's supposedly "sinful" life by becoming its pious opposite. By the film's end, both mother and daughter have learnt to accept each other, Rachel settling with a kindly man (Bob Hoskins), and Charlotte learning that happiness can exist outside conventionally "perfect" nuclear families."Terms of Endearment" (1983) spawned a decade of imitative Hollywood comedy-dramas. "Mermaids" is one of the last. It's elevated by Cher and Ryder's movie-star charisma, the former with her concrete cheeks and diva sassiness, the latter with her pixie hair and adorable wisecracks. Elsewhere director Richard Benjamin carefully juggles schmaltz, truths and comedy, all held together by beautiful Massachusetts scenery. The film's title alludes to both Charlotte's sister (Christina Ricci), a swimming prodigy, and the film's three central characters, all transient, itinerant women who refuse to drown in the face of life's little tsunamis. 7.9/10 - See "Anywhere But Here" and "Wendy and Lucy".
SnoopyStyle
It's 1963. Charlotte Flax (Winona Ryder) is a teen obsessed with Catholicism despite being Jewish. Her sister Kate (Christina Ricci) swims like a fish. She calls her mother Mrs. Flax (Cher). After yet another failed relationship with her married boss, Mrs. Flax randomly chooses coastal Eastport, Massachusetts and leaves Oklahoma. Charlotte falls for local handyman 26 year old Joe and overjoyed with the local convent. Meanwhile Mrs. Flax is courted by shoe store owner Lou Landsky (Bob Hoskins).It is a fine coming-of-age movie that concentrates heavily on the interior monologue of Charlotte. Her imaginative confused teenage mind lends itself to some comedy. It does need more and funnier jokes. It's more like a slice of quirky teenage observations. The movie needs some kind of end point or goal. Even if the goal is something fanciful like Charlotte wanting to be a saint or maybe simply wanting to be a nun.
SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain
Mermaids is the story of a family of three ladies, a mother and her two daughters. Winona Ryder plays the eldest daughter who actually looks down her mother. Ryder dreams of becoming a nun so that she can live a pure and honest life. Cher is the mother, who constantly moves her family around whenever she fails at a relationship. Ryder is tested by a young man that she starts to have feelings for while Cher has difficulty adjusting to a serious relationship with Bob Hoskins. It's a fine film on all accounts as both a comedy and a romantic drama. The rift between Cher and Ryder is an easy one to understand and they both play it brilliantly. You always get the feeling that they are tired of one another, but the love is always present. Hoskins is a fantastic and surprising romantic lead. He gives off a strong dominant force, but also comes across as fragile. It's his strength that gradually repairs this family. Christina Ricci stars as the youngest daughter and it's no surprise she became a star. She manages to do young and cute without being annoying. The soundtrack helps to capture the time period very well. The pacing is often off and it feels like an edited down novel, but when it's hitting those high notes in terms of comedy or drama it is a great watch.
gcd70
"Mermaids", from director Richard Benjamin, is quite a funny movie, and it needs to be. The comedy is definitely the only thing that really holds it up.Set in the early sixties, the material from novelist Patty Dann sadly has little substance for the big screen. Yet the cast do well with the script from screenwriter June Roberts, and all of them manage to entertain us.Cher and Winona Ryder are good, but Bob Hoskins really wins you with his smile and his uncanny ability to make you laugh. Also starred Christina Ricci. Not bad at all.Friday, May 17, 1991 - Knox District Centre
AD
