The Hollywood formula is a staple of many films today (studio or independent alike), and it only succeeds when something new or inventive has been added to that formula. It's like chemistry class, where you mix different chemicals to create a solution. However, it is only satisfactory when you create something new. How enjoyable is it to mix chemicals together that have already been tried? The outcome has already been proven once before, and the reaction of the observer is joyous at first for succeeding at getting the same results. After a minute or so, that feeling of joy is replaced by one of frustration. What they have created isn't new... it's merely something someone else came up with.
Such is the feeling one gets with STEPMOM, a film that relies so heavily on the Hollywood formula that, despite the relationship between Sarandon and Roberts, you can guess the outcome before it even happens. This is the second film I can remember dealing with a mother with cancer in 1998. There was One True Thing in which the "formula" is twisted and bent with different and unusual characters. Now we have STEPMOM, and I give nothing away by stating the fact that Jackie (Susan Sarandon), the mother of the film, is stricken with cancer. The previews state nothing of this, often making the film look like a hilarious and witty verbal duel between its two main stars. And for half of the film, it is that. But for the second half, it turns quite serious, ruining any chance of originality it could have had.
That does not make it a bad film persay, as the Hollywood formula has never really been a bad thing. Instead, the formula here seems so forced that by the end of the film, we almost have to give in to the forceful nature in which the formula is shoved down our throats. Smartly, however, the screenplay is given an unusual twist, adding a stepmother to the proceedings. Played by Julia Roberts, Isabel is a highly successful and cheerful photographer, madly in love with Luke (Ed Harris). Luke, however, has two children, Anna (Jena Malone) and Ben (Liam Aiken), both whom hate Isabel. Anna is especially resentful, realizing that no matter how hard she hopes, her mother and father will never get back together again.
It's unfortunate that the screenwriter team, working from a story by Gigi Levangie, couldn't come up with something a little more interesting than the cancer subplot. About two-thirds of the way through the film, we discover that Jackie is suffering from cancer. Instead of feeling like a natural plot twist, it comes off as a tacked on conclusion, trying desperately to bring these two women together in friendship. There is even a moment when Jackie's son falls from a playground treehouse which feels so artificial that one must wonder why it was even put into the screenplay. And of course, who could forget the unimaginative subplot where Jackie and Isabel must come up with a way to rid Anna of her obnoxious ex-boyfriend? Isabel's way to solve Anna's problem works, and Jackie scolds Isabel for teaching her daughter to solve her own problems in a vicious and cruel manner. Her moralistic speechs don't seem directed at Isabel, but at us, the viewing audience. It's preachy, sappy, melodramatic, but occasionally very funny. The blandness of the screenplay is even more shocking and revolting when you take into account that it took five screenwriters to come up with this.
Director Chris Columbus knows how to direct comedies, as he did with the popular and mildly amusing Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire. Unfortunately, dramas are not his strong suit, and his inept direction throughout this picture is proof. Columbus seems to realize the staleness of the picture, so he hired one absolutely adorable kid to fill in for comedic purposes only. In fact, his entire role seems more like filler than an actual human character. But that is acceptable, since the young actor they chose is too cute to say anything bad about. However, Columbus paints this maudlin portrait of the picture-perfect family. Jackie is separated from her family, yet lives in a huge house, surrounded by flowers and trees. Meanwhile, Isabel and Luke opt to live in a condo--a two-story luxurious condo. Yet one has the seemingly perfect existance, while the other is fast-paced and absent-minded. It's the same contrasts The Horse Whisperer dealt with in a more mature manner.
Julia Roberts is the film's true saving grace. Roberts is absolutely stunning as Isabel, molding a three-dimensional character out of what could have been a cardboard cutout. Roberts is one of the very few actresses who can make you cry when she cries, and laugh when she laughs. Her smile is radiant, and the personality of the character fits her well. Susan Sarandon could play this character in her sleep, which makes her performance seem forced. Sarandon, however, does have some good scenes interacting with Roberts. Ed Harris is left in the background for a large portion of the film, but he is a supporting character, and Harris does his best with the material. Jena Malone seems to be striving for Scarlett Johannson's deeply traumatic performance in The Horse Whisperer yet achieves a flat and unrealistic performance. That can't be said for Liam Aiken, a delightful screen presence if there ever was one. With a high-pitched laugh and the cutest face on screen, every audience member should rejoice when he is on screen. And that's really about it... the rest of the cast is relegated to small parts not worthy of mentioning.
STEPMOM is rated PG-13 for language and thematic elements. Cinematically, it's a bore, except for one stunning scene during a nighttime horseback ride into the nearby snowy woods. The music by John Williams is surprisingly stale, giving the film another feeling of faux-authenticity. While the whole crew working on this film seemed to have good intentions, they have come across a rather bleak tale of humanity in which two women, unlikely to be friends in real life, must band together in order to save a family. It's just too unrealistic to be emotional.