FRIENDS. RIVALS. SISTERS.

When Maggie Feller (Cameron Diaz) sleeps with her sister Rose’s (Toni Collette) boyfriend, she’s kicked out and tracks down her grandmother (Shirley MacLaine) who lives in a Florida community for “active seniors”. Another reliable, effective drama from director Curtis Hanson, one that features two very different sisters, one of them a selfish bimbo, the other a predictable bore, to be blunt. The crisis that leaves Diaz without a home is the turning point where they start to change their lives… and get to know the grandmother they never knew they had. No deep insights, but very entertaining and emotional, with terrific performances from the three leads.

2005-U.S. 129 min. Color. Widescreen. Produced by Ridley Scott, Curtis Hanson, Lisa Ellzey, Carol Fenelon. Directed by Curtis Hanson. Screenplay: Susannah Grant. Novel: Jennifer Weiner. Cast: Cameron Diaz (Maggie Feller), Toni Collette (Rose Feller), Shirley MacLaine (Elle Hirsch), Mark Feuerstein, Ken Howard, Candice Azzara… Norman Lloyd.

Last word: “The thought of Shirley occurred early on, but I dismissed it, ‘cos she is such a powerful, big, big presence. Ella, the character she plays is someone who is quiet, someone who is hiding from life and wants no attention. So I considered everybody you could think of for that part, and then I went for a meeting with Shirley and ended up being very blunt with her. I told her she was too big a presence and I saw her eyes flash and I could see that she felt challenged. She is someone who responds to a challenge. She has this defiance. And look at the movie – she is brilliant.” (Hanson, The Guardian)

IMDb