Stepmom (1998)

Director:

Chris Columbus

Writers (WGA):

Gigi Levangie (story)
Gigi Levangie (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

25 December 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Be there for the joy. Be there for the tears. Be there for each other.

Plot:

A terminally-ill mother has to settle on the new woman in her ex-husband's life, who will be their new stepmother.

Plot Keywords:

Custody | Bittersweet | Female Bonding | Humor | Sentimental

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 7 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Julia Roberts	...	Isabel Kelly
Susan Sarandon	...	Jackie Harrison
Ed Harris	...	Luke Harrison
Jena Malone	...	Anna Harrison
Liam Aiken	...	Ben Harrison
Lynn Whitfield	...	Dr. P. Sweikert
Darrell Larson	...	Duncan Samuels
Mary Louise Wilson	...	Mrs. Franklin
Andre B. Blake	...	Cooper (as Andre Blake)
Russel Harper	...	Photo Assistant
Jack Eagle	...	Craft Service Man
Lu Celania Sierra	...	Photo Shoot Model
Lauma Zemzare	...	Photo Shoot Model
Holly Schenck	...	Photo Shoot Model
Michelle Stone	...	Photo Shoot Model

Also Known As:

Class Divided (USA) (working title)
Good Night Moon (USA) (working title)
Untitled New York City Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language and thematic elements.

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Philippines:PG-13 | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-8 | France:U | Germany:6 | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | USA:PG-13 | South Korea:12 | Singapore:PG | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Bedford, New York, USA

Company:

1492 Pictures

Trivia:

Chris Columbus's daughter, Eleanor Columbus makes an appearance as the little girl in ballet class (but is uncredited).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Ben surprises Isabel by hiding inside the kitchen cabinets. However, in the next shot of the open cabinets you can see clearly that there was no space for him to fit inside.

Quotes:

Luke: We'll beat it. You're not alone in this you know. You don't have to go through this by yourself... you know that? Understand what I'm saying?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Lucy Liu/Jay-Z (#26.8)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

This Land is Your Land

Incredulous and not entertained.

The first two thirds of the film are quite clearly stated by the sixty-second trailer. The big screen, unexpurgated, version serves only to make these loathsome and hateful people (well portrayed by Susan Sarandon and Jena Malone) more substantial and more tangible. The events of the last third of the film are intended, I assume, to turn around our perception of these characters and somehow make them more endearing. Well, for me, it just didn't work. Although the acting was at least competent, the apparent moral of the story of absolute forgiveness under adversity was just not plausible.

If you are a staunch Julia Roberts fan you may appreciate her portrayal of the unquestioning Isabel but are not likely to enjoy the abuse her character must endure.