STEPMOM

US, 1998, 124 minutes, Colour.
Susan Sarandon, Julia Roberts, Ed Harris, Jena Malone, Liam Aiken, Lynn Whitfield.
Directed by Chris Columbus.

Writer-director, Chris Columbus, has made some subversive entertainments about family crises, two Home Alone films, Mrs Doubtfire. He was more conventional with Nine Weeks. This is a film of contemporary family and he is having it both ways. Susan Sarandon and Ed Harris have two children and are separated. Harris now lives with Julia Roberts who has to face her love for him and the acceptance of his children (who are more than overtly hostile). However, Roberts is also faced with career choices and decisions about caring for children, with the children winning out.

But, of course, real life and even the movies are more complex than this. Stepmom compounds the emotional response by having the injured mother not in a new relationship but dying of cancer. How will she be remembered when she dies and when her place is taken by an eventually sympathetic stepmom.

Julia Roberts is charming as the potential stepmom, a successful advertising photographer. Susan Sarandon combines Sister Helen Prejean with Little Women's Marmee as the mother. The clash sequences are stronger than the loving sequences which gives quite some edge to the sentiment. Ordinary viewers in the audience, especially if they have experienced something akin to what they are seeing will probably be drawn into the story and the emotions.

1. Popular entertainment? Contemporary family issues? Sentiment - sentimentality? Themes of family, marriage, marriage break-up, illness, death?

2. The title and its tone, particularly American? Raising the issues of broken families? Children coping with new families?

3. Wide screen photography, vistas of New York, the countryside? Homes, apartments? The glamour of the photo sessions? The range of songs?

4. The sentiment of the film? Audience identification? Men and women? Children? Tugging at the heartstrings or manipulation? Tears? The overall effect of this kind of experience?

5. The initial focus on Isabel and sympathies for her? Julia Roberts in this role? The fact that the marriage was already broken, that Luke and Jackie had already separated? The perspective on broken marriages and what one does in the aftermath?

6. The film's screenplay and the various characters and their discussions about marriage, marriage for life, vows, the breaking of vows, the lack of possibility of reconciliation? The effect on each of the characters?

7. Isabel, her age and experience, her skill as a photographer? Her intuitions and insight? With the man and the women and the doctrine of the photo and the company accepting this? Working with her staff? Success? The other shoots, especially in Central Park? Her lack of family background? Her coming straight into a family with children? The initial seeing her being unable to cope and the children's treatment of her? Her gradually being drawn into family life? Her ultimately losing her job? Her love for Luke, wanting to accept the children and trying for his sake as well?

8. The antagonism towards Isabel? Benjamin and his hiding in the kitchen? Anna and her demands, despising Isabel and speaking in that way? Isabel being late for appointments and forgetting? Anna's rudeness on the phone? Her being insulted? Her love for Luke and this as a rationale for trying to work with the children? Being insulted by Jackie, losing Benjamin and the interrogation by the police? The idea of the Pearl Jam concert and Jackie taking it?

9. The change of attitudes towards Isabel? Anna and her drawing and Isabel able to help her with the trees? Driving, singing, 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough'? Benjamin and playing with him? Anna confiding in Isabel about being insulted by the boy at school? Isabel and the elaborate strategy of putting the words into Anna's mouth, hiring the boy to be the boyfriend? And Jackie's reaction to this and her criticism of Isabel's using lies and deceit for getting out of a situation?

10. Luke, the relationship with Jackie, devoted to his legal work, the separation? His love for Isabel? His being absent at his work (and absent during the film)? The discussions with the schoolteacher about Anna and her fantasies? At home, with the children? His delivering clothes to Jackie? The meetings, the discussion about remarrying? His proposal to Isabel? The discussions with Jackie about her illness? His support of her?

11. Jackie, the break-up of the marriage and her asking Luke to leave? Her response to the children and her protectiveness? Her reaction to Isabel? The object of her anger? The hurtful things spoken to Isabel? Criticism of her, throwing her lunches away, taking the Pearl Jam concert idea? Expecting Isabel to do things perfectly, not be late, etc? Her reaction to Benjamin being lost in the park, her behaviour in the police station, her threats? Giving Luke another chance? Her asking Isabel to meet the children? Not telling people about her going to the hospital? Going to the doctor, the discussions, the treatment? Her attempt to tell Luke but his being enthusiastic about the engagement? The discussions with Isabel - and Isabel understanding the wrong truth? The telling of the children and Anna's bitterness? Trying to make up for lost time, Anna and the snow and going for the ride? The request for Isabel to take the photos - the collages, capturing the mother with her children? Her confessing to Isabel that she had forgotten her children? And lost Benjamin? Her reaction to Anna and her behaviour with the boy and Isabel's advice? Her illness, the celebration of Christmas, her celebration with her children - and the singing of the song? The final photo?

12. Anna and her age, her anger, her view of the broken marriage, of Isabel? Hurting Isabel? Insulting her? Isabel and the clash about respecting her? Relationship with her father - and taunting him about walking out on her mother? Gradually changing, the drawing of the trees, seeing Isabel as a big sister, discussing these things with her mother? The gradual acceptance, sharing the ride in the snow with her mother, becoming quieter and accepting?

13. Benjamin and his magic, lost in the park, with the police, the Thanksgiving play and his being the turkey? His direct discussions about death? His offering to hate Isabel if his mother wanted? Accepting her?

14. Isabel and the changing reaction, learning to love the children, care for them, even excusing their mother being late? Her discussions with Anna, with Benjamin? Her growing to understand Jackie, their discussions, encouragement by Jackie?

15. The change in each of the people? Adults and children? The film trying to show how people can cope with breakdown of marriage, new starts? The focus on the past, the focus on the future?

16. The theme of marriage and family? The added theme of cancer, treatment, death?