The Women

I was not so impressed by the re-release of The Women (starring Meg Ryan). It had big names, many that I have loved in other romantic comedies, so my hopes were high for this movie. Boy were those hopes obliterated. The funniest scene for me was the last - a baby delivery that had me rolling with Alex's (Jada Pinkett Smith) actions and reactions to being part of this birth. Other than that, I was left wanting more.

Maybe it's because the whole story hit too close to home. Or maybe it's because the characters didn't get developed enough. I'm not sure - but the comedy elements were weak and it just didn't live up to my expectations.

There was one part, however, that sticks with me. Mary Hanes (Meg Ryan) is having a conversation with her mother, Catherine Frazier (Candice Bergen) after learning her husband is having an affair with the "spritzer girl" at Saks. She feels alone and frustrated, feelings her mom can't possibly understand. But as she tries to explain how she's feeling, mom takes over...

Mary: You have no idea how this feels.
Mom: Well, let me try. It feels like someone kicked you in the stomach. It feels like your heart stopped beating. It feels like that dream - you know, the one where you're falling and you want so desperately to wake up before you hit the ground, but its all out of your control. You can't trust anything anymore. No one is who they say they are. Your life is changed forever and the only thing to come out of the whole ugly experience is that no one will ever be able to break your heart that like again."

This one phrase made the entire movie worth a watch for me because they captured it - they relayed perfectly the words I've been unable to express.