In Her Shoes 2005

     This film is based on a novel by Jennifer Weiner.  Rose and Maggie are sisters and they are nothing alike.  Rose is the older sister, she is an attorney, responsible and lonely but she has a closet full of shoes.  Maggie is beautiful, selfish, irresponsible and her drunken behavior gets her tossed by her step-mother from her dad’s house.  Rose breaks off their relationship after Maggie comes on to Rose’s boyfriend.  This gets her tossed from Rose’s apartment.  Maggie finds an address while looking in her father’s desk for money to pinch.  Then, Ella arrives on the scene?  She is the grandmother they didn’t know existed?

     It takes a while for Rose and Maggie to find common ground!!  There is a shift in attitudes when Shirley MacLaine comes on the scene as grandmother Ella Hirsh.  She doesn’t mind using tough love and telling the truth.  Rose and Maggie start to see each other as liking each other.  They can be friends and sisters.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie) 

    

130 min, Comedy directed by Curtis Hanson, written by Jennifer Weiner with Toni Collette, Cameron Diaz, Shirley MacLaine, Anson Mount, Richard Burgi, Candice Azzara, Brooke Smith, Mark Feuerstein, Terrance Christopher Jones, Nicole Randall Johnson, Jason Peck.    

Note:  Imdb 6.5 out of 10, Roger Ebert 3 1/2*, 75% critic 66% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic 60 out of 100 with 36 critics 6.8 out of 10 with 53 reviews, Empire Online 4* out of 5*, Rolling Stone 3* out of 4*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Deerfield, Delray Beach, Briny Breezes, Florida.  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Pasadena, Los Angeles, California.   Originally Toni Collette was to play Maggie and Sarah Michelle Gellar as Rose.  Collette gained 25 pounds for her role and she lost the weight during filming.  Cameron Diaz is playing the younger sister but she is actually two months older than Collette.