Customer Reviews

Stepmom

5 star:		(116)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I always have and always will consider this a very meaningful and worthwhile movie. Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon were outstanding choices for the lead roles because they truly knew how to fit the types of characters they were playing. Susan Sarandon is Jackie Harrison, a highly devoted mother who is an outstanding example of a woman who loves and places her children above herself. Her ex-husband Luke (Ed Harris) finds a new love, Isabel (Julia Roberts). The whole situation is difficult for Jackie and both of her young children, especially her 12-year-old daughter Anna, who resents Isabel. When Susan is diagnosed with fatal cancer, it becomes absolutely necessary for the two kids to learn to accept Isabel. Many, many hardships and challenges rise between Susan and Isabel before they are finally able to put aside their differences, become friends, and figure out how to handle the future of their family--a future that they can no longer deny. I especially liked this movie because it deals with such serious and complex issues that many of us can at least appreciate if we have not experienced it ourselves. You really feel the tone of the issue through Anna, Susan's oldest child. She is such a horrible brat, you want to kick her, but then you soften when you realize that she is just scared and upset because she loves both of her parents, and it is hard for her to get through all of the changes. Any of us can understand or even relate to that. Although I enjoyed most aspects of this movie, I really loved the way Susan taught her children not to be afraid of her death, especially her very young son. There's no greater way to show your love for your child than by putting on a brave face during the scariest moment of your life in order to spare them the fear that you feel yourself. It truly is touching the way Susan loves her kids so selflessly in this movie. It's very deep, very moving, and worth the money to buy. I hope this review was helpful.

I have waited forever for a fabulous movie such as this where the stepmom is a caring parent who will go through just about anything to make things workout, yet still be witty and stick up for herself. Julia Roberts was at her best. Susan Sarandon was perfect. Whenever you hear the word "stepmom" most think "wicked" should be attached. I am a stepmom and know how painful it can get. We're not all bad step mothers, some of us are stepmoms. This movie was very accurate and showed both sides of the fence. One reviewer said children are not aloud to act this way in real life, HA. This was a very mild case of what true step families go through. These childrens lives are being torn apart and they will stop at nothing to stop their pain. But as the movie shows, it's not because they are bad, and the stepmom isn't bad for falling in love with their dad, and once you see through the pain there really can be peace in the end with true love and understanding. We CAN have a great relationship with one another . Wonderful show, well worth owning. It truly showed the struggle real families go through in a fun, humorous and touching way. I took my stepson to see it. It was our first date. We loved it. He laughed and cried through the whole show.

Simply put--I loved this movie. I laughed, I cried, I delved into my own relationship with my stepmother. No, this is not an action adventure shoot 'em up escape movie. (I like those too.) It is a glimpse into the dirty world of divorce, children, and illnesses that sometimes bring everyone together.

Julia Roberts as the trying-hard-to-win-over-the-kids younger fiancee. Susan Sarandon as the gritty you-will-not-take-over-my- life ex-wife. Both gifted actresses play well of each other.

Humor, pathos, deep sadness & victory make for a great tears streaming down your face emotional ride. Don't miss this one.

Thank you for your interest & comments--CDS

This movie is a tough one to watch because many of the scenes (especially during the first hour) are riddled with tension -- the kind you feel when you've just confronted someone head-on. Everyone fights -- parents, children, ex-wife and girlfriend, stepmother and children; you almost feel like you've been inadvertantly caught with a friend when she decides to have a major argument with a family member -- makes you want to slip out of the room until the storm is over.

Chris Columbus did a wonderful job directing this film -- the arguments were uncomfortable, but they were supposed to be. Better, there were some poignant moments that really worked. STEPMOM is a realistic fable with just a touch of magic to make the audience happy.

The cast was superb -- Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon gave great performances, and the kids (not sure of their names) were both adorable and the biggest brats you've ever seen -- a great combination. Ed Harris was curiously absent from the film, showing up in less than half the scenes.

This movie is everything a drama is supposed to be: funny, moving, difficult, sad. Chris Columbus captured some beautiful moments, and some hard ones as well, making the audience better for the journey.

I have to say that the cast was great especially the two kids. Their acting was superb. A lot of people are saying that the daughter was too out of control, but in my opinion, it's different when you are actually in the situation. She was going through many issues and as an adolescent, it's hard to deal with divorce and knowing that your mother is dying. I'm not making excuses for her action but it's hard to say when you've never been there. This isn't excellent, but it's pretty good. It made me cry when Sarandon was giving the kids the special gifts that she made them.

This is an excellent movie. Anyone who has children and an ex-husband will love it. It has the all time greatest actress, Julia and Susan Sarandon is excellent also. It also helps the understanding of being a step-mom. Great for young teenagers who have this situation. A MUST see, A++++++ for Julia Roberts. She is the BEST.

For anyone who's a fan of Julia Robets, should defintely see this movie. I think Julia Robets fits the type of person she plays in this movie. it's a good family movie for kids that are a little older that know about sex and etc. because they do mention sex in the movie and do have some launguage in it. Overall I thought it was a good movie. I recomend going and renting it before you buy it though (just in case)!

Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon light up the screen in "Stepmom," a heartwarming and emotionally involving comedy/drama which tells the story of two women, one divorced, the other married to her ex-husband, and the hurdles they must jump in order to find a common ground of understanding. The movie has it laughs, tears, and an upbeat attitude that keeps going throughout, telling its story in an appealing fashion with the help of its brilliant cast and director Chris Columbus. You can enjoy this movie for everything it has to offer and feel satisfied in the end with how you spent your time; I did.

Jackie and Luke are divorced, which is emotionally taxing on their two children, Anna and Ben, Anna refusing to accept the fact that her parents are never getting back together again. Ben is too young to understand much of what is going on; he merely aides Anna in making Luke's girlfriend, Isabel, completely miserable. This includes hounding her for unwashed laundry, putting down her lunches, and just about anything they can to make it look like they have been treated with less care than they would under their mother. The movie's setup of these relationships between different characters is well-done, keeping its focus on the children's actions and their feelings on the situations they are put into.

As most ex-wives will do, Jackie is condescending of Isabel, looking down on her as a self-centered woman who cares more for her work and personal life than for the children under her care. They have many sparring sessions and heated arguments, but it's clear that they cannot argue forever, and as the children begin to warm to Isabel, so does the friendship between Jackie and Isabel begin to form. Soon, they are helping each other through tough times, trading tips on caring for the children, but still maintaining that small spark of conflict which will surface time and again as Jackie realizes her children are no longer solely under her influence.

The movie deals with a lot of real-to-life family issues that will hit home with most viewers and is sure to strike an emotional chord in audiences everywhere. One of those issues is the fact that a divorce is more about how to deal with the children than about getting on with life. The movie does not take away the focus from the childrens' feelings towards their situation. At one point, Anna stands up and shouts, "You didn't ask me if I wanted a new mother!" The story is still about the feud between Jackie and Isabel, but this feud centers around what each of them feels is best for the children, keeping with the fact that in a divorce, they are the ones who are most affected.

Actors Jena Malone and Liam Aiken, Anna and Ben, do a terrific job in bringing out all of that emotion and feeling in their characters. Aiken's character is not required to be as emotional as Malone's: he is only eight years old in the movie, and does not clearly understand what his parents are going through. He is merely along for the ride, going with what his parents say and what his sister wants, and Aiken brings all of that childhood innocence out perfectly and with believability. Malone must provide a much more involved role: her character is older, and lashes out against her father for leaving his mother and preparing to be with a woman half his age. Malone is full of tears, anger, and laughs, and her performance is heartwrenching and convincing.

Another issue is embedded in the relationship between Jackie and Isabel. Jackie has the maternal instinct where Isabel is trying her best, and the story is intensified emotionally by the clashes in how they feel the children should be raised. When Jackie realizes that Isabel is going to be a permanent part of her children's lives, she also comes to the realization that she cannot keep arguing with her about how to raise the children. As they come to an understanding of one another, it's intriguing to watch the two actresses interact onscreen.

Susan Sarandon is plays Jackie, who is stubborn and becomes quite disturbed when Isabel steps onto her turf. She brings out all this emotion and feeling, as well as her actions and reactions, convincingly, matching the performance of Roberts, her opposite. Roberts is Isabel, and she brings all the brightness and charm of her own person into the role while also maintaining a short emotional fuse. It is easy to see that the two actresses are having fun in their roles, and their pairing for this movie is outstanding. Their performances make this one of the best movies of the year. Ed Harris plays the part of Luke, who knows how Jackie feels but wishes that she and Isabel would be able to come to an understanding of one another. His performance is earnest and warming, and like his costars, he makes his role believable and interesting.

"Stepmom" is one of those feel-good movies that was able to keep my interest throughout. There is a twist in the plot that I dare not even mention, because the filmmakers and producers have done a pretty good job of not giving it away in the promotional material. There is a lot of love between the characters, brought out by the stellar cast and a director whose films in this field have excelled. Based on emotional depth and connectivity, "Stepmom" is a nice piece of heart that is filled with true human feeling.

Isabel (Julia Roberts) and Jackie (Susan Sarandon) have nothing in common.

Or so they think. But despite the obvious differences between them - Isabel is a Manhattan fashion photographer and Jackie is a stay-at-home mom to two kids - there is a bond growing between them.

For Luke, (Ed Harris), the children's father, is about to marry Isabel - despite his children's avowed dislike for the woman - and something is happening to Jackie that will radically alter all of their lives.

Stepmom is a movie that I saw many years ago - first in the theater and later on VHS - and when I ordered this DVD, I knew that I would enjoy watching it over and over for many years to come.

The poignancy of this story can touch anyone out there who has ever experienced the family complications conveyed in this movie; it can deeply affect everyone who has ever lived through anything like the joy and sorrow felt by the characters.

A wonderful drama about life and the unexpected moments that linger in our memories.

Laurel-Rain Snow

Photographer Isabel Kelly (Julia Roberts) steps into the role of Stepmom when she moves in with her older boyfriend, Luke Harrison (Ed Harris). He has two children, a young boy named Ben (Liam Aiken) and a teenage girl named Anna (Jena Malone), with his ex-wife Jackie (Susan Surandon).

Jackie does everything she can to undermine the kids relationship with Isabel short of coming out and telling them to hate her. But it is implied. When she finds out that her breast cancer has returned she's worried about the kind of mother she's leaving her kids with. It comes down to deciding if she's going to continue to sabotage Isabel or help her to be the best Stepmom she can be.

Surandon is inspirational as the grief stricken mom trying to drink up every blessed moment she has left with her children while leaving them with fond memories of their mother. This film is a roller coaster of emotions: love, jealousy, hate, anger, regret, loss and so much more is portrayed within a few hours.

This is one of my favorite dramatic comedy films starring two of my favorite female lead actresses. It makes me laugh and cry every time I see it. This film is so relevant to today's families showing that children and parents don't have to choose sides and that all members can have an enriched involvement if everyone chooses to give a little, accept one another's uniqueness and realize that life is a rocky road no matter who you love. If you haven't seen it yet I highly recommend you do so and if it's been awhile then definitely revisit it.