- Film Review
- Reviewed By David Parkinson
-
4 out of 5
After making his directorial debut with My Favourite Year in 1982, Richard Benjamin has forged a career in quirky comedies, despite the occasional return to acting. In this gentle romantic comedy, he coaxes a deft performance from Winona Ryder as a confused 1960s teen, caught between her lust for a local handyman (Michael Schoeffling) and her desire to be a nun. Surrounded by an eccentric mother (Cher) who's having an on-off relationship with a local shopkeeper (Bob Hoskins) and a younger sister (Christina Ricci) who practises being a swimmer by holding her breath in the bath, it's not surprising she finds life so perplexing. This is a curious, light-hearted tale (it'll make you smile, not belly laugh), with Ryder the greatest surprise as the young girl who's experiencing all kinds of pubescent angst.
Plot Summary
Romantic comedy starring Cher, Bob Hoskins and Winona Ryder. It's 1963: after uprooting her family to a small coastal town in Massachusetts, restless single parent Mrs Flax becomes romantically involved with a local shopkeeper. At the same time, her elder daughter is worried that her own tentative romance may compromise her religious calling.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Mrs Flax
- Cher
- Lou Landsky
- Bob Hoskins
- Charlotte Flax
- Winona Ryder
- Joe Peretti
- Michael Schoeffling
- Kate Flax
- Christina Ricci
- Carrie
- Caroline McWilliams
- Mother Superior
- Jan Miner
- Mary O'Brien
- Betsey Townsend
- Mr Crain
- Richard McElvain
- Mrs Crain
- Paula Plum
Crew
- Director
- Richard Benjamin
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