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Mermaids
1990
MERMAIDS is the story of the turbulent relationship between a flamboyant, outrageous mom (Cher) and her two daughters (Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci) who just want a normal, stable life. Socially rebellious and provocative, the mother is reluctant to settle down, even at the request of her two daughters (one of whom, despite .. Read more
| Starring | Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder, Michael Schoeffling |
|---|---|
| Director | Richard Benjamin |
| Genres | Comedy |
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Mermaids
MERMAIDS is the story of the turbulent relationship between a flamboyant, outrageous mom (Cher) and her two daughters (Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci) who just want a normal, stable life. Socially rebellious and provocative, the mother is reluctant to settle down, even at the request of her two daughters (one of whom, despite being Jewish, longs to enter a convent). The unusual family has moved 18 times in the last 15 years, usually whenever Mrs. Flax senses she might have to commit to a relationship. But this time the girls hope the family will stay put, and their conflicting desires lead to a final, near-tragic result. The film is based on the novel by Patty Dann.
| Starring | Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder, Michael Schoeffling, Christina Ricci, Caroline McWilliams, Jan Miner |
|---|---|
| Director | Richard Benjamin |
| Studio | MGM ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 45 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Dubbed | French, German, Italian, Spanish |
| Hearing-impaired | English, German |
| Subtitles | DVD: Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish |
| Released | DVD: 23 Jul 2001 Production year: 1990 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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Since 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 romantically involved 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.
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Charlotte (Ryder) has upped sticks eighteen times in her young life, and she's hoping to settle down with her mother... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Mermaids
Based on the novel by Patty Dann Mermaids is a pretty simple story of Rachel Flax (Cher) and her two daughters; 15 year old Charlotte (Ryder) wants to be a nun, despite the fact the family is Jewish and 9 year old Kate (Ricci) wants to be a champion swimmer. The family have always moved around a lot and when they arrive in their newest town things seem to follow their familliar pattern, at least until Rachel's new man (Hoskins) starts to get serious about their relationship and Charlotte falls in love with Joe (Michael Schofelling), the young caretaker at a nearby convent.
Mermaids is a pretty full 100 odd minutes. There's comedy, there's drama. There's the romance between the Cher and Bob Hoskins characters to follow and a coming of age storywith Ryder and all that before a dramatic third act. With this much to get through it's inevietable that this would be a hit and miss film.
Most of the performances hit. Cher gives a strong performance, flighty to begin with, but she's able to bring conviction to the drama of the second half of the film. Ryder is even better. Okay so I was never a teenage girl but I sure as hell remember being 15 and she captures the sometimes bewildering mix of emotions with skill and reality. Ricci is an absolute charmer as Kate, she's got teriffic instincts as an actress and finely tuned comic timing (as she'd show the following year in The Addams Family).
Sadly the film's leading men let the side down, Bob Hoskins with a poor accent (why couldn't he just be English?) and Michael Schofelling with a blank non-performance that makes you wonder what Charlotte sees in him.
The first half of the film is quite broad and comic, some of it sticks (the intorduction of Charlotte's ambition shot down with a withering 'Charlotte, we're Jewish' by Cher) but much doesn't but after Charlotte briefly runs away mid movie the film becomes more dramatic, culminating in some excellent exchanges between Cher and Ryder which feel extremely true to life and are all but flawlessly played.
The parts don't always gel and it's not without clunky moments, but Mermaids is a decent and rather underseen film. -
Most recent members' review
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Mermaids
Based on the novel by Patty Dann Mermaids is a pretty simple story of Rachel Flax (Cher) and her two daughters; 15 year old Charlotte (Ryder) wants to be a nun, despite the fact the family is Jewish and 9 year old Kate (Ricci) wants to be a champion swimmer. The family have always moved around a lot and when they arrive in their newest town things seem to follow their familliar pattern, at least until Rachel's new man (Hoskins) starts to get serious about their relationship and Charlotte falls in love with Joe (Michael Schofelling), the young caretaker at a nearby convent.
Mermaids is a pretty full 100 odd minutes. There's comedy, there's drama. There's the romance between the Cher and Bob Hoskins characters to follow and a coming of age storywith Ryder and all that before a dramatic third act. With this much to get through it's inevietable that this would be a hit and miss film.
Most of the performances hit. Cher gives a strong performance, flighty to begin with, but she's able to bring conviction to the drama of the second half of the film. Ryder is even better. Okay so I was never a teenage girl but I sure as hell remember being 15 and she captures the sometimes bewildering mix of emotions with skill and reality. Ricci is an absolute charmer as Kate, she's got teriffic instincts as an actress and finely tuned comic timing (as she'd show the following year in The Addams Family).
Sadly the film's leading men let the side down, Bob Hoskins with a poor accent (why couldn't he just be English?) and Michael Schofelling with a blank non-performance that makes you wonder what Charlotte sees in him.
The first half of the film is quite broad and comic, some of it sticks (the intorduction of Charlotte's ambition shot down with a withering 'Charlotte, we're Jewish' by Cher) but much doesn't but after Charlotte briefly runs away mid movie the film becomes more dramatic, culminating in some excellent exchanges between Cher and Ryder which feel extremely true to life and are all but flawlessly played.
The parts don't always gel and it's not without clunky moments, but Mermaids is a decent and rather underseen film. -
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