Mermaids Reviews

[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.

[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.

Mermaids- Why Mermaids?

Why call this film Mermaids? It was fairly entertaining but watching it with someone who loves mermaids made it disappointing. If including Cher's youngest daughter's ability to swim well was the link to a mermaid, then I think they could have done better. When finally near the end of the film all was revealed and Cher dressed up, it was as if the script writer had suddenly remembered the title!

[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.

Totally enjoyable film

I haven't seen this film for years and it was a pleasure to watch again. The cast is outstanding - Cher is supurb as the sexy mum, Winona Ryder is brilliant as the weird teenage daughter, Bob Hoskins comes across as sweet and cheeky and a young Christianna Ricci is so cute! Such a good, funny story, acted really, really well. And a great soundtrack...I'd definatley recommend