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Toni Collette, Cameron Diaz, Shirley MacLaine, Mark Feuerstein, Richard Burgi, Candice Azzara

The first impression of In Her Shoes might come across like a melodramatic story, but with a director such as Curtis Hanson, the final product should be something else. After all Hanson directed the brilliant thriller L.A. Confidential (1994) and the terrific film with the pot smoking college professor who could not finish his book in Wonder Boys (2000). In 8 Mile, he caringly displays the tough upbringing of the infamous rapper Eminem, and how his efforts paid off after years of misery. Thus, it is not without reason to expect that Hanson could pull off something extraordinary while the title plays directly towards the allusions of something trite and common. ***

Even though, Hanson generously applies stereotypical females through Cameron Diaz’s portrayal, as the typical long-legged blond bimbo Maggie. Then there is Toni Collette, with several admirable performances since her roll as Muriel in Muriel’s Wedding (1994), who reveals a counter-opposite character to Diaz through her excellent personification of the overachieving sister with strong type-A and anal-retentive tendencies. Maggie, on the other hand, is the kind of girl men turn their heads after while Rose disappears in the masses. The differences between the two sisters cause much friction between the girls, as Maggie’s beauty enhances Rose’s insecurity about her looks and her ability to date and Maggie internalizes her insecurity through Rose’s driven and self-made success, as she lacks knowledge, wisdom, and skill. The only thing that Maggie possesses is beauty, which she scandalously uses to her advantage to gain what she desires. However, time is catching up with Maggie, which only increases her own insecurities. ***

Through Maggie neediness for constant attention have formed this helpless woman that barely knows how to drive a car. The only thing that Maggie seems capable of is to put together a sexy or fashionable outfit. It often means when she runs out of money or place to stay she returns to Rose. These moments are very difficulty for Rose, as does not have the heart to throw Maggie out, even though she is fully aware that Maggie will end up hurting her by using her for the moment. Rose even makes effort to help Maggie stand on her own feet, and not be dependent on others by trying to find a job for her, which proves to be a far more difficult task that expected. One of the best scenes in the film takes place when Maggie stays with Rose and it is when Maggie is trying on Rose’s expensive shoes. During this scene they talk about the purpose of having these luxurious footwear, which subtly enhances the distinct difference in their existence. ***

The insecurities and personalities that Maggie and Rose hold stem from their childhood, which seems to have strong ties with their mother who passed away while they still were children. Meanwhile, their father has remarried the stepmother from hell who does everything possible, both consciously and unconsciously, to make both sisters lives extremely difficult to deal with. On top of this, Maggie discovers that their grandparents are not dead, as their father has said. Instead, some hidden letters indicate that their grandparents live in Florida. To make things even worse, Maggie crosses the line of no return, as she sleeps with Rose’s boyfriend and gets caught in the act by her sister. In this complicated situation, Maggie flees to Florida to use her unaware grandmother Ella Hirsch (Shirley MacLaine), as a resort where she can heal her wounds. ***

To this point In Her Shoes seems to present a rather usual set up for a melodramatic drama, however, it is also at this point where Hanson throws in a wrench into the melodramatic machinery. Instead of turning it to a typical romantic comedy, or sappy drama, Hanson transcends the film beyond the superficial anticipation of a silly over-the-top comedy of broken hearts and retribution. The film brings the audience on a journey through the agonizing memories of distant and recent past, which allows the story to bring forth moving qualities such as forgiveness, understanding, and an opportunity for second chances. The story occasionally feels a little too sentimental, however, Hanson incorporates these elements of the story with delicate touch in such a way that it feels natural and acceptable. Thus, Hanson meets the expectations again, as In Her Shoes proves to be a poignant tale of two sisters’ relationship issues that requires much change and wisdom. *** ---

The quality of In Her Shoes is rather remarkable, even though it occasionally displays some edge enhancement and pixelization. However, it is minimal, and does not really affect the viewing, unless the viewer is a purist that stares for the defects. The image comes naturally in anamorphic widescreen, which is presented in the aspect ratio 2.35:1. The audio is also very good, as it offers a nice and clean sound without any distortions. It comes with an English language track in Dolby Digital 5.1 while there also are two foreign speaking, Spanish and French, tracks that are presented in Dolby Digital 2.1. ***

Three features exist in the special features section. The initial feature, The People in the Shoes, allows for a glimpse behind the scenes where the director Curtis Hanson provides much interesting information in regards to the characters and other artistic aspects of the film. The Retirement Community for Acting Seniors presents the seniors in the film and how much they enjoyed being a part of the cast in the film. It is a truly touching feature that is very unlike many other features I have seen over the years. Lastly, in the special feature section the audience can find From Death Row to the Red Carpet: The Casting of Honeybun. Here the viewer gets a chance to hear how Curtis Hanson and Susannah Grant picked the dog for Honeybun from an animal shelter. This feature is very moving and will make dog owners and other animal lovers cheering for these filmmakers and their innovative empathy for animals. Besides the features there is also the Inside Look that presents some promotional behind the scenes shots and interviews with Lindsay Lohan in the upcoming Just My Luck (2006). *** ---

L.A. Confidential and Wonder Boys were brilliant examples of Curtis Hanson’s ability to direct. In Her Shoes is also a very good film, but it does not come near the immaculate cinematic creations that he has done previously. However, this criticism should not deter the audience from seeing In Her Shoes, which presents two very good performances by several actors. Hanson’s direction is still very good, even though not perfect, and in the end the film will allow the viewer to experience a sincere and emotional film well worth the time and money. ***