Saturday, April 17, 2010

Stepmom Movie


The tables have been turned. This isn't a movie where everybody loves Julia Roberts. In fact, everybody - well most everybody - hates her. Julia plays as Isabelle, girlfriend of Luke, a divorcee with two kids. Jacky, Luke's ex, harbors ill feelings towards Isabelle, possibly feeling displaced out of her and Luke's two children,'s lives, Anna and Ben.  There is a lot of jealousy and insecurity involved, which harbors even more jealousy and insecurity and hatred. Jacky develops a terminal illness while Luke asks Isabelle to marry him. In the end,
Isabelle acknowledges Jacky's parenting skills while Isabelle develops a better relationship with the kids. Its an emotionally touching movie but still lighthearted enough to leave a smile in one's heart.

I never want to be put in an awkward situation as where the two women are: Jacky, for being displaced by a younger, more successful (and prettier) woman, and Isabelle, for having to fit in to a family who might treat her as a stranger. Yet this is a reality that most families face. I only hope that if I get to be put in an awkward situations like this... well I hope not to. Ugh!

This movie strikes too close to home, I guess. I was the same age as Anna, the twelve year old daughter in the film, when this movie came out - and had to face the same situation. Problem was, things went pretty badly in my own life than Anna's life did in the movie. I guess the lesson here is that, I can't let my kids face these same awkward situations in their lives. I know how hard it was.