Lovely And Amazing (DVD)

Nicole Holofcener's Lovely and Amazing may be the ultimate 'chick flick.' There is barely any action to speak of; all of the male characters are jerks; and it deals with issues of self-esteem and body image. Surprisingly, this is one of my male housemates' favourite films of the past couple of years because it is so heart-warming and sweet.

Jane Marks (Brenda Blethyn) has three daughters, all of whom struggle with self-esteem and ...
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Lovely and Amazing addresses many important issues facing women today, but some people may find it to be too slow-moving. With its memorable characters yet familiar emotions, it is simultaneously mundane and extraordinary.

Certification: Canada:14A / UK:15 / USA:R
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Nicole Holofcener's Lovely and Amazing may be the ultimate 'chick flick.' There is barely any action to speak of; all of the male characters are jerks; and it deals with issues of self-esteem and body image. Surprisingly, this is one of my male housemates' favourite films of the past couple of years because it is so heart-warming and sweet.

Jane Marks (Brenda Blethyn) has three daughters, all of whom struggle with self-esteem and identity issues in different ways. Michelle (Catherine Keener) is in an unhappy marriage, and no one will buy her art. Elizabeth (Emily Mortimer) is a small-time actress with an unsupportive boyfriend. The youngest daughter, Annie (Raven Goodwin, in a fantastic debut performance) is an eight-year-old African American girl whom Jane has adopted. Everything Annie says is adorable, but she is a bit too much for Jane to handle. Jane passes Annie off to a volunteer 'big sister' a couple of times a week so that Annie can have a positive black, female role model. But, after Annie pretends to drown in the local YMCA pool one too many times, the woman refuses to see her any more.

Annie's delivery is extremely honest and earnest, but hilarious at the same time. At one point, Jane and Elizabeth are concerned that Annie wants to straighten her hair. In the supermarket, Elizabeth tells Annie that she thinks her natural hair is pretty. Annie says simply, 'I look like a clown,' wanders away and picks up a product with a picture of Bozo on it and holds it up next to her face. Elizabeth can't argue with her. Annie also mentions matter-of-factly several times that her mother was 'a crack addict.' The other characters complain bitterly about their lives, but Annie certainly has much more adversity to overcome.

Furthermore, it is hypocritical of Jane and Elizabeth to criticize Annie for wanting to change her appearance when Jane is about to enter the hospital for liposuction and Elizabeth complains about her 'flabby upper arms' when she is, in fact, stick thin. In one particularly poignant moment, Jane is bathing Annie and Annie says she wishes she could rip off her skin because it isn't white like her adoptive mother's.

Michelle, the eldest sister, appears to have the same mental age as Annie and her own daughter. Fully grown, she still hasn't gotten over the sibling rivalry stage, and tells everyone that her mother is selfish for having adopted Annie. Catherine Keener is brilliant in this role as she tells everyone to 'f*ck off' and displays a complete lack of social skills and tact. One particularly significant and amusing scene is when she and Annie and Elizabeth go to a party for the opening of Elizabeth's new film. Annie gets bored and starts to whine that she wants to go home. Michelle is exasperated with Annie's behavior, so Elizabeth offers to let Michelle stay and enjoy the party. Any normal, mature person would have said, 'No, it's your party after all. I'll take Annie home.' But Michelle takes Elizabeth's anti-suggestion to heart and stays at the party. Mingling and trying to make small talk, Michelle tells guests about her natural child birth, a definite faux pas in a social setting, wouldn't you say?

Although Michelle acts tough and calls the craft shop women who refuse to buy her ridiculous toy chairs 'bitches,' she is unable to stand up to her husband, who treats her disrespectfully and literally stomps on her artistic creations. She also seems hurt when her daughter won't watch cartoons with her, another instance where Michelle acts childish.

At her husband's insistence, Michelle finds a proper job when it becomes clear that her art won't pay the bills. She begins work at a local one-hour photo lab and becomes friends with 17-year-old Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal). At the Independent Spirit Awards, Gyllenhaal had to choose whether to sit at the 'Lovely and Amazing' table or at the one of 'The Good Girl' (http://www.ciao.co.uk/Good_Girl_The__Review_5319885), in which he also plays a disaffected retail clerk who has a relationship with an older woman! Type casting, perhaps? Hilarity ensues when Michelle meets Jordan's mother.

Blethyn is also excellent and does an American accent very well.

Emily Mortimer won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress, and for good reason. She is extremely natural at playing the character of Elizabeth, but also does an excellent job of portraying Elizabeth TRYING to act. Her scenes with Dermot Mulroney, who plays a movie star are painful to watch, as Elizabeth is so vulnerable. Even though Mulroney is superficial, he's the least insensitive male character in this somewhat anti-male film and seems to care for Elizabeth at least on some level.

Lovely and Amazing addresses many important issues facing women today, but some people may find it to be too slow-moving. With its memorable characters yet familiar emotions, it is simultaneously mundane and extraordinary.

Certification: Canada:14A / UK:15 / USA:R
 

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