Stepmom starring Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon is not the sort of film I would usually sit down to watch, but after having caught the start of it on Film4 last night I thought I would give it a go. I’m glad I did as this emotional drama from 1998 was brilliantly acted and a real must watch for those who haven’t seen it yet.
Anna and Ben’s parents divorce and their father (Ed Harris) begins dating another woman; Isabel Kelly (Julia Roberts) she is nothing like their mother Jackie (Susan Sarandon) and is career focused and independent.
Both the children and their mother struggle to come to terms with this new woman in their lives but when Jackie is diagnosed with a severe form of cancer the family must learn to work together to ensure the best possible outcome from this horrendous situation.
Some of the scenes in this film are truly heartbreaking, I defy anyone to watch this and not shed at least the tiniest of tears at one point.
The scenes where Jackie must tell her family about her illness and the final messages she leaves for them all are filled with so much emotion and Susan Sarandon does a fantastic job of playing a woman desperate to hang on to every last moment that life can give her. She is believable and completely convincing in her role, as is Julia Roberts who seems a little stuffy at first but soon delivers a brilliant and touching performance as ‘the other woman’ who eventually becomes a friend and confidant to Jackie.
Directed by Chris Columbus, the man behind the Harry Potter movies and such classics as Home Alone and The Goonies this is a refreshing change of style from a great director and a must watch for anyone who enjoys emotional dramas with a touching and genuinely interesting storyline.
Full cast list for the film Stepmom: Alice Liu, Amina Asep, Andre B. Blake, Andrea Dolloff, Annett Esser, Anthony Grasso, Chad Lavinio, Charlie Christman, Chuck Montgomery, Darrell Larson, David Zayas, Dylan Michaels, Ed Harris, Eleanor Columbus, Electra Telesford, George Masters, Holly Schenck, Jack Eagle, James Ostrofsky, Jason Maves, Jena Malone, Jennifer Best, Jessica M. Osias, John Sadowski, Jordan Gochros, José Ramón Rosario, Julia Roberts, Julie Lancaster, Lauma Zemzare, Lee Shepherd, Liam Aiken, Lu Celania Sierra, Lynn Whitfield, Mak Gilchrist, Mary Louise Wilson, Matthew Doudounis, Michelle Hurst, Michelle L. Brady, Michelle Stone, Monique Rodrique, Naama Kates, Rex Hays, Rob London, Robert F. Alvarado, Robin Fusco, Russel Harper, Sal Mistretta, Sebastian Rand, Susan Sarandon, Zachary M. Hasak.