Poor execution of a good idea

Sloe

Somewhere between the moment someone said "let's make a movie about the prom queen who suffers a great loss and goes home to recover" and the final "Cut!", something was lost.  Many good pieces, but the direction and editing were poorly done, and didn't leave enough glue to put it all together.

Good portrayal done by the daughter - I don't recall seeing her before, but I suspect I shall see her again.  Sandra Bullock was decent in scenes with her family, but there was no chemistry between her & Harry Connick Jr.

It would have been helpful to have a few brief scenes showing life between Birdie (Sandra Bullock) and her husband, and best friend even if only still lifes showing the progression from High School to now.....it would have made the bond between them more apparent, and helped us to sympathise with her loss.  As it was, both husband and best friend were simply paper doll characters labeled "The Bad Guys", and the audience is left wondering why they were there to begin with.

The constant interruption of boom mikes - in the bathroom, over the stairs, in the bedroom with the daughter - was extremely annoying, and distracted from an already weak film.

This film is not a winner.  Thank you - please try again.

score 4/10

Sloe 6 January 1999

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0420127/