Mrs. Winterbourne (1996)
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7% of critics liked it
(29 reviews) -
59% of users liked it
(17,464 ratings)
A poor woman is the beneficiary of a case of mistaken identity in this comedy. Luckless Connie (Ricki Lake) leaves home to move to New York, only to find herself stuck with no job, no money, and a louse of a boyfriend (Loren Dean) who gets her pregnant and abandons her. Despondently taking a train… More A poor woman is the beneficiary of a case of mistaken identity in this comedy. Luckless Connie (Ricki Lake) leaves home to move to New York, only to find herself stuck with no job, no money, and a louse of a boyfriend (Loren Dean) who gets her pregnant and abandons her. Despondently taking a train back to Boston, Connie meets Hugh and Patricia Winterbourne (Brendan Fraser and Susan Haskell), a wealthy couple also expecting a baby. Patricia notices Connie admiring her wedding ring, and lets her try it on; moments later, the train jumps the tracks, and Connie wakes up in a hospital to discover that the staff thinks she's Patricia Winterbourne, who died in the wreck along with Hugh. The Boston Winterbournes, led by sharp-tongued Grace (Shirley MacLaine), had never met Patricia, so they have no way of knowing that Connie isn't Patricia. While Connie isn't trying to cheat anyone, it doesn't take her long to realize that this isn't a bad environment for raising her baby, especially after she meets Bill Winterbourne, Hugh's twin brother (also played by Fraser). Mrs. Winterbourne was based on a short story by Cornell Woolrich, previously filmed as No Man of Her Own and J'ai Epouse Une Ombre. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Richard Benjamin
- Genres
- Comedy, Romance
PG-13,
- In Theaters
- Apr 19, 1996 Wide
- Studio
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Critic Reviews
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Rita Kempley, Washington Post
For a Cinderella story, it's sorely without magic.
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Brian Lowry, Variety
The brazen sentimentality at work here -- while effective in the context of what some might call "a chick flick"-- doesn't give the material much weight.
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, Time Out
Lake is a rather chilly and distinctly unpersuasive presence.
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James Berardinelli, ReelViews
This film mistakes action for energy, ridiculous circumstances for comedy, and a mismatched male/female pairing for romance.
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Mike Clark, USA Today
A watered-down star vehicle for chat queen Ricki Lake, the comedy lite has been flicked on none too delicately by director Richard Benjamin.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
Cast
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Shirley MacLaine
as Grace Winterbourne
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Ricki Lake
as Connie/Patricia Winterbourne
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Brendan Fraser
as Bill, Hugh Winterbourne
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Miguel Sandoval
as Paco
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Loren Dean
as Steve DeCunzo
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Peter Gerety
as Father Brian
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Jane Krakowski
as Christine
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Debra Monk
as Lieutenant Ambrose
- Paula Prentiss
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Susan Haskell
as Patricia Winterbourne
- Kate Hennig
- Cathryn de Prume
