Stepmom (1998)
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44% of critics liked it
(55 reviews) -
75% of users liked it
(253,883 ratings)
Mrs. Doubtfire director Chris Columbus continues to explore the family turmoil of divorce in the tearjerker Stepmom, a story that pits the birth mother against the new mother. Jackie (Susan Sarandon), a one-time book editor, is now the consummate soccer mom juggling the schedules of her two kids in… More Mrs. Doubtfire director Chris Columbus continues to explore the family turmoil of divorce in the tearjerker Stepmom, a story that pits the birth mother against the new mother. Jackie (Susan Sarandon), a one-time book editor, is now the consummate soccer mom juggling the schedules of her two kids in her New York ranch outside of Manhattan. Her ex-husband Luke (Ed Harris), who gets weekend custody of the kids, is living in the city with a woman half his age named Isabel (Julia Roberts), a high-fashion photographer with a strong stylistic sense of "what's hot." Since Luke is always away at work, the burden of getting the kids ready for school when they are with their father falls on Isabel, and she just isn't the nurturing type. The story heats up, however, when Jackie learns that she has cancer. Facing the horrors of medical tests and chemotherapy, she realizes that, should something happen to her, her kids will be left with this irresponsible Isabel as their mother, especially after Luke proposes marriage to her. What ensues is part parenting lesson, part competitive parenting, but 100 percent family bonding, as Jackie must learn to allow Isabel to be part of her world and her family. ~ Arthur Borman, Rovi
- Directed By
- Chris Columbus
- Written By
- Gigi Levangie, Jessie Nelson, Karen Leigh Hopkins, Ron Bass, Steven Rogers
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Dec 25, 1998 Wide
- Studio
- TriStar Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
Too loud, bright and shallow for its subject!
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Todd McCarthy, Variety
It's merely a soap opera with elevated production values and a sterling cast.
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Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media
Contrived yet effective family weepie.
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Carlo Cavagna, AboutFilm.com
A sloppily scripted, formulaic tear-jerker about spoiled rich people who whine a lot. I defy you to feel anything for these characters other than the desire to slap them--even Sarandon's obligatorily terminally-ill Mom.
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Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Conveys many of the difficulties inherent in the stepfamily arrangement and the insecurities we all tend to feel when we compare ourselves to others.
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)
Cast
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Julia Roberts
as Isabel
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Susan Sarandon
as Jackie
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Ed Harris
as Luke
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Jena Malone
as Anna
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Liam Aiken
as Ben
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Lynn Whitfield
as Dr. Sweikert
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Darrell Larson
as Duncan Samuels
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Mary Louise Wilson
as School Counselor
- Jack Eagle



