MovieChat Forums > In Her Shoes (2005) Discussion > Oh Dear!...Chick-Flick?. ..More Like C...

Oh Dear!...Chick-Flick?. ..More Like Crap-Flick

posted 15 years ago by Roger_the_Dodger
24 replies | jump to latest

This movie is a disaster.
I have no problem with so called "chick-flicks", presuming the likes of Bridget Jones's Diary or The Holiday fall into this catagory.
I really liked Toni Collette in films such as Muriels Wedding, About A Boy, and Little Miss Sunshine.
I also liked Cameron Diaz in There's Something About Mary.

I lasted until Shirley MacLaine made her appearance, then had to eject.
Was that whole set-up with the other oldies supposed to be funny? poignant? revealing?
It was total rubbish, as was every scene that came before it.
Did they think that saying the word "vagina" twenty times in a restaurant is funny?
Cameron Diaz played a drunk as an actress playing a drunk, not as a drunk.
The acting was poor, and the script absolute dross.

How many more movies do we have to endure with the same cliched "messages"?

Mabye some of your US contributors could enlighten me.

Is there some sort of formulatic book that washed-up scriptwriters seem to gravitate to when they suffer a mental block.

I've nothing against feel-good movies when they're done properly, but when they're not, they can be dire.

This reminds me of that other touchy-feely piece of rubbish, Dan In Real Life.
Let's all discover our inner beauty, hug a couple of trees, and the world will be a better place!

Toni Collette, I'm surprised at you.
You're capable of so much more.
Don't settle for the dross of lazy directors and script-writers.

And somebody actually awarded this ten stars????
What planet did they beam down from?
What an insult to all the good and the great movies, from the silent era to today.
What an insult to the great directors and script-writers of the last 100 years.

Did this film bomb at the box office?
If it did, then mabye my faith in human nature has been restored!

[–] silvermoon132 15 years ago

The Holiday was an awful movie, Cameron Diaz was simply terrible in it....totally unfunny and unbelievable. The whole inability to cry thing was utterly lame and extremely cheesy, much worse than anything found in In Her Shoes. In your opinion, having a good ending for a movie consists of a middle aged women finally being able to release her emotions and cry...that screams "touchy-feely piece of rubbish" and is hardly the way to "do a feel good movie properly."

However, the difference between you and me is that I realize that people have different taste in movies...while you obviously do not.

[–] [email protected] 15 years ago

Of course, yes, you are a dodger. You also need to grow up, which is the same, in the avoiding sense. What hatred you have for feelings! You are not ready to discover your inner beauty, that's for sure, nor are you ready. You are right: they thought saying the word "vagina" twenty times in a restaurant wass funny, but if you consider what follows, you might have the opportunity to feel (not "understand" or "get a message") what it is about.
They come from the planet earth.
How old can you really be?

[–] tammyjbarr 15 years ago

You're missing the whole essence of the movie. Its about forgiveness, unconditional love and overcoming adversity.

[–] ohmyhead 15 years ago

I must thank you for your scathing review of a quite enjoyable movie. I learned a new word! Dross. I can't wait to use it in public and be looked upon quizzically. :D

I used to be very cynical and negative about things that didn't really warrant it to such degrees. I have since found that life is much more enjoyable without the permanently furrowed brow and lumber up my rear.

I didn't award this movie ten stars, but good for those that did! They found something they love and shared it with the world. I gave "Beer League" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0453453/) ten stars. What do you make of that, my dire and shoulder chipped friend?

[–] jmim-1 15 years ago

I get the sense that the OP is British, and that explains it all. No experience whatsoever with feelings or emotions. The only movies they should show in England are those that are made in England. This was a remarkable movie in almost every respect. If you don't think so, who cares?

[–] g02o0555 15 years ago

Er jmim, what planet are you living in. Just because Roger Doger is crap, does not mean every Brit is. The whole world, including Britain has to put up with watching a lot of crap movies and TV from the US. I don't agree with his opinion of this film, but I also don't like your American snarky attitude

[–] mattgollum 14 years ago

Yeah i agree, that attack on all british people was entirely unnecessary. Just because one person comes up with a misguided comment, why should a whole nation get lumped in with him?

[–] jmim-1 12 years ago

I'm not an American, you doorknob.

[–] Lolawoo 14 years ago

jmim-1 on Wed Oct 28 2009 16:08:08
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I get the sense that the OP is British, and that explains it all. No experience whatsoever with feelings or emotions. The only movies they should show in England are those that are made in England. This was a remarkable movie in almost every respect. If you don't think so, who cares?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh dear...

[–] luke-atki 12 years ago

WOW, yeah, because everybody in Britain has the exact same opinions, same as in the US. It's this individual's opinion, and doesn't represent a whole country. By your logic the whole of the US must be populated by fat people that practically live in McDonald's, which is clearly not true.

[–] osmundbullock 10 years ago

1. I'm British
2. I loved the movie - twice
3. Possibly time for you to grow up and lose some of your silly prejudices, particularly when they're no longer true. You probably think London is entirely populated by bobbies blowing whistles through the permanent fog, while men in bowler hats wander around them muttering, "I say, old chap, steady on".
4. England is in any case not the same thing as Britain. British people also include Scotsmen, Welshmen, and (by common, if inaccurate usage) Ulstermen, as well as Englishmen. These days we also have a huge spectrum of people from all over the world, especially in London - the city now boasts a more nationally diverse population than any other in the World, including New York. So put that in your Sherlock Holmes pipe and smoke it.

Oh, and (5) The OP should grow up, too - or at least keep his juvenile rantings to himself until he has.

[–] chas437 10 years ago

One problem, if your sister sleeps with your boyfriend, that's a deal breaker. It means permanent estrangement at the very least, and assault and perhaps even murder for many people.

I'm a civilian, I'm not a trout

[–] hunterraven99 14 years ago

Ya know, I didnt see anything that Dodger said that wasnt true.

Im an American and Im well into my 20's; and there just wasnt much here that I can imagine a (straight) guy watching and enjoying.

This is a chick-flick, and whats more its a bad one.
The acting wasnt great, the plot is just ... well, not worth the time to watch.

Allow me to briefly summarize In Her Shoes:
"A drunk slut (aka, a "free spirit" in chick flicks) alienates everyone around her to the point where only her elderly grandmother will put up with her - and she only does it because she feels bad about not taking care of her grand-children when their semi-sane mother killed herself.
Her sister tries to help her, but the drunk slut ends up seducing/banging her boyfriend and stealing from her; so she gets booted out of there and ends up with grams in a retirement community.
Then she tries to steal from grams and con her into giving her money for an acting career that has no promise - gram accepts, if drunky will be willing to get a damn job. Drunky does grudgingly and, by LEARNING TO *beep* READ, she manages to fix all her problems and become a good hardworking person.
Meanwhile, her sister - a highly successful individual in business - ends up screwing up her life due to issues she has with accepting that she threw out her sister (though that was undoubtedly the right thing for her to have done).
She gets so screwed up, she ends up quiting her job (becoming a low-income dog walker) and banging someone she previously showed no interest in. Then she marries the guy she showed no interest in; but not before almost screwing it up - by confessing her issues with her sister to the guy that cheated on her and getting caught by her fiance - by having not explained things to her fiance (though it makes no sense for her NOT to have told him; if only to warn him about her drunk skeezer of a sister that might try to seduce him)."

There are so many instances where the female characters make terrible decisions without any good reason and/or express mindsets that could only be described as a combination of delusion and self-loathing; to the point where you can tell this movie is specifically designed to prey on women's emotions - the concepts of (undeserved) 'forgiveness' and (conditional) 'unconditional love' are something only a woman (likely on her rag at the time) could truly appreciate.

Really, its less a story and more a string of people repeatedly putting trust in someone that has PROVEN themselves to be a lazy, drunken, slutty, inconsiderate, theiving, overall-bad person. And whats the lesson? Apparently that you should just keep trying on people that repeatedly screw you over; because eventually you'll get married and they will find a mentor, learn to read (at age 30) and stop being such a drunken party whore (ie, a "free spirit").

This is the classic chick-flick movie: Lets get some good actresses, and have them play characters that are completely bat-*beep* insane - and women will lap it up.
Know why?
Cause most women are bat-*beep* insane. Tah dah.

[–] KindredSouls 14 years ago

Most women aren't insane. We just have the ability to see the soul of a person beyond their actions.

It's not really a "woman" thing. It's kind of a decent human being thing. Because you know, we've all messed up. Not only have we in the past, but likely we will again and again in the future. And since we know we'll mess up, we know others might need understanding, forgiveness, and a second/third/fourth chance.
But I get that not everyone will understand that.

[–] iamsilent 14 years ago

This movie was great. You're on crack.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] CommieTT 11 years ago

I'm a straight guy and I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.

Unconditional love can be understood with anyone who has compassion. People can, and do, change. Let's hope you will someday as well, hunterraven99.

[–] frankstelt-1 14 years ago

Hello. You need to go to greater things. Your rants are too significant for message boards at IMDB. You could have your own great website, advertisers clamoring for exposure, and beyond. You will make money giving bad reviews to films that everyone else likes. No kidding. Go for it.

[–] minuetteg 13 years ago

Before the resident yanks go getting all superior, please remember; a LOT more of you venerate your military than is the case here.

Now, I actually agree with both sides; we Brits are (largely) a cold, unemotional people. But then, we are an island of rather ugly, pasty-faced people, with 10 months per year of bad weather. This has it's consequences, and the OP is one of them. However the film itself, while mildly heartwarming, was a tad sugary.

I only ran into it as I was at a female friend's house, caught the part with Cameron showing a LOT of skin, and decided to watch the whole thing. And frankly, the scenes where she shows enough skin to whack off to are the only reason I keep a copy.

And before anyone accuses ME of hating chick-media, I absolutely adore Sex and The City.

:)

M

Please note, I do not want comments from housewives, students or the unemployed.

[–] jmim-1 12 years ago

Rodger the Dodger... York the Dork... Link the Dink... Sweeney the Wienie...

[–] ethereal_tb 10 years ago

This is one of my fav movies and everyone woman who I've shown this movie to loves it as well (the also love The Holiday) so not sure what that says!

"The music is all that matters, nothing but the music!" The Red Shoes