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Fine Things (1990)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
12/21
12/21:
Fine Things is an uneven picture that's long in running length while short on substance and intrigue.
A good comparison to one of Danielle Steel's works is Changes. Both are similar in terms of a man and a woman living
their own lives until meeting each other. Then, things happen. This would be boring in Fine Things for a while until
the first true conflict shows up.
When the wife revealed she had been diagnosed of osteosarcoma which is extremely rare, the plot starts
getting better before being stuck in an extended stretch of going-through-the-motions. After she died, I thought it was the
end of it. But nooo...there's more to go by shifting the focus to her ex-husband by wanting his daughter back.
Hence, Fine Things feels like two films in one. It's not that I have a problem with it; the other issue did
make for an interesting viewing. Yet I'm bothered by what I saw because of two reasons: (1) There's no prior history of
the father during his daughter's life; and (2) The daughter was never asked who she wanted to be with after all.
Plus, no investigation is conducted when it comes to the father's arrest history to establish a case of stability while
the stepfather is deemed the total package without a blemish.
D.W. Moffett gives a winning performance as the admirable stepfather who always keeps a positive attitude. Tracy Pollan, who's
currently Michael J. Fox's wife, is fair but is no Cheryl Ladd. I remember Noley Thornton from Beverly Hills, 90210,
but she stopped acting not long after. Cloris Leachman is too much, especially when it comes to the Jewish stuff.
Like it matters...
All in all, cutting at least thirty minutes out of Fine Things will make it a better film.