In den Schuhen meiner Schwester (2005)

In den Schuhen meiner Schwester: Directed by Curtis Hanson. With Cameron Diaz, Anson Mount, Toni Collette, Richard Burgi. Strait-laced Rose breaks off relations with her party girl sister, Maggie, over an indiscretion involving Rose’s boyfriend. The chilly atmosphere is broken with the arrival of Ella, the grandmother neither sister knew existed.

“u0026quot;In Her Shoesu0026quot; is noteworthy for its crisp dialogue, lively repartee, and multi-dimensional characters, For her novel and for her screenplay, Jennifer Weiner and Susannah Grant, respectively, both deserve an extra curtain call for exemplary work.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBecause of the careful scripting, all three of the leading characters played by Toni Collette, Cameron Diaz, and Shirley MacLaine were strong roles with no single character dominating the script. The two sisters, Rose and Maggie, shared the focus in the first half of the film, and MacLaineu0026#39;s grandmother Ella provided a strong impetus in the latter portion.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhile all three performances were superb, the trickiest role was Maggie the tomcat. Cameron Diaz brought depth to the role, and one scene especially stood out when Maggieu0026#39;s learning disability was revealed. As she struggled with her reading of the poem in the hospital room, a new dimension of the character suddenly emerged. The scene was sensitively played by Diaz, and the dialogue was, once again, dynamic, sustaining dramatic interest at a point when the impetus of the film could have been lost.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt was impressive as well that the screenplay offered some delectable dialogue for the small parts, especially in the members of the retirement community of Florida. There were many delightful and humorous moments. Yet, the screenplay provided depth and detail in a rich emotional tapestry.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOne character that deserves special acknowledgment was the Professor, blind and dying in the Florida hospital. The role was played with great understatement by Norman Lloyd, a veteran character actor who performed with Orson Wellesu0026#39; celebrated Mercury Theatre. Prior to his stunning success in u0026quot;Citizen Kaneu0026quot; and even before his notorious u0026quot;War of the Worldsu0026quot; radio broadcast, Welles was a luminary in the New York theatre. One of the great Shakespearean productions in America in the last century was Wellesu0026#39; 1937 production of Shakespeareu0026#39;s u0026quot;Julius Caesaru0026quot; that was part of the Federal Theatre Project. Norman Lloyd played the small but crucial role of Cinna the Poet, and, although Lloyd battled with Welles during the rehearsals, the death scene of Cinna the Poet underscored the theme of fascism that Welles wished to evoke. u0026quot;In Her Shoesu0026quot; provides Lloyd with another small, but memorable role. Lloydu0026#39;s was a riveting performance, and the film would not have been the same without it.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ePart of the genius of Shakespeare was his ability to individualize and make memorable even the tiniest roles in his plays. This was the strength as well of u0026quot;In Her Shoesu0026quot; and an example of some of the finest screen writing in recent years.”