VHS : Mermaids [1990]

Rating: - Something special
This film is about a disfunctional family consisting of rachel(cher) the mother, charlotte(Winona Ryder) the 15 year old daughter who seeing her mum go through dozens of boyfriends is attempting to lead a good christian life and little Kate(Christina Ricci) who has a talent in swimming, just like her father who her mum never caught the name of!
The family end up moving to a new state everytime rachel ends a relationship, which seems to be alot, we see them as they leave their home and head for boston. Once there we see them struggle to become more fuctional and settle down, its got a bit of everything in this film, but best of all is the way this film leaves you feeling, after all the ups and downs they really are just like everyone else.I should also mention how great Winona Ryder is in this , it's probably one of her best. I saw this film as a teenager and always remembered how much I liked it, now I have bought this dvd at a bargain price and I'm over the moon as I can watch it as much as I like.

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Rating: - Ricci, WInona and Cher make a great trio
Oh yeah, another incredible performance by Cher. Sure, it's no Moonstruck, but Mermaids is very entertaining. I also have to mention that Winona Ryder did a fantastic job, and young Christina Ricci is absolutely adorable. I only have a couple of problems with the film. The first is Cher's character. The character is very predictable and equally as hard to swallow. She is almost too abrasive and inept to be real. Winona Ryder's character experiences much more growth during the course of the movie than Cher's does, and I find that disappointing. I had higher hopes for her character. But she remained stagnant for the most part. Still, Cher does a great job portraying the wacky mother who scorns main courses. My only other problem is with the story itself, which is just a bit contrived. The plot resolves itself in a very unnatural way that would not occur in real life, most likely. The movie seems to hurriedly race to the happy ending in a very improbable way. But, Mermaids is still worth watching over and over again because it is hilarious, and because every teenage girl can relate to Winona Ryder's character. Mermaids is also very well-written and numerous laughs are thrown in everywhere. As others have said, it's a `feel-good' movie. It's nothing brilliant or life altering, but it's definitely worth seeing and if you're at a certain point in your life (like your teen years, specifically) it can be very moving. It's also great as a period piece. The soundtrack goes with the time period and includes Cher's version of `The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss),' as well as the late Peggy Lee's `Fever.' The references to JFK's assassination fit in perfectly as well. Anyone who lived during that time would tell you that it's just wrong to make a movie set in that time period without mentioning JFK's assassination because it was so devastating to everyone.

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Rating: - Where's the storyline?
Mermaids is a film set in the mid 1960's starring Cher as Rachel Flax, the single mother of a somewhat disfunctional family consisting of a young Winona Ryder as Charlotte Flax, a naive 15 year old with an aspiration to become a nun and her younger sister played by Christina Ricci.
The Flax family never stays in one place for too long with Cher's character moving the family from town to town every time a problem/scandal arises rather than face the situation head on.
After moving to a new town after flirtatious Rachel's affair with her married boss where they previously lived, the story begins. Mermaids is more a 'coming of age' drama than anything else with the film seen mainly through the eyes of Charlotte accompanied by her voice-over at regular intervals telling us how she's feeling about certain situations that arise in the film. The main 'storyline' is Charlotte being drawn into lustful feelings after falling for an odd-job man by the name of Joe (played by Michael Schoeffling), who works at the local nunnery. Obviously this poses a problem for Charlotte considering her all-encompassing desire is to be a nun.
We do also have a side story of Cher and the evolution of her relationship with shoe retailer Lou (played by Bob Hoskins), and her struggle to remain self-sufficient despite letting a new man into her life.
There are a number of problems with this film, one of these being the distinct lack of anything remotely interesting happening. Most films or anything which tells a story for that matter usually has a beginning, a middle and an end. Unfortunately, Mermaids seems to have a middle, a middle and yes, you guessed it - a middle. This film never really gets going and is littered with pointless dialogue which would probably have been better left on the cutting room floor. It peters out at the end leaving you unsatisfied and slightly disappointed. None of the scenes in the film display the acting talents of a pretty impressive cast. The whole film is a tad, well .... lame is probably the most appropriate word. Also, Bob Hoskins accent is woeful. For a veteran actor like him you'd have thought that he would have worked on that a little more.
On the plus side, this film is relaxing to watch. What I mean by that comment is that it is a total no-brainer therefore if you're knackered and want something uncomplicated to watch, stick this in your DVD player. If nothing else, it may send you to sleep. I've still given this 2 stars though because even though this film isn't that good there are still a lot worse out there.
The only extra on this DVD is the original theatrical trailer so that's nothing to write home about. Should this film be better off left as a book? I'll let you be the judge of that.

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Rating: - A sweet, funny film
Possibly one of the best films of the early 90s, "Mermaids" is both a snapshot of the 1960s and a wonderful portrait of an unconventional family that doesn't try too hard to be whimsical. Cher plays unconventional Mrs. Flax with flair, breezing through the film with a cigarette in her hand and her hair always perfectly in place. Christina Ricci is adorable as Kate, the swimming fanatic (a complete contrast from her more famous role, Wednesday Adams!). Bob Hoskins inhabits his role of smitten shopkeeper with ease. And Winona Ryder is the centre of the film as precocious Charlotte, torn between Catholic ideals and her earthly passion for Joe, the local handyman. The film is backed up by a smart script and a wonderful soundtrack. It's perfect for a lazy afternoon or a quiet evening in.

I'm giving it four stars because the extras leave a lot to be desired (as if often the case with small films). The trailer, some profiles and that's it. Some interviews or a commentary would have been nice.

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Rating: - These Mermaids Splash with Zest for Life
Actor turned director Benjamin's heartfelt, nostalgic rendering of Patty Dann's cult-novel dealing with the trials and tribulations of restless mother Cher, who changes towns as often as her current boyfriend doesn't live up to her expectations, and precocious, god-fearing daughter Ryder, who falls hard for the local caretaker man of Eastport, Boston, in the 60's. When salesman Hoskins lays eyes on Cher and she is smitten with Ryder's hunk, things get really complicated... Clever dialogue, peppered with now famous oneliners ('Charlotte you drive like old people make love'), a great 60's soundtrack (that's Betty Everett singing the original version of the Shoop Shoop Song 17 mins into the film), and top notch performances all around - with Ryder as a standout - make this one a treat. Though film takes you to familiar places - hey, we all have been 15 once, let alone madly in love for the first time - it rings true every second, and it helps you recalling those moments with a tear to shed and a smile on your face. What joy! What fun!