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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 in 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 will be boring for a while in Fine Things until
the first true conflict shows up.
When the wife revealed that she had been diagnosed of osteosarcoma which is extremely rare, the plot starts
getting better before it's stuck in an extended stretch of going-through-the-motions. After she died, I thought that 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 does
make for an interesting viewing. Yet I'm bothered by what I've seen because of two reasons: (1) There's no prior history of
the father appearing throughout 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.
Anyway, D.W. Moffett gives a winning performance as the admirable stepfather who always keeps a positive attitude, no matter what. 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 out at least thirty minutes from Fine Things will make it a better film.