Plot
There's no point in recounting the many production problems and personal hostilities which plagued the filming of Mermaids: the end result is all that matters. Set in the 1960s, the film details the relationship between an unorthodox, unmarried vagabond mother (Cher), and her two daughters. The 15-year-old (Winona Ryder), continually embarrassed by her flamboyant mother, wants to be the world's greatest Catholic; the nine-year-old (Christina Ricci) would be satisfied with becoming the world's champion swimmer. Moving with her family to New England, the older daughter falls in love from afar with the groundskeeper (Michael Schoeffling) from a nearby convent, while Mom takes up with a lonely salesman (Bob Hoskins). Mermaids is perceptively adapted from the warmly comic novel by Patty Dann. ~ Hal Erickson, RoviReview
The coming-of-age comedy-drama Mermaids is a warm look at an eccentric family as well as a good example of Winona Ryder during her youthful angst years. Based on the novel by Patty Dann, the comic moments are heavily drawn from the reverse mother-daughter relationship of the zany man-chaser Mrs. Flax (Cher) and the sternly religious Charlotte (Ryder). Portraying a Jewish girl with dark, brooding Catholic obsessions, Charlotte gets some rich comedy out of her peculiar conflict and some genuine moments of adolescent distress. With her funny and delusional narration, Ryder brings her best talents to the character as both a smart grown-up and an innocent kid. Her struggle to be unlike her mother is intensified when she meets Joe (Michael Schoeffling), who is appropriately adorable as the love interest. Even at the age of nine, Christina Ricci is the perfect accent to the family trio, bringing a unique presence as the youngest daughter, Kate. As Lou, the shoe salesman boyfriend, Bob Hoskins adds the right amount of husky charm to fit in with the other strong personalities. Director Richard Benjamin brings a workmanlike approach to the material, perhaps because he was a replacement director due to the problems early on in production. However, the film doesn't miss on style, with the colorful art design and punchy '60s soundtrack adding to the quirky atmosphere. Mostly due to the excellent casting, Mermaids is a delightful movie that celebrates nontraditional families without too many layers of sentiment. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, RoviCast
- Cher - Mrs. Flax
- Bob Hoskins - Lou Landsky
- Winona Ryder - Charlotte Flax
- Christina Ricci - Kate Flax
- Michael Schoeffling - Joe
Credit
Evelyn Sakash - Art Director, Steven A. Saklad - Art Director, Suzanne Rothbaum - Associate Producer, Margery Simkin - Casting, Lauren Lloyd - Co-producer, Wallis Nicita - Co-producer, Patrick Palmer - Co-producer, Marit Allen - Costume Designer, Richard Benjamin - Director, Jacqueline Cambas - Editor, Jack Nitzsche - Composer (Music Score), Harald Ortenburger - Camera Operator, Stuart Wurtzel - Production Designer, Christopher Cronyn - Production Designer, Howard Atherton - Cinematographer, Deborah Kanter - Set Designer, Philip Messina - Set Designer, Hilton Rosemarin - Set Designer, Brian Ricci - Stunts, June Roberts - Screenwriter, Al Laverde - Key Grip, Patty Dann - Book Author| Mermaid Got Married (1994 Film), Mermaid (2007 Film) | |
| Merrill Osmond: Back in Black (2003 Film), Merrill's Marauders (1962 Film) |
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