RICH IN LOVE

(director: Bruce Beresford; screenwriters: Alfred Uhry/based on the novel by Josephine Humphreys; cinematographer: Peter James; editor: Mark Warner; music: Georges Delerue; cast: Albert Finney (Warren Odom), Jill Clayburgh (Helen Odom), Kathryn Erbe (Lucille Odom), Kyle MacLachlan (Billy McQueen), Piper Laurie (Vera Delmage), Ethan Hawke (Wayne Frobiness), Suzy Amis (Rae Odom) Alfre Woodard (Rhody Poole); Runtime: 105; MPAA Rating: PG-13; producers: Richard D. Zanuck/Lili Fini Zanuck; MGM; 1992)

“It only impresses with its fine ear for colorful Southern dialogueand for Erbe’s energetic performance.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Muddled and predictable coming-of-age domestic melodrama, directed as if a TV soap by Bruce Beresford(“Breaker Morant”/”Black Robe”/”Last Dance”). It’s efforts at a character study fall short because the characters are undeveloped. Writer Alfred Uhry bases it on the novel by Josephine Humphreys, without unearthing much about dealing with family problems. The pic reunites director Beresford and writer Alfred Uhry from their hit of Driving Miss Daisy.

When mom (Jill Clayburgh) suddenly leaves her Charleston, South Carolina home, the family’s prissy 17-year-old daughter (Kathryn Erbe) tries to keep the family together as her recently retired aimless father (Albert Finney) starts to crack-up and her pregnant neurotic older sister (Suzy Amis) arrives with her flirty new Yankee husband (Kyle MacLachlan).

It only impresses with its fine ear for colorful Southern dialogue and for Erbe’s energetic performance.

REVIEWED ON 9/12/2015 GRADE: C+