'Shoes' better for a night in than out

Cameron Diaz (left) and Toni Collette star as sisters Maggie and Rose in the chick flick romantic comedy "In Her Shoes."

By Emily Barksdale
St. Marys High School

"In Her Shoes" may not be quite worth your money in theaters, but it would definitely be a good choice for a girls' night in when it comes out on DVD. I for one would have preferred to wait and see it that way. It's not bad, it's just another chick flick romantic comedy. However, I never seem to tire of those, so I rather enjoyed it.

The film focuses on two sisters, close in age but polar opposites when it comes to personality, lifestyle and morals. Rose (Toni Collette, "About a Boy"), the realistic and responsible one, is an attorney looking for love who always seems to end up taking care of her younger sister, Maggie (Cameron Diaz), who is wild, carefree, and never seems to have a bit of trouble finding a man. Though they cannot stand each other at times, they remain close.

When Maggie screws up one time too many and causes a huge rift in the family, she goes to Florida to live with the grandmother that the girls never knew (they had been told she was dead) and breaks contact with everyone else. Not hearing from her sister becomes too much for Rose, who eventually comes to find that Maggie is starting a whole new life down South.

Their grandmother, Ella (Shirley MacLaine, "Bewitched"), is much smarter than she appears. Though Maggie thinks she's getting away with all her naughty behavior, Ella knows exactly what's going on - she's just not sure how to curb it without being too overbearing

Finally, Ella, who lives in a retirement community, offers Maggie a job that involves working with the residents. At first, Maggie is disgusted by it, but she eventually comes to love it (partly, perhaps, because she has no other real options).

Throughout the film, you see the sisters grow both together and separately. Of course, the girls rub off on each other, so Maggie matures a bit while Rose learns to loosen up. It took me a while to get into this movie and figure out what the story actually was, but after I did, I really liked it. Though the destination of the film is fairly predictable, it's still a fun journey.

While it isn't full of spectacular performances, it isn’t bad. Mostly, it's just cute. My favorite performance is Francine Beers as Mrs. Lefkowitz, Ella's spunky, elderly friend. She seems like she really could be one of those cool old ladies who lives down the street. She has just the right amount of opinion and is always ready to crack a joke at just the right time.

The film also has an innovative storyline (which seems to be few and far between these days), and though many situations probably wouldn't happen in real life (like quitting your job as an attorney to be a dog-walker), the filmmakers do a pretty good job of making them seem realistic.

"In Her Shoes" is based on the book of the same name by Jennifer Weiner. The title refers to many different themes, including seeing things from another's perspective and, well, a love for shoes.

"In Her Shoes" is currently playing at Huntington’s Pullman Square.