``Open House'' review
Billie
------------------------
MY mother taught me two great truths: No matter what he says, there's always a
tootsie. And don't go out to dinner with a man you wouldn't want to have lunch
with. Anyway, CBS's Sunday night movie, "Open House," seems to be made from her
maxims. Therefore, if you're a woman and you've ever gone through a divorce
that you didn't think you wanted until a year after it happened, "Open House,"
is for you. If you're a man who's gone through a divorce - whether you wanted
it or not - "Open House," is not for you.
Actually, if you're a man - period - this movie is not for you. This is
strictly a female flick.
Based on the book of the same name by Elizabeth Berg, it's the story a suburban
wife and mother, Samantha (Christine Lahti), whose husband, David (Chris
Potter), tells her right after sex that he doesn't want to be married anymore.
Talk about a cringe moment. It gets worse.
In an attempt to get him to change his mind, Samantha humiliates herself
(really), but leave he does. He never says, of course, that there's a blonde
massage therapist lurking. But there's always a blonde massage therapist
lurking - it's an immutable law of cheating men.
Meantime, there's Sam and David's adolescent son, Travis (Mark Rendell), to
deal with. And the fact that Samantha's never had a job. And the fact that
there's no longer enough money for Sam and Travis to stay in the house.
When David sends for his things, an oddball moving man, King (Daniel Baldwin),
enters the picture. King sees her reaction when he goes to pack the Caravaggio
book they bought on their honeymoon - and manages to forget to pack it.
King is hardly the kind of man a woman who's been married to a slick, buff,
go-getter would be attracted to. After all, David was an exec and King does odd
jobs around the neighborhood. But he does know a lot of stuff. Like the works
of Caravaggio. And the ways of solar system - just for starters.
To help meet the bills, Samantha takes in roomies. First there's Lydia (Rita
Moreno), a friend's mother. Travis is horrified to have "that old lady" living
with them.
To further help make ends meet, King hooks Samantha up with the odd-job temp
agency, where she meets Lavender Blue (Grace Lynn Kung), a young woman who's
just been kicked out by her wicked stepmother. Guess who the second border
becomes?
Through it all, there is Sam's ever-present and picky mother (Eva Marie Saint),
who turns out to be a somewhat more complex character than is usual in these
dopey TV flicks.
While this really ain't rocket science (well, actually it is in a way, but I
won't give away the secret), it's a perfect movie to kick back with and forget
for 10 minutes that we're on the eve of destruction.
It's not a weeper, but it's still a good, old-fashioned chick flick.
* * *
Charlie McCollum
Mercury News
Sometimes, a single luminous performance can lift an otherwise dreary film to a
point where it at least becomes watchable.
That's certainly the case with Christine Lahti's performance in this weekend's
``Open House'' (9 p.m. Sunday, CBS), a TV film version of Elizabeth Berg's 2000
bestseller.
Lahti is so good as Samantha Morrow, a woman who has to start her life over
after her husband leaves her, that you can almost overlook all the flaws in the
film. In early moments of ``Open House,'' Lahti -- who normally specializes in
playing strong, smart, sexy women -- is believable as a wife watching her world
disintegrate. But she really shines when Morrow pulls herself together and
discovers that there is life and love after divorce.
It's unfortunate that Lahti has to fight to make the film work every single
step of the way. The script by Joyce Eliason is dull and plodding. The work of
director Arvin Brown is pedestrian at best. Without much to work with, Lahti's
co-stars -- notably Oscar winners Eva Marie Saint and Rita Moreno -- flounder.
And Daniel Baldwin doesn't provide much spark as Morrow's new love, a
blue-collar worker very different from her husband.
Still, ``Open House'' is worth a look just to catch Lahti doing her stuff. Next
time, I hope, she'll get a film more worthy of her talents.
"STUPIDITY IS NOT A HANDICAP. Park elsewhere!"
AGC FAQ and FUN STUFF:
http://www.dreamwater.net/agc/mainpages/agcfaq.html
BLIND ITEM REHASH:
http://www.dreamwater.net/agc/blinditems/mainpage.html