(Rated PG-13, 86 min.)
Released Feb. 18
Written by romantic-comedy sister duo Delia and Nora Ephron (“Sleepless In Seattle” “You’ve Got Mail”), this time in the story of three sisters and their aging father. Meg Ryan plays the diplomatic middle child (and love/hate favorite) to her father, the very comical and witty Walter Mathau, who in this story has a John Wayne fetish. Diane Keaton as the oldest and career-minded sister who even the audience can’t stand (she does a great job). For Keaton, life is just too busy — and about “me, me, me” — to bother with dying dad. Also, career minded, but spacey/ditzy “out there” is Lisa Kudrow as the baby sister portraying the “I want to be an actress” type.
The tagline is “every family has a few hang-ups” as the sisters deal with a lot of family phone banter, sibling rivalry and the reality of aging-parent issues. Meg Ryan is a joy to watch on screen with her ever-changing looks and hairdos that reflect the evolution of the sisters’ growth.
The story is quick moving with snappy dialog and minimum sappy moments. I loved it. And, I love the way they comically deal with the issue of “what do we do now that dad is old.” Directed by Diane Keaton.