Replacing Dad

I will admit it, I am biased when it comes to the legendary Tippi Hedren. Her star-making role came in Hitchcock's "The Birds", one of my favorite films and she was equally spell-binding in Hitch's "Marnie". But somehow I hadn't seen her in anything since her small walk-on-part in the 1990-thriller "Pacific Heights". Then suddenly one night when I'm watching Hallmark she literally jumps out at me healthier and more beautiful than ever, as the mother of Mary McDonnell. No offense to the latter but Hedren would be more credible as McDonnell's sister! I didn't know what to expect from this movie, but my first reaction was that it must have been made around the same time as "Pacific Heights", considering how great Hedren looked. Boy did she prove me wrong!

Considering the standards one is used to from any television drama about marriages falling apart, and the wife having to care for the children, this was surprisingly good. Mary McDonnell and William Russ deliver strong performances and the kids do a good job, but I must commend veteran director Joyce Chopra for appreciating the luxury it is for any film-maker to have Tippi Hedren in their movie. Her final scene on the beach is a brilliant example of a legends ability to mix both humor and tension in a convincing way. When will I see her back in a BIG motion picture, working for some hot-shot director?! Did you hear me Soderbergh, Fincher, Spielberg, Scorsese???

Go Tippi!

I saw the movie for Mary Mc Donnell. She's o-k.

It maybe fitting for the book it's based upon, Replacing Dad does not, however, fit the movie. It's about how she deals with her husband of sixteen years leaving her for another woman and only slightly about her coping with new men in life and her children's reaction to their mom's dating and dates.

There are great little moments: Linda's submissiveness to her husband, the grandmother's reaction when Willie answers the phone- devoured by just-bad parts: grandmother not running after her grandson's footprints, and what she says to her self at the time; Why does Linda say "I lied" when they get to the New Year Eve's party? A little sentence about Linda's complaint to the police wouldn't have hurt. Story-wise, there could easily have been another half hour.

I've never seen Dynasty, Jack Coleman is really good here. Hayden Tank as Willie in the bunny suit is absolutely adorable. And Tippi Hedren looks great for her age. Did she have any work done on her?