La belle vie

I place this movie on my tear jerker list. The only part I dislike is the whining of the little girl throughout this movie- she really got on my nerves but what could I expect a child to do when it's only been her and her mom all of her life. Everyone did an excellent job, and of course Cloris Leachman is a classic as always. The part that won me over is D.W. Moffett's role of Bernie Fine. To take over responsibility for another man's child deserves reward. A movie for all deadbeat dads to see!

Bernie is a rising executive for a department store called Wolfs. Although he is a native New Yorker, he is asked to open and manage a new store in San Francisco. He reluctantly agrees to go for a year or so. But, surprisingly, this handsome single man leaves his heart in San Fran when he meets Liz (Tracy Pollan). Liz and her daughter, Jane, have come into the store looking for a new bathing suit but end up getting separated...with Bernie coming to the rescue. Its true love very soon, with marriage following in short order. But, more's the pity, Liz has a dangerous ex-husband who reappears to make things complicated. Not only that, but after delivering the couple's longed for son, Liz becomes seriously ill. Since the movie is scarcely one third over, what else will come down the pike of this film? This is a soap suds saga, despite the likable people that inhabit the movie. Pollan and company do their best with the material, but the story has more happenings than good sense dictates. Sure, the costumes and scenery are nice, with the plot traveling to Napa valley, at times. But, that does not make for a successful film. If you are in bed with a cold or the flu, this film might do for an afternoon. Nah, on second thought, try Rat Race or Mr. Bean instead. Fine Things is depressing material, both for its plot and its sudsy delivery, and should only be viewing material for Steel fans or prisoners who may be induced to spill the beans after the required second showing.

Excellent Danielle Steel movie. Tightly woven, you didn't feel as if you had to read the book to know what was going on between the lines. I alternated between tears and laughter. The acting was excellent, and Cloris Leachman was perfect as a Jewish mother, concerned for her son. Tracy Pollan played the role of Liz just as Steel wrote her. This is one of those movies that you will find yourself watching again and again.

As any other Danielle Steel-movie, this one is not really bad, just boring, and terribly predictable. The actors aren't exactly bad, they're just not very interesting. They play their characters flatly, but that's probably just because thats how they're written... And the story is, without giving anything away, pretty easy to guess-all the way. But for its genre, I guess its fairly OK, but thats probably the most boring genre of movies. No one, in their right mind spends more than 15 minutes on these movies...ever! But for a Sunday evening past-time, it is of course several steps above realityshows, Doc Phil-talk shows (or anything similar), and curling... This was written sitting next to someone who insisted on watching the damn thing!!