Mrs. Winterbourne

I've always wanted to see this movie but I have to admit it was disappointing. It's just so completely implausible and without logic that it's difficult to enjoy. Yeah, I know that fluffy romantic comedies aren't supposed to be realistic, but this one just stretches credulity too much. The worst deficiency is Brendan Frasier's chilly WASP suddenly and inexplicably melting into a nice guy. He not only changes his opinion about Ricki Lake but seems to completely change personality as well. One moment he's rudely questioning her every move and investigating her and virtually the next he's romancing her, tangoing her around the room and kissing her, and then proposing marriage! He goes from aloof to gooey in 6 seconds flat. It's just too much to swallow. What was it exactly that caused him to fall in love - her charming use of the words "tits" and "ass" at the dinner table? The haircut? (Actually, I liked her hair better long and curly). Don't get me wrong, I love Ricki Lake, and I don't think she was bad here, she just wasn't given anything to do, and we were never given any reason why Frasier should experience such a dramatic sea-change. If perhaps they'd shown that a few months had passed, or something to explain the abrupt turnaround. Frankly, everyone in this movie goes around like their brains are made of mush. I suppose Maclaine's alcoholic character has an excuse, but really, the extremely simplistic and downright stereotypical characterizations of everyone involved (rich people, poor people, gay latino butlers) were insulting. Maclaine, Frasier and Sandoval are excellent comedic actors, and do the best with what they can here, but the characters are not even close to real people. The only real thing I got out of it was drooling over Brendan Frasier, and frankly there are many other superior movies that can be used for that purpose.

The opening scene of Mrs. Winterbourne is gripping. I don't really want to reveal any of the plot, because it unfolds so beautifully if you have no idea what's coming.

Barbara Stanwyck starred in the original in 1950, entitled No Man of Her Own, and while the black-and-white version is also very entertaining, I like the remake a little better. The pace is a little quicker, and it keeps your attention better. In this version, Ricki Lake, Brendan Fraser, and Shirley MacLaine are the leads, and they play off each other very well.

Mrs. Winterbourne is a romance, a thriller, a mystery, and an all-around cute flick from the 90s. While I won't tell you the premise, the movie centers on a young woman trying to fit into a higher class than she was born into. If you like those kinds of movies, you'll really like this one!

So Ricky Lake is not the world's greatest actress, but she does well enough. The romance is reasonably believable. The story is friendly. And you get to watch Brendan Fraser for a long while - who is actually even more dishy as Hugh than as Bill, so do pay attention during the act in the train.

I watched it twice on television. I could easily bear watching it a third time. Believe me- that's high praise.

'Mrs. Winterbourne' is a highly improbable take on the Cinderella "rags to riches" story about 18 year-old Connie Doyle (Ricki Lake), who finds herself enceinte, unmarried, and homeless. Her criminal rat of a boyfriend, Steve DeCunzo (Loren Dean), wants nothing to do with her or the baby. But fate has a better future in store for Connie, and the heavily pregnant girl finds herself, almost miraculously, on a train bound for Boston from New York. There she shares a compartment with a young married couple, Hugh and Patricia Winterbourne (Susan Haskell and Brendan Fraser), who are also expecting a little bundle of joy. But one little innocent action, followed by one horrifying accident, lands Connie in the hospital, mistaken for Patricia Winterbourne. She and her baby, who survived, are both whisked off to the massive Winterbourne estate in Boston. Connie decides to carry on the charade (it's almost ironic that her her name is Connie, since she's "conning" everyone) even after coming face to face with her coddling "mother-in-law" (Shirley MacLaine) and Hugh's twin brother, the cold and unfriendly Bill Winterbourne (also Brendan Fraser).

For a fluff film like this, the cast is surprisingly good. Loren Dean is convincing enough and makes you want to jump into your TV and strangle the jerk. The Winterbourne butler, Paco (Miguel Sandoval), is a delight to watch, especially when he's drunk. But Fraser and MacLaine really make the film worthwhile to see. Why either talented actor would want to participate in a film like this is a mystery to me, but maybe it's for the best. Fraser especially plays twins very well, and his transition from part antagonist to full protagonist is believable. But I have a difficult time understanding why Ricki Lake was cast as Connie. She has a tendency to overact in many scenes, she doesn't make a convincing 18 year-old at all (she was 28 when cast), and her transition from sharp-tongued teenager to polite young socialite bride-to-be is too fast and unbelievable.

Overall, 'Mrs. Winterbourne' is a good film for a boring Friday night. This is definitely a chick flick. It's heartwarming and the cast is a joy to watch. Just don't expect anymore than that.

Connie (Ricki Lake) lost her mother at twelve in Hoboken, New Jersey. Because she did not get along with her father, Connie left NJ at 18 and went to NYC. Unfortunately, she immediately hooked up with a low-life named Steve and became pregnant. Steve was less than thrilled with the news and threw Connie out of the house. Although she works as a waitress for awhile, when her delivery date draws near, she finds herself broke and homeless. The next day , Connie boards a train she thinks is the subway but which turns out to be a railway to Boston. There, she is befriended by handsome, rich Hugh and his new and very pregnant wife Patricia. The train derails. Hugh and Patricia are killed. But, by a twist of fate, Connie is mistaken for Patricia and finds herself and her new baby in a private hospital, as befitting the wife of a member of the rich Winterbourne family. She meets her new mother-in-law (Shirley MacLaine) and her "husband's" twin brother, Bill (Brendan Fraser) and goes home to a posh, Boston mansion, complete with servants. Just how long will she be able to fool everyone into thinking she really is a part of the family? This is a nice little film for the proverbial romcom fan. MacLaine is wonderful as the matriarch of the wealthy family and Fraser is his usual handsome, quirky, affable self. Lake seems a bit miscast as the girl with a big secret but fulfills her role adequately. The sets, costumes, and production values are very high. Do you love improbable plots and unexpected, humorous romance? Make a date to see Mrs. W. and you will be in your element, absolutely.