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The Brazilian film "Dona Flor and her Two Husbands" was the model for this Sally Field vehicle. As directed by Robert Mulligan, it's mildly funny, but nothing to brag about when compared with the original movie directed by Bruno Barreto. Better yet, why not pick up the immensely funny Jorge Amado novel? If memory serves me right, it was translated from the Portuguese by Harriet de Onis and it's a delight to read.In this version, young Kay, now happily engaged to Rupert, wants to fix the townhouse where she lived with Jolly, her late husband, in which this theater genius has died. Well, little prepares her for the sudden appearance of the dead man.Jolly comes at the most inappropriate times; when she's in the sack, especially. It's enough to drive the would-be-hunk husband to think twice about what he's going to get into. Ruppert loves Kay, but he would like her to exorcise the impish Jolly.Sally Field is at her perkiest in the film. James Caan does a fantastic job as the dead Jolly. Jeff Bridges is perfectly befuddled as Rupert, the man who can't comprehend what's going on. Claire Trevor makes an elegant Charlotte, who is Kay's mother and can't seem to see eye to eye to her future son-in-law. Paul Dooley, Mildred Natwick, William Prince, contribute to make the movie better than what it is.On the other hand, the much superior Brazilian film had an edge and an underlying naughtiness that this Hollywood product doesn't have. The American version is a pale reminder of what happens when a better film is remade without the wit, elegance and humor of the movie it's trying to imitate. Also, Bruno Barreto's film had the advantage of having the sultry Sonia Braga in the title role and great star turns by Jose Wilker and Mauro Mendonca. See the video or the DVD version of this film and you'll be amazed of what this film should have looked like.
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