The Prince of Tides

The most accomplished (and lauded) of La Streisand's three directorial efforts is, in many ways, her least enjoyable. "Yentl" was, of course, redeemed by its lush score and remarkable singing, while "The Mirror Has Two Faces", proved unintentionally hilarious for finally and fully exposing just how out-of-control Her ego really has become. Without the singing (in fact, Streisand intentionally uses an instrumental version of the movie's theme song instead of the soundtrack's vocal one so as not to "detract from the film's message") and with her ego still almost in check, "Tides" falls kind of flat. While her acting is acceptable, she is almost as miscast in her portrayal of a psychiatrist as is her (real-life and rather slight) son Jason as an aspiring football player. Much of the problem stems from the fact that Streisand has become so self-conscious about her looks that she must constantly "pose" in only the most flattering angles (from the left, as everyone - especially Rosie O'Donnell - knows by now) and seems incapable of immersing herself enough in a role to put vanity aside once in a while. (For God's sake, Barbra, have the mole removed and show us the right side of your face, already). Nolte is actually quite good - his (deservedly) Oscar-nominated performance goes a long way toward redeeming this film. And while Jeroen Krabbe's role as Streisand's wayward husband is rather thanklessly one-note, most of the supporting players are fine - particularly Blythe Danner and a surprisingly restrained George Carlin. Nevertheless, one cannot help but wonder just how much better this film - and Streisand - would have been had someone else been allowed to call the shots.