Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Whoopi Goldberg | ... | Jane | |
Mary-Louise Parker | ... | Robin | |
Drew Barrymore | ... | Holly | |
Matthew McConaughey | ... | Abe | |
James Remar | ... | Alex | |
Billy Wirth | ... | Nick | |
Anita Gillette | ... | Elaine | |
Dennis Boutsikaris | ... | Massarelli | |
Estelle Parsons | ... | Louise | |
Amy Aquino | ... | Anna | |
Stan Egi | ... | Henry | |
Stephen Gevedon | ... | Johnny Figgis / Jane's Band | |
Amy Ray | ... | Indigo Girl | |
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Emily Saliers | ... | Indigo Girl |
Jude Ciccolella | ... | Jerry |
Jane is a night club singer out of work. Robin is a quirky real estate agent looking for a ride-share to accompany her to Los Angeles. Her advertisement is answered by Jane, who at first was uncertain about her. A stop in Pittsburgh picks up a third, Holly, escaping a violent and drug dealing partner. Girls on the road, reaching understanding, respect, and care for each other. But this trio is different - Jane a lesbian, Robin suffering with AIDS, Holly running from her past, seeking one night stands, and a good man. Written by Bruce Cameron <dumarest@midcoast.com>
Count the chick-flick conventions: The revenge on the abusive boyfriend; the three so-different young women bonding; the mother-daughter conflicts; the road trip; the scene where somebody sings "Happy Birthday" to somebody amid much general rejoicing; the adorable baby; the tear-wringing incurable-disease character; etc. It's well-written -- Don Roos, who later wrote the superb screenplay to "The Opposite of Sex," puts more curve on his dialog than most toiling in this genre -- but as with many sisters-united-in-adversity epics, it keeps wanting to yank emotions out of you rather than earn them honestly. The three leads are good, a young Matthew McConnaughey isn't yet annoying, and there are nice turns from Estelle Parsons and Anita Gillette, a Broadway baby decades earlier who matured into a proficient character actress. But Herb Ross is in his take-no-chances mode, and too much of the picture feels programmed and rote.