Mrs. Winterbourne

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!

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.

'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.

This may only be good if you're expecting it to be very terrible. I

was. The beginning wasn't promising. But as soon as Ricki Lake

gets on the train, this movie starts to get watchable, and as soon

as she moves in with the Winterbournes, it starts to get honestly

funny.

Brendan Fraser is really a great actor, isn't he? He's too good

looking to be as talented as he is. Some fairly hackneyed scenes

in this film are made compelling and realistic because Fraser's so

good.

But there are lots of genuine laugh out loud moments in this

sweet, gentle comedy. If the end is too long, too complicated and

too stupid, by that time you'll like it too much to care.

This was a great film. Just because Ricki Lake stars in this movie doesn't automatically make it bad. It's a sweet story about a girl who had a rough life and accidentally finds herself with a ton of possibilities just unfortunately, as someone else. Ricki Lakes character has a lot of integrity and is truly a good mom along with all the chaos. Brendan Fraser is very lovable and Shirley Mclain was fabulous as only she could be. This is a definite rental if you haven't seen it and are looking for a sweet romantic comedy. You won't be disappointed.