Stepmom (1998)

A terminally-ill woman must deal with her ex-husband's new lover, who will be their children's stepmother.

Director:

Chris Columbus

Writers:

Gigi Levangie (story), Gigi Levangie (screenplay)

Stars:

Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Ed Harris

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 8 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Julia Roberts	...	Isabel Kelly
Susan Sarandon	...	Jackie Harrison
Ed Harris	...	Luke Harrison
Jena Malone	...	Anna Harrison
Liam Aiken	...	Ben Harrison
Lynn Whitfield	...	Dr. P. Sweikert
Darrell Larson	...	Duncan Samuels
Mary Louise Wilson	...	Mrs. Franklin
Andre B. Blake	...	Cooper (as Andre Blake)
Herbert Russell	...	Photo Assistant (as Russel Harper)
Jack Eagle	...	Craft Service Man
Lu Celania Sierra	...	Photo Shoot Model
Lauma Zemzare	...	Photo Shoot Model
Holly Schenck	...	Photo Shoot Model
Michelle Stone	...	Photo Shoot Model

Storyline

Anna and Ben, the two children of Jackie and Luke, must cope with the fact that their parents divorced and their father is now with successful photographer Isabel. She does her best to treat the kids in a way that makes them still feel at home when they're with their dad, but she also loves her work and doesn't plan to give it up. But full-time mother Jackie finds Isabel's efforts offensively insufficient and can't understand that work can be important to her as well as the kids. The conflict between them is deepened by the sudden diagnosis of cancer, which might be deadly for Jackie. They all have to learn a little in order to grow together.

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Plot Keywords:

cancer | custody | rapunzel character | tickling | woman | 

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Taglines:

When Two Woman Share One Family

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language and thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Class Divided

Filming Locations:

Bedford, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$19,142,440, 27 December 1998

Gross USA:

$91,137,662

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$159,710,793

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Pictures, 1492 Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS (re-release) (2002) SDDS (re-release) (2002) Dolby Digital (re-release) (2002)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Susan Sarandon's daughter Eva Amurri Martino plays the pilot/airplane in the Thanksgiving play.

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Goofs

In the first "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" sing-along in Isabela's car, the final shot is from the outside of the car, as they drive along. The audio does not match the words the actors are singing.

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Quotes

[first lines]
DJ Scott Zoe: [the morning DJ on the radio] Hey, good morning, New York. Scott Zoe here at 102.7, WNEW-FM, where rock lives. Beautiful autumn day in the city, and a great record coming your way, too.
[the song Under Pressure by David Bowie plays]
Isabel: [Isabel gets up in a rush to go and wake up Ben] Ben? Ben? Ben. Get up, get up, get up. Late, late, late. Ben? Come on, honey. Get up. We're seriously late.
[...]

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Connections

References The Goonies (1985)

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Soundtracks

When the Lights Go Out
Written by Mike Percy, Tim Lever, Eliot Kennedy, Sean Conlon, J. Brown (as Jason Brown), Ritchie Neville (as Richard Dobson), Abz Love (as Richard Breen), Scott Robinson, and John McLaughlin
Performed by Five
Courtesy of BMG Records (UK)Ltd./Arista Records Inc.

User Reviews

Two Thumbs Up!

Chris Columbus directed 'Stepmom' is a winner all the way... a true 1998 Classic! The film is highly entertaining, in fact there is hardly a moment when you feel bored in this 123 minute-film. Columbus has made superb films, and 'Stepmom' ranks as his best.

The film has a beautiful story, a story about a divorced couple, their children and the Stepmom. The film explains the worth of a family... it surely leaves a great moral behind. The climax is superb, it gets you moist-eyed.

Performance-wise: Ed Harris is Incredible, as ever. He steals the show in a small, but significant role. Julia Roberts is fantastic as the Stepmom. Susan Sarandon needs to mentioning, she's a class apart. Liam Aiken & Jena Malone, the kids, stand out.

On the whole 'Stepmom' is a must watch for each and every cine-lover.