I've always identified with both Shirley MacLaine and Liza Minnelli, and while I may not share their Oscar win, I do share with Shirley the kookiness, the crotchety moods as I age, and a curiosity of what's beyond what we see immediately around us. With Liza, I relate to her enthusiasm, curiosity about others who seem to share my vision of life, and a fantastic view of hope through my dreams. To see these two ladies together is a dream, in the film version of a play that had marked Katharine Hepburn's Broadway career. Since Hepburn didn't get to repeat her stage role on screen, I'll take MacLaine, as well as Minnelli in Dorothy Loudon's part.
The role of the reclusive widow Margaret seems tailor made for Shirley, stubborn yet lonely, and Liza is her quirky neighbor and only companion. Along comes the Madonna dress-alike Jennifer Grey who takes a job as MacLaine's companion/assistant, at first with Minnelli's jealous objection, and as the three (reluctantly) get to know each other, a friendship of sorts begins. To add a trio into the Oscar winners, Kathy Bates is like a Greek chorus, the local bag lady seemingly as nutty as a Payday bar and filled with a few surprises of her own. MacLaine, as usual, shows a big heart underneath her grumbling, and it's nice to see Liza showing a bit of the grouchy persona as well.
Obviously, the script has been brought up to the current day, showing various New York locations as they were in the mid 1990's, just as crowded as it is now, yet not as spic and span in the process of the Giuliani cleanup. Among the women seen in the clutch of old biddies snubbing Shirley (practically ignoring her when she drops her cane) are Estelle Harris and Mary Pat Gleason, having amusing side discussions on changing sexuality's and morals. TV favorites Robert Pastorelli ("Murphy Brown") and Richard Guilland ("Designing Women") are the two major male co-stars, giving their own unique interpretation of various New York personalities. The plot and style are somewhat stage, but with the talent involved, this is a slice of life drama with moments of comedy that just can't be ignored.
The role of the reclusive widow Margaret seems tailor made for Shirley, stubborn yet lonely, and Liza is her quirky neighbor and only companion. Along comes the Madonna dress-alike Jennifer Grey who takes a job as MacLaine's companion/assistant, at first with Minnelli's jealous objection, and as the three (reluctantly) get to know each other, a friendship of sorts begins. To add a trio into the Oscar winners, Kathy Bates is like a Greek chorus, the local bag lady seemingly as nutty as a Payday bar and filled with a few surprises of her own. MacLaine, as usual, shows a big heart underneath her grumbling, and it's nice to see Liza showing a bit of the grouchy persona as well.
Obviously, the script has been brought up to the current day, showing various New York locations as they were in the mid 1990's, just as crowded as it is now, yet not as spic and span in the process of the Giuliani cleanup. Among the women seen in the clutch of old biddies snubbing Shirley (practically ignoring her when she drops her cane) are Estelle Harris and Mary Pat Gleason, having amusing side discussions on changing sexuality's and morals. TV favorites Robert Pastorelli ("Murphy Brown") and Richard Guilland ("Designing Women") are the two major male co-stars, giving their own unique interpretation of various New York personalities. The plot and style are somewhat stage, but with the talent involved, this is a slice of life drama with moments of comedy that just can't be ignored.