Les divins secrets

it's interesting to me that some of the negative reviews people have written for this movie include comments such as "i was waiting for some kind of revelation...but it never came..." From someone who lives in a family affected by mental illness I can only say that there is no "revelation." Getting through it is a process and each step includes a struggle, there are good moments and there are bad...but unlike Hollywood films it can't be wrapped up neatly or fixed after some melodramatic scene. and it's hard to talk about. i think this film captured all these aspects quite accurately. it was different from things we see normally and kudos to Ashley Judd for pulling it off. in short, i enjoyed this film...a lot. and i know many guys who did as well, thereby slightly debunking the "chick flick" label.

..YaYa.. is definitely a chick flick about the mother-daughter relationship with the ups and the downs, coming to understand each other and self. Did not read the book so have nothing to go by, but found the film predictable. A starring vehicle for Sandra Bullock with excellent performances by all. There is some (humorous) profanity.

I loved the book and I was so excited when I heard it was going to be made into a movie. Well, I just watched it on DVD and it was such a letdown! They skipped around way too much so that if you hadn't read the book beforehand it would be really confusing. This was a great bunch of actors and actresses each in their own respect but it just didn't work out. I give it a 3 out of 10 for making me laugh every now and then.

I was never going to watch this movie. The title alone gave me good enough reason. Even when my sister rented it, I frowned expecting anything but that. But I was tired and didn't move. It was better than okay. It had the Steel Magnolia, Fried Green Tomatoes, and How to make an American Quilt vibe going and the pacing was never slow. But there may be a spoiler ahead. For one, where was Sandra's brother and sister later in life? The other kids were just as affected as Sandra's character I know. She should have been the only child if that was the case. At least put some stock characters to nodd their heads to agree or disagree with Sandra and the ya-yas. Maybe I missed them, it was a first viewing for me. That just stuck out to me. Everything else was pretty realistic, pretty good.

Great cast. Have always loved Ellen Burstyn and Sandra Bullock. James Garner plays the father who stands there and sighs. Ashley Judd is her usual wonder self as the younger version of the mother. The mother's friends are played by Shirley Knight (wonderful), Fionnula Flanagan (wonderful), and Maggie Smith. Usually if Maggie Smith is in a movie, I love it. Not this one. She was terrific, but the movie was not. If you liked "August, Osage County" you will love this. I don't happen to care for movies where the mother is overbearing and yells at everyone. Lets not say "yells," lets say "SCREAMS." Oh, and then in the end they all realize that they love each other and miss read all the tension and abuse. How glorious!

I read the book and found that the flashbacks were excellent, but the chapters supposedly taking place in the present, concerning 40-year-old Siddalee and her boyfriend Connor, were very boring. Unfortunately, the movie spent way too much time on these scenes. They completely eliminated one of the best segments, where Vivi is sent to an ultra-harsh catholic boarding school as a teen. That was a bad omission, since it was a very intense and very interesting part of the book. My husband, who loved the book so much he saved the last 50 pages for a time when nobody would be around, fell asleep 15 minutes before the movie was over.

This is a film with a troubled woman who resolves her problem by listening to other women talk about their past (via flashbacks). Very similar to "Fried Green Tomatoes" and "How to Make an American Quilt" If you liked those movies then you'll probably like this one. It was a decent movie, but not at all original in concept.

NOTE: if you are of the female gender, the following does not apply to you. Read at your own risk. I saw this movie only because "the Sum of All Fears" was virtually sold out, and I didn't want to go 40 miles back home for nothing on my Sunday off. It didn't suck. If your wife/significant other insists on seeing it, go. Don't kick and scream, just go. It will probably surprise you (pleasantly). The only member of the cast who does yield to the temptation to overact is Judd, and only slightly. Yes, it is a chick flick but there are many that are worse...