Rich In Love

Stars: Albert Finney (The Dresser, Orphans, Miller's Crossing), Kathryn Erbe, Kyle MacLachlan (Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks), Suzy Amis (Watch It), Piper Laurie (Carrie, Twin Peaks). From the Driving Miss Daisy team (director Bruce Beresford and writer Alfred Uhry), Rich in Love, based on the novel by Josephine Humphreys, is a ponderous two hours with a fictional family that neither resembles actual people, nor is very fun to be with. Set in South Carolina with a cast of northern actors trying to emulate Southern speech, the film kicks off with Warren Odom (Albert Finney) coming home from fishing to discover that is wife of 27 years has flown the coop. Stepping into the matriarchal void is Lucille (Kathryn Erbe), a high school senior who assumes that Mom and Dad will eventually reconcile and life will return to normal. Waiting for Mom Odom, father and daughter are surprised by the arrival of elder sibling Rae (Suzy Amis), newly married and pregnant, and her hubby (Kyle MacLachlan). Meanwhile Lucille has a lukewarm relationship with a classmate, and Warren finds a new beau in the local hairdresser (Piper Laurie). Throughout, very little happens in Rich in Love (and the little that does happen is almost never set up with any kind of plausible motivation). Characters mainly jaw at one another in long scenes that make you feel like you're watching a play, and too much of the film rests on the shoulders of Finney (who appears to be dazed most of the time) and Erbe (who plays Lucille in total earnest, without a wisp of humor). Beautifully filmed, Rich in Love is dramatically disappointing and long-winded, with too many characters and not enough central story. Made $2 million at the boxoffice. Audience: Large ensemble cast will draw some to this light romantic drama.