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Stepmom is a wonderful, life-affirming film that benefits from the great direction of Chris Columbus, the beautiful music of John Williams, and a great screenplay.

Ed Harris is great as the father, though his role is smaller. The two children are spot on. But what really drives this film are the portrayals of the mother by Susan Sarandon and the stepmother by Julia Roberts.

This film is about universal truths: Life has its ups and downs. Love has its ups and downs. Some of the strongest familial bonds are forged from needing. And when you really love someone, there is no wrong way to do it.

The story traces the progress between the mom and the stepmom--two women who have to face their fears of a new family dynamic. The mother was there for all the tender moments, all the wounds and all the memories. The stepmom is the "cool" one who knows the lyrics to all the songs and is current with today's fashions. To become a whole family, the mother must overcome her fear of being replaced and the stepmother must overcome her fear of comparison with an irreplaceable mother.

This is a tearjerker. The resolution goes far beyond the daily struggles of a family rent by divorce. Well worth seeing.