blairchristina

I remember watching when I was just a kid, and admittedly we were less cynical but I always liked the show. So it turned up on streaming and I thought, well why not? I have done this from time to time with other shows and am often disappointed. Usually it's, geez this is so cheesy how could we have watched this? So, okay, this one is a little cheesy too. But actually the production value is quite high and the actors are great. It's not deep or meaningful, it's total feel good fluff. But it's also harmless and if kind of silly, it is still entertaining. There's a place for harmless and slightly silly entertainment. And it's no less ridiculous than "reality" tv. Anyway, I quite enjoyed the trip down memory lane. Thank you, Sally Field. I have heard that you never thought much about the show but you made a lot of people happy. So I hope that you came to see that the show did have value.

I love this movie and have since I first saw it as a child. It's family friendly fare that was pretty typical of the time, and doesn't pretend to be anything else. If all you know of Lucille Ball is the old I Love Lucy series, you might be surprised to find that she was a pretty good actress, although there is one particular scene that does make the most of her fabulous comedic talents. She was 57 in this movie, but looks great and carries off a woman at least 10 years younger with no problem. She and Fonda have pretty good chemistry.

She plays a widow with 8 children who marries a widower with 10, and they go on to add one more. My own family history includes a similar story, and a total of 23 kids before they were done, so it's completely believable to me.

Of course this is light fare so you don't get any of the reality of raising a large family (all those kids would have had chores), just the comedy. But that's fine because who wants reality in a comedy? Watched it again recently and it holds up well to my memories.

I enjoyed this sequel quite a lot. Of course in this one the ladies have moved on to a different phase of their lives, so no romantic subplots, although Candace Bergen's character has a fling. But I sometimes wonder if Jane Fonda has it in her contract that she is the only glamorous one. No, really I like Fonda and she's good in this, but they could have done better by Bergen, which they dis in the first movie, and Keaton and Steenburgen are no slouches either. Bergen does get a lot of great lines though, all the best comedic bits.

Anyway, less romance than the first but more adventures and of course gorgeous scenery. I laughed frequently. What especially struck me was the friendship dynamic. That felt very real, and you think they might all like each other off screen. But also because, adventures aside, it's very much the way women friends really relate, especially as you get older.

And I think that's a major point for me. I like a lot of different movies, even the superhero stuff and the action movies. I watch them all. But you do feel sometimes like Hollywood thinks nobody over the age of 27 watches movies. So it's refreshing to see a movie that is relatable and, bonus, has this amazing cast. Steenburgen and Keaton are two actresses I can't get enough of anyway but I think are also the most fun and they just chew up their scenes. And not to be forgotten, we get more of Don Johnson and Andy Garcia as well. But really this movie is about the ladies and friendship.