Review of Stepmom (1998) by Yasemin Y — 02 Feb 2017

We all have to learn a little in order to grow together. There are many children who face divorce. In the movie "Stepmom" directed by Chris Columbus. He portrays a family who has fallen apart and must work together for the sake of their children's.  This film came out Dec 25, 1998. The story began with two women trying to win the kids heart. Jackie, a divorced mother of two, and Isabel the career-minded girlfriend of Jackie's ex-husband Luke, who enter the life of Jackie and Luke's children.  Later on in the movie these two women develop friendship and accept the fact that the children will have two mom.

Jackie and Luke Harrison are a divorced couple that are struggling to help their children Anna and Ben be happy with this sudden change of lifestyle. Anna and Ben, the two children of Jackie and Luke, have to accept the fact that their parents are divorced and that there is a new woman in their father's life. Isabel is young and pretty. She is a successful photographer. She tries her best to treat the kids to like her and in a way that makes them still feel at home. But she is busy with her work and doesn't pay attention to the kids. But Jackie, the real mother don't understand that work can be important to her as much as the kids. However, Jackie is diagnosed with cancer which is discovered to be serious. She experiences negative emotions, angry at the woman who she feels played a role in her broken family, and angry at the fact that after all of the sacrifices she made for her family, she will not even get to see her children grow up. The two women finally bond when Isabel finds out the truth about Jackie, while Jackie in turn praises Isabel's hipness as a means to connect with Anna. Isabel finally lets her guard down when she tearfully tells Jackie her biggest fear is that on Anna's wedding day, all Anna will wish for is her mother's presence. Through her own tears, Jackie says her own fear is that Anna will forget her. Jackie explains to Isabel that, while Jackie will always have their past, Isabel will have their future. The film ends with the family celebrating Christmas. Jackie, bedridden from her illness, is visited in her room by Ben and Anna. Individually, Jackie tells her children after giving them their presents that even though she will die, she will always be with them as long as they remember her. Later that day, Isabel is taking a family picture of Luke and Jackie with their children. Jackie demonstrates her acceptance of Isabel by inviting her to join them in the picture. Isabel join them and both women are shown happily in a photo side by side, finally at peace with one another.

This movie was heartwarming and sad. The fact that Jackie was ill, leaving the children with the stepmom. But the stepmom is nice and she really cared about the kids. It was good that the two mom work things out for the sake of the kids. In the movie I see that the kids was really hurt about the fact that their parents divorce. They have to try to work and adapt to the new lifestyle that they didn't ask for and they really try to make their kids happy. I would recommend this movie to parents who are divorced because this movie show great way how parents should handle their divorce. Instead of brainwashing their children this movie show great example on how to handle divorce situation. I also recommend this movie to children who gone through divorce as well.