Moonlight and Valentino (1995)

Idea: After her husband’s sudden death, Rebecca (Elizabeth Perkins) comes to terms with her grief with the help of her best friend, Sylvie (Whoopi Goldberg), her ex-step-mother, Alberta (Kathleen Turner), and her little sister, Lucy (Gwyneth Paltrow).

What a misleading preview I saw! I thought this movie was about Rebecca moving on with her life, but it’s not. It’s about all those little things you only discover/realize about someone after they’re gone.

For example, in one small but sweet scene, Rebecca goes to clean out her husband’s office, and she finds a box of Chiclets. “I didn’t know he liked these,” she says. Sorry I ruined it for you, but that might be the best part of the entire movies.

Those are the best parts, aren’t they? I mean, great speeches are just that: great. In the end, though, they aren’t what really matters. In movies, as with real life, the parts that always stick with you are the little bits. The little things really are more important. I remember a rolled up sleeve or a small gesture.

But I, as usual, digress.

David Anspaugh’s direction lacks focus. He doesn’t seem to know what’s important in Ellen Simon’s screenplay and, by consequence, neither do I.

There is one good thing that I can say about Simon’s screenplay. Albert, Turner’s character, is great. Simon, in this case, takes a tired stereotype and fills it up with heart and heartache. I really like Turner here.

Howard Shore steals music! Okay, he’s pretty good, but he still steals music! I mean, he’s not John Williams or, the be-all-and-end-all of music thieves, Disney, but he’s still a little on the sneaky stealy side.

So, yeah, not a gem of a chick flick. But the Jon Bon Jovi part is good.