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Monster-In-Law Stars: Jane Fonda, Jennifer Lopez, Wanda Sykes, Michael Vartan, Monet Mazur, and Elaine Stritch Director: Robert Luketic Scriptwriter: Anya Kochoff Music: David Newman New Line Cinema Running Time: one hour and 45 minutes Rating: PG 13 Website: <http://www.monsterinlaw.com>www.monsterinlaw.com Monster-in-Law is another Jennifer Lopez film that places her in a romantic setting. This is “Cinderella” with a wicked future mother-in-law instead of a stepmother. Lopez could play this part for years through endless films. If nothing else, Monster-in-Law_ will be remembered for the dialogue between Jane Fonda, as a television news commentator, and her personal assistant played by Wanda Sykes. The actresses should explore script options as a team. Jennifer Lopez is billed as the star of Monster-in-Law, but she fades into the background whenever the heavy hitters enter the scene. I think the problem is Lopez’s voice. It is too mild and even-toned to give her credibility as a serious actress. The plot of Monster-in-Law is the usual. Working class girl meets wealthy young doctor who is the only child of wealthy famous mother. The Mom thinks no one will be good enough for her son and sets out to prove it. Let the sparks begin. Girl’s sidekicks are her roommates, a girl and a gay guy (shades of “Three’s Company.”) Mom’s sidekick is her trusty assistant who knows all the angles. The son doesn’t matter, he barely registers. Some humorous moments in Monster-in-Law include Lopez and Fonda trying to out slap each other, the two women trying to upstage each other at a dinner party, or Fonda doing a drama-queen bit whenever she has a tantrum. The settings are lush and bring you into that world of everyone, including your average working girl, living in a posh house. Oh, that it were true. Michael Vartan (television’s “Alias”) is the love-smitten doctor, but he acts so mild with a two-day growth of beard you begin to wonder where he got his medical license. The jewel of the film is Elaine Stritch who comes is as Fonda’s mother-in-law. Oh, that this part would have been longer. The two women are priceless. Jane Fonda has said she hopes there will be a sequel to Monster-in-Law. There probably will, and I hope Wanda Sykes and Elaine Stritch are along for the ride. Copyright 2005 Marie Asner
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