It takes a bit of finesse to make a "chick flick" that doesn't fall into the guilty pleasure or hallmark schmaltz categories. Enter In Her Shoes, that confidently avoids both pitfalls in the deft hands of Curtis Hanson. He is, afterall the man who brought us L.A. Confidential, 8 Mile, and Wonder Boys. He is a man who can tell a story of self-(re)discovery and he succeeds again, this time accomplishing it for the gals.Shoes sets up with the stark comparison of sisters Maggie (Diaz) and Rose (Collette). They have an undeniable but tumultuous bond built on shared tragedy and shattered by Maggie's behaviour. Collette is her usual assured self and gives Rose both a confidence and vulnerablity that any average woman will recognize. Diaz is the find here and she leaves her cutesy girl acting at the door and bothers to be real. Her Maggie is terribly flawed but her growth process in the film is expertly portrayed. The pair are supported by Shirly Maclaine - an ideal matriarch for the two younger actresses who breathes life into a role that could have been overly cranky - and Mark Feurerstein - who is the one of the best movie-boyfriends around.
The strength of Shoes is in its honesty. The film steers clear of contrived moments and establishes credible interactions. This is not to say the film doesn't have "movie moments" but they are fulfilling rather than frustrating. Although the film moves a too quickly towards its resolution once the sisters reconnect, the good has already been achieved so its easy to forgive this weakness. In the end, Shoes offers up a portrait of sisterhood, friendship, family, relationships and love that tugs some heart strings and tickles some funny bones and that's what these kinds of movies are supposed to do.
