Lovely & Amazing (2002)

I enjoy Emily Mortimer, esp. here as a model with body issues, but Catherine Keener as the frazzled housewife and wannabe actress/artist holds her own even without Emily's assets. Brenda Blethyn is the queen mother whose insecurities were inherited by her two genetic daughters. Raven Goodwin plays her 8-year-old adopted black daughter, who can be a pistol when she wants attention too. Emily plays the "lovely and amazing" daughter who only seeks the clarity and grounding she needs to stand firm. Catherine, we conclude, may never take herself seriously or realistically. Misogynists tend to pan a movie as a "chick flick" when it deals with emotions or male/female relationships (which misogynists do not want to discuss), but this film is properly called a "chick flick" because it presents mostly women discussing women's issues. As such, it is not about events happening in the visible world so much as it is about inner emotional landscapes, skirmishes, and victories. It is in this world that Lovely & Amazing excels. Enjoy! 4.5 stars. (8-5-2016)