One of the best date films of 2005, In Her Shoes is a dramatic relationship comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Directed by Curtis Hanson, the hand behind such films as 8 Mile (2002), LA Confidential (1997), and The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (1992), the film is successful in a genre in which so many of its peers have miserably failed. The casting is superb, and the onscreen interaction between the various characters creates a realistic impression of wavering love and conflict. Based on the novel by Jennifer Weiner, it weaves a tale of two sisters with differing lifestyles and a lifetime of personal baggage.
In Her Shoes begins with the latest installment of an ongoing personality clash between sisters Rose (Toni Collette) and Maggie (Cameron Diaz) Feller. When the shy and reserved Rose is approached by the most eligible bachelor in her law firm, the two hit it off quite nicely. But Maggie ruins the affair when she shows up on Rose’s doorstep and steals the man away with her unrelenting flirtations.
After constant feuding, Rose kicks Maggie out while contemplating her own future. She takes a leave of absence from her law firm and contemplates dog walking as an alternative career path. Along the way, she encounters another colleague from the firm, Simon Stein (Mark Feuerstein). The two strike up a romantic relationship, but Rose’s past threatens to ruin the whole thing.
Meanwhile, Maggie discovers the two have a long-lost grandmother, Ella Hirsch (Shirley MacLaine), who lives in Florida. With no one left to leech off of, Maggie heads straight for Ella’s retirement community. But Ella has no intention of being a human punching bag, and for the first time in her life, Maggie meets someone who won’t put up with her perpetual self-centeredness and grossly inconsiderate behavior. It’s a stand-off certain to change the lives of everyone involved.
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