For months I looked forward to this movie. The book’s powerful and beautiful story had captivated me in such a way I could hardly wait to see the characters come to life in the silver screen. I promised myself I wouldn’t go in with high expectations. Most books we love, when adapted into films, don’t resemble the characters we portray in our minds, let alone follow the real plot and dialogue. Hence, I knew there was a big chance I would end up disappointed. I am delighted to report that it wasn’t so.

This movie is an enjoyable and entertaining dramatic comedy; featuring a stupendous cast, fast and witty dialogue, and of course, we can’t leave out the great shoes. *g*

Maggie Feller (Cameron Diaz), the reckless and beautiful sister, is a borderline alcoholic with dyslexia. The only way she knows how to get by in a world of “smart” people is by stealing, or relying on men and sex to get what she wants. Her big sister, Rose Feller (Toni Collette), is the complete opposite: a dependable and reliable workaholic lawyer obsessed by her weight and looks. The only thing these two sisters seem to have in common is their love for shoes.

As always, Shirley MacLaine delivers a fabulous performance, this time as Ella Hirsh; a woman who has been estranged from her granddaughters for most of their lives, and is now trying to help them find their way back to each other.

Susannah Grant (screen writer) managed to capture the fundamental parts of the storyline by leaving intact the character’s vital traits and much of the sassy dialogue. The editing complemented this with the smooth transitions from one scene to the other, in a way that we understand how they fed from each other, and felt neither lost or confused.

There were two things I felt were lacking. One was an actual portrayal of the change that occurs within Maggie’s character. While the movie explores it (superficially), it’s not depicted as completely genuine and substantial. We are left wondering if Maggie will, one day, go back to be the spoiled, self-centered bitch she was at the beginning of the movie. The other was the way Rose seems to completely (and very easily) forgive Maggie. Reading the book, I got the feeling that though her acceptance and forgiveness of what happened was real and unfeigned, she still had reservations about her relationship with her sister.

Before I wrap up, it’s important to mention that this movie is strong enough to stand by itself and not depend on the book. Though Jennifer Weiner fans will surely love it, this film is for anyone that enjoys a good movie.