"I was dragged to see Bridges, don't let it happen to you...."
Trust your instincts on this one.Look, I have no problem with Streep or Eastwood. I like them both fine, but Bridges was not a highlight in either's careers.
Bridges of Madison County is based on the book of the same name by Waller, which spent untold number of weeks on the bestseller list appealing to every middle-aged lonely women (who we all know have the money to spend on a hardcover to satisfy their poor lives with some tepid romantic fiction) in America. Let's get it out in the open, I'm a girl, I know this movie was aimed at me, and I found it laughable. I was also insulted. Rest easy, I put solid blame on Waller who has made a career out of peddling this kind of crap. Hollywood can't help buying the rights to a bestselling book, Hollywood wants to make MONEY. Getting the rights to Bridges was guarenteed to draw in the overweight housewife and her unfulfulled corporate cousin in droves to the box-office. To get a higher draw, the suits were smart and they cast the big names, Eastwood in particular, to help draw out the reluctant male counterpart to the romance-starved woman. Its easy to tell Streep and Eastwood could have phoned in the parts. Streep plays Francesca, the Italian War Bride, who settled in Iowa and into placid domesticity (where's Friedan when you need her!) Eastwood, the dashing (I'm sorry, can Dirty Harry be _dashing_?) and worldy photographer sweeps into her life and they have a whirlwind love-affair. Francesca's husband and kids are at the state fair (no doubt parading the hogs while mom is screwing the dashing [?] camera guy.) I was insulted by the indictment of marriage. I was insulted by the story of a shooting star love that was only good for a miniscule increment of time. I was insulted to be offered Eastwood as a love interest. I was insulted by Streep's accent!You can't blame Hollywood for wanting a cash crop. Its not their fault Bridges became a bestseller, precluding the film option. They were just trying to make a buck--right?
eFilmCritic.com: Australia's Largest Movie Review Database. Privacy Policy | HBS Inc. | | All data and site design copyright 1997-2010, HBS Entertainment, Inc.