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M O V I E   R E V I E W


Review: 'Hush' is one weird science experiment

Hush Moviestrip March 19, 1998
Web posted at: 10:43 p.m. EDT (2243 GMT)

From Reviewer Paul Tatara

(CNN) -- Remember a few years back how popular "from hell" movies were? You know -- the roommate from hell ("Single White Female"), the husband from hell ("Sleeping With the Enemy"), the baby sitter from hell ("The Hand That Rocks the Cradle"), etc. Well, it's hard to believe, but only now has someone gotten around to the mother-in-law from hell.

It's called "Hush," and stars Gwyneth Paltrow (personally endorsed totem of womanhood that she is) and Jessica Lange. The movie is about as awful as you'd expect it to be, but its high points, which consist mostly of Paltrow getting huffy, then desperately huffy, are fun if you've ever felt needlessly harassed by someone's mom.

Paltrow and Jonathon Schaech (the hunk from "That Thing You Do") star as a couple of New York-based business types, both of whom are so beautiful they should be wearing tiaras and carrying scepters. And they are in love-love-luv.

As the movie opens, the toothsome twosome are driving to Schaech's family's horse farm to introduce Paltrow to his widowed mother, played by Jessica Lange. Our heroes are sort of nervous about this meeting, but what, I ask you, could possibly go wrong here? I mean, this guy's bringing home Gwyneth Paltrow, for God's sake! My mom would fall to her knees and weep.

Unfortunately, one thing that goes terribly wrong is Jessica Lange, but she gets tons of help from a silly screenplay by director Jonathan Darby and co-writer Jane Rusconi. It seems that (wouldn't you know it) Mom is stark raving bonkers, but nobody in this sleepy little community has ever bothered to notice.

Admittedly, though, she's movie bonkers, which means she functions half the time as a perfectly lovely, affable Southern charmer, but starts lurking in the shadows and glowering when no one's looking. She also drinks like a fish, although if you spent half your day shoveling horse manure, you would too.

Lange acts so hard, steam nearly shoots out of her ears. She's a great actress, no doubt about it, but that doesn't mean she can't occasionally get caught up in a no-win situation. These movies, by definition, need a villain whose personality repeatedly fluctuates between Martha Stewart and Hulk Hogan, and good actresses shouldn't be stuck having to negotiate that territory.

It becomes obvious after a couple of scenes that Lange is simply going to throw taste out the window and go for the Gloria Swanson.

Lange's evil scheme ("from hell" movies always contain an evil scheme) has to do with using Paltrow as a human incubator. This is accomplished by giving her a shiny new diaphragm that evidently has an itty-bitty hole in it. It's sitting on the sink in the guest bedroom one night, and Paltrow is apparently so moved by the gesture she just can't resist inserting the gift.

Later, Paltrow is shocked when she unexpectedly becomes pregnant, but we aren't because we've already seen Lange lurking and glowering. And drinking. And acting.

That's when Mom's evil inclinations come to the forefront. My favorite move is when she bakes Paltrow a cheesecake that contains the chemical used to induce labor in pregnant horses. Paltrow, who doesn't exactly look like she spends a lot of time wolfing down desserts, eats a great big piece.

It's not long before she buckles over, starts moaning, and, you guessed it, gives birth to a pony. Then Lange cuts her hair off so that she'll look more like a boy and rides the horse in the Kentucky Derby.

Not really, but it certainly would've jazzed things up. Lange is actually playing vet so that she can kill Paltrow after the birth and raise yet another young 'un. Everything builds and builds, getting more hysterical until it reaches the ever-popular fever pitch. Movies from hell always reach a fever pitch.

Pregnant women shouldn't see this one, not because it'll give them nightmares, but because it's a bad movie and I wouldn't want to upset them. They're watching for two, you know.

"Hush" contains bad language and sexual situations. "Rosemary's Baby" it ain't. Rated R. 110 minutes.

 
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