Mermaids (1990 film)

1990 film by Richard Benjamin
the 2003 film of the same name

Mermaids is a 1990 American family comedy drama film directed by Richard Benjamin, and starring Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder, Michael Schoeffling, and Christina Ricci in her film debut. Based on Patty Dann's 1986 novel of the same name, and set in the early 1960s, its plot follows a neurotic teenage girl who moves with her wayward mother and young sister to a small town in Massachusetts. Originally planned as the English language debut of Swedish director Lasse Hallström, the film was ultimately directed by Benjamin after both Hallström and Frank Oz abandoned the project. Filming of Mermaids took place in various locations in Massachusetts in the fall of 1989. Released in December 1990, Mermaids was met with critical acclaim, particularly for the performance of Ryder, who received a Golden Globe Award nomination and a National Board of Review Award. Ricci also won a Young Artist Award for her performance.

In 1963 Oklahoma, Charlotte Flax is a neurotic 15 year old whose carefree 31 year old single mother, Rachel, relocates Charlotte and her 9 year old half sister, Kate, each time she ends a relationship. Rachel's parenting approach – which more resembles friendship than mothering – troubles the anxiety ridden Charlotte, who is embarrassed by her mother's flamboyant nature. After ending an affair with her married employer, Rachel and her daughters move to the small town of Eastport, Massachusetts where she also gets a job as a receptionist for a lawyer. Charlotte is ecstatic about their new home's location, as it borders a convent, as she is obsessed with Catholicism, to the annoyance of her irreligious Jewish mother. Charlotte soon becomes enamored with Joe Peretti, a 26 year old caretaker of the convent and local school bus driver. Meanwhile, Rachel meets a local shoe store owner, Lou Landsky, and slowly begins a relationship with him. After the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Charlotte finds Joe ringing the convent bell and consoles him. However, as they begin to kiss, she feels filled with sin and flees. After the encounter, she begins fasting to purge her sinful thoughts, eventually passing out from hunger. Uneducated about sex, Charlotte fears that God will punish her with pregnancy via immaculate conception, and decides to steal her mother's car and run away. She drives all night before stopping at the home of a young family in New Haven, Connecticut, claiming to have suffered car troubles. The family invites her to have breakfast, but Lou arrives to retrieve Charlotte during the meal, having tracked her after reporting the car stolen. Rachel chastises Charlotte when she returns home, but Charlotte doesn't reveal why she ran away. The next day, Charlotte makes an appointment with a local obstetrician under the name Joan Arc. The doctor tells Charlotte it isn't possible for her to be pregnant as she is a virgin. At a New Year's Eve costume party, Lou asks Rachel to marry and move in with him, but she declines, reminding him he is still legally married to his wife (who had left him). After the party, discovering her car refuses to start, Rachel is given a ride home by Joe. Upon arriving home, Rachel gives Joe a kiss, wishing him a happy New Year. Charlotte observes the kiss and storms outside, accusing her mother of trying to thwart her budding relationship and asking Joe why he would kiss Rachel before he drives off. On New Year's Day, with Rachel out for the day with Lou, Charlotte stays home with Kate and dresses up in her mom's clothes and makeup. She drinks some wine and offers some to Kate, who drinks a large amount without Charlotte knowing. Charlotte takes Kate to see the convent, and Charlotte—not knowing Kate is drunk—goes to check out the top of the bell tower by herself, leaving Kate behind to collect rocks near the river. Charlotte unexpectedly finds Joe in the tower, and they embrace and start to have sex. An unattended Kate falls in the river and nearly drowns, but the nuns from the convent save her. While Kate recovers, a crazy angry Rachel gets into an argument with Charlotte about being irresponsible and threatens to again move them to another town. The argument ends after Rachel slaps Charlotte across the face, and they subsequently have a calm, heartfelt conversation. ("You know You're just one year younger than I was when I gave birth to you.") Discussing her father, Charlotte realizes he is never coming back. Rachel ultimately agrees to Charlotte's plea to stay in Eastport at least one more year. Over the following year, Rachel and Lou continue their relationship, while Joe relocates to California to open a plant nursery; he and Charlotte keep in contact via postcards. At school, she has gained a new reputation due to her sexual encounter with Joe, and replaces her Catholicism obsession with Greek mythology. Kate has recovered and has returned to competitive swimming, although the accident has left her hearing "sounding fuzzy" sometimes. The film ends with Rachel, Charlotte and Kate playfully dancing as they set the dinner table for a family meal, something they didn't use to do.

Producers initially engaged Swedish director Lasse Hallström to direct Mermaids as his English language feature debut, but he left the project to direct Once Around (1991). Ultimately, they hired Richard Benjamin to direct the project. She had begun shooting the film when Cher complained that Lloyd did not look enough like her to play her daughter. Winona Ryder, who impressed both Cher and then director Oz in Heathers (1988), was subsequently cast in the part.

Principal photography of Mermaids began September 25, 1989 in Massachusetts, and completed on December 15 of that year. On Metacritic it has a score of 56% based on reviews from 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B" on scale of A to F.

Though the film's coming of age story was seen as a somewhat familiar one, many critics argued the film was elevated by its performances—particularly Ryder's—and a script imbued with "a quality of everyday surrealism". Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave it three out of four stars and wrote: "Mermaids is not exactly good, but it is not boring. Winona Ryder, in another of her alienated outsider roles, generates real charisma. And what the movie is saying about Cher is as elusive as it is intriguing." In a negative review, Time Out New York wrote: "The film is burdened by curious details and observations, and its preoccupation with all things aquatic (little sister is an ace swimmer, Mom dresses up as a mermaid for New Year's Eve, etc.) is overworked. Characterization suffers, with Charlotte and Rachel too self absorbed to engage our sympathies. Crucially, they just aren't funny".