The winning, sweetness-and-light ending to this story of love the second time around tends to obscure the fact that parts of the tale are quite tediously told. The Bermans, mother Pearl (Shirley MacLaine) and daughters Norma (Marcia Gay Harden) and Bibby (Kathy Bates) are angry, ill-tempered, almost tragic figures always shouting at each other in public. Joe (Marcello Mastroianni), a long-time admirer of Pearl's, must certainly be an ardent suitor, not only to ask her for dinner at her husband's funeral (exceptionally unlikely! ) but to want to jump in with this nest of vipers. Joe, however, a widower, is a true Italian and even snakebites, thought they might annoy him, can't deter his passion. Jessica Tandy and Sylvia Sidney do good work as MacLaine's mother and her equally aged confidante - the scene where they visit a nursing home straight out of Metropolis is one of the best in the film - but these used people are not likeable people and it's hard to share their joys and (mostly) sorrows.


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