Not very long into "The Deep End of the Ocean", I got the sinking feeling that the only thing that stopped this film from going straight to television was the fact that Michelle Pfeiffer starred in it. Think "the crisis movie of the week" with a big-name actress in it, and you've got "The Deep End of the Ocean".
This film has perhaps one of the worst screenplays I have ever had the displeasure of experiencing. Luckily, I was watching with someone who had read the book, so I was able to have a few gaping holes filled in. Unfortunately, those who haven't read the book will be left clueless in a few crucial moments.
I guess it was fitting to cast Treat Williams--someone who should stick to TV movies--in what is essentially a TV movie released in theatres and on video. I personally would have chosen someone more animated than Williams, who is one of the most wooden actors around.
The corny attempts at sentiment are forced and predictable, and they ultimately fall flat. The characters are inconsistent, hating one another one moment and seeming perfectly content the next. Perhaps the best thing that can be said about "The Deep End of the Ocean" is the fact that it ends. This is one movie to avoid.
This film has perhaps one of the worst screenplays I have ever had the displeasure of experiencing. Luckily, I was watching with someone who had read the book, so I was able to have a few gaping holes filled in. Unfortunately, those who haven't read the book will be left clueless in a few crucial moments.
I guess it was fitting to cast Treat Williams--someone who should stick to TV movies--in what is essentially a TV movie released in theatres and on video. I personally would have chosen someone more animated than Williams, who is one of the most wooden actors around.
The corny attempts at sentiment are forced and predictable, and they ultimately fall flat. The characters are inconsistent, hating one another one moment and seeming perfectly content the next. Perhaps the best thing that can be said about "The Deep End of the Ocean" is the fact that it ends. This is one movie to avoid.