Mrs. Winterbourne (1996) User Reviews

pleasant romance - feelgood movie

[imdb-1765 · 7/10 · 2 March 2003]

So Ricky Lake is not the world's greatest actress, but she does well enough. The romance is reasonably believable. The story is friendly. And you get to watch Brendan Fraser for a long while - who is actually even more dishy as Hugh than as Bill, so do pay attention during the act in the train.

I watched it twice on television. I could easily bear watching it a third time. Believe me- that's high praise.

Why it's a five...

[addylennox · 5/10 · 4 May 2008]

Because Brendan Fraser and Shirley Maclaine make it surprisingly bearable. Ricki Lake, God bless her, was, in a word, miscast; without the strength of Fraser and Maclaine, this movie is a two, at best a three. She's brings no life to the role, no reality. At best, she was an over-actor. At worst... well, she was a bad over-actor. A really, really bad over-actor. Still, for a movie that had so much potential (if not for the sometimes unbelievable -yet entertaining- storyline, then definitely for the two aforementioned lead actors) that was lost beneath the looming shadow that is Lake, I'd watch it again. If it were on cable TV... and if nothing else is on.

Bored on a winter's day or evening? Go find this film, Mrs. Winterbourne!

[inkblot11 · 6/10 · 9 February 2007]

Connie (Ricki Lake) lost her mother at twelve in Hoboken, New Jersey. Because she did not get along with her father, Connie left NJ at 18 and went to NYC. Unfortunately, she immediately hooked up with a low-life named Steve and became pregnant. Steve was less than thrilled with the news and threw Connie out of the house. Although she works as a waitress for awhile, when her delivery date draws near, she finds herself broke and homeless. The next day , Connie boards a train she thinks is the subway but which turns out to be a railway to Boston. There, she is befriended by handsome, rich Hugh and his new and very pregnant wife Patricia. The train derails. Hugh and Patricia are killed. But, by a twist of fate, Connie is mistaken for Patricia and finds herself and her new baby in a private hospital, as befitting the wife of a member of the rich Winterbourne family. She meets her new mother-in-law (Shirley MacLaine) and her "husband's" twin brother, Bill (Brendan Fraser) and goes home to a posh, Boston mansion, complete with servants. Just how long will she be able to fool everyone into thinking she really is a part of the family? This is a nice little film for the proverbial romcom fan. MacLaine is wonderful as the matriarch of the wealthy family and Fraser is his usual handsome, quirky, affable self. Lake seems a bit miscast as the girl with a big secret but fulfills her role adequately. The sets, costumes, and production values are very high. Do you love improbable plots and unexpected, humorous romance? Make a date to see Mrs. W. and you will be in your element, absolutely.

Fraser and MacLaine make 'Mrs. Winterbourne' watchable.

[cascade_ice · 8 January 2004]

'Mrs. Winterbourne' is a highly improbable take on the Cinderella "rags to riches" story about 18 year-old Connie Doyle (Ricki Lake), who finds herself enceinte, unmarried, and homeless. Her criminal rat of a boyfriend, Steve DeCunzo (Loren Dean), wants nothing to do with her or the baby. But fate has a better future in store for Connie, and the heavily pregnant girl finds herself, almost miraculously, on a train bound for Boston from New York. There she shares a compartment with a young married couple, Hugh and Patricia Winterbourne (Susan Haskell and Brendan Fraser), who are also expecting a little bundle of joy. But one little innocent action, followed by one horrifying accident, lands Connie in the hospital, mistaken for Patricia Winterbourne. She and her baby, who survived, are both whisked off to the massive Winterbourne estate in Boston. Connie decides to carry on the charade (it's almost ironic that her her name is Connie, since she's "conning" everyone) even after coming face to face with her coddling "mother-in-law" (Shirley MacLaine) and Hugh's twin brother, the cold and unfriendly Bill Winterbourne (also Brendan Fraser).

For a fluff film like this, the cast is surprisingly good. Loren Dean is convincing enough and makes you want to jump into your TV and strangle the jerk. The Winterbourne butler, Paco (Miguel Sandoval), is a delight to watch, especially when he's drunk. But Fraser and MacLaine really make the film worthwhile to see. Why either talented actor would want to participate in a film like this is a mystery to me, but maybe it's for the best. Fraser especially plays twins very well, and his transition from part antagonist to full protagonist is believable. But I have a difficult time understanding why Ricki Lake was cast as Connie. She has a tendency to overact in many scenes, she doesn't make a convincing 18 year-old at all (she was 28 when cast), and her transition from sharp-tongued teenager to polite young socialite bride-to-be is too fast and unbelievable.

Overall, 'Mrs. Winterbourne' is a good film for a boring Friday night. This is definitely a chick flick. It's heartwarming and the cast is a joy to watch. Just don't expect anymore than that.

Sweet, but full of plot holes

[tex-42 · 6/10 · 10 May 2008]

Mrs. Winterbourne is perhaps the epitome of romantic comedies, in the requirement that you suspend disbelief. It almost commands that you not think about the plot too much, because if you do, the entire movie falls apart.

The plot is simple. Connie Doyle is thrown out by her boyfriend when she becomes pregnant, and she ends up on a train with the Winterbournes, a wealthy young couple on their way to Boston. The train derails, and both Winterbournes are killed. However, as Connie was trying on Mrs. Winterbourne's ring at the time of the accident, she is mistaken for her, and her baby for the Winterbourne grandchild. What follows is what always happens in romantic comedies, Connie is taken in by the Winterbourne family and falls in love with the dead Winterbourne's twin brother, who is initially suspicious of her, but then grows to love her. Complications arise, but everything works out in the end.

Shirley MacLaine is quite winning at Grace Winterbourne, and Miguel Sandoval steals most of his scenes. The problem is that neither Ricki Lake or Brendan Fraser have much chemistry with each other, and Ricki Lake seems miscast in general. Of course, there are also massive plot holes here, and even in the end, no one really seems to care that the real Mrs. Winterbourne and the real Winterbourne grandchild are off buried somewhere under someone else's name. This is not a bad movie, it's perfectly pleasant, but you really are required to not think about the plot at all to really enjoy it.

Add me to the "I liked it" camp

[cruztacean · 7/10 · 10 November 2007]

I believe that those who are most vocally panning "Mrs. Winterbourne" are doing so because they simply don't like the genre of light-hearted romantic comedy. As a comedy, not a drama, and especially as a mistaken identity plot bordering on farce, it isn't *supposed* to resemble a true-to-life documentary, OK? I don't understand those who say Ricki Lake shouldn't have been cast in the female lead role. Why? Because she isn't some A-list skeletal blonde? She played Connie/Patricia admirably, and says that this is the role that made her the proudest to play. It was the first role, she said, where her weight didn't factor into the casting. Should she be sorry she's too "average looking" for some people's Hottiewood tastes? I don't think so. Who says ordinary women don't deserve love and romance too?

We'll get the obvious out of the way first. Of COURSE Shirley MacLaine shines as Grace Winterbourne. That lady could play a seashell and be absolutely spellbinding. Of COURSE Brendan Fraser has women swooning over his Hugh/Bill Winterbourne. That's what Brendan Fraser does. It's the smaller roles that make the movie wonderful: Loren Dean is altogether tops as Steven DeCunzo, the abusive womanizing lowlife who fathers Connie's baby and then abandons her to the streets, ultimately getting what he richly deserves. Convincing? Hey, I wanted to smack him myself. Nesbitt Blaisdell stole the scene as the homeless man who befriends a very pregnant Connie. "They pray at you," he warns her about a particular shelter, "but the food's good." Miguel Sandoval is truly enjoyable as Paco, the butler. The only small problem here is that Paco's homosexuality is a trait I gathered only from script, not from character development. In other words, I just never would have guessed Paco was gay without it being said outright. For all I know Sandoval himself could be homosexual (I have no idea) and my saying that he doesn't believably portray one could be hilarious in its irony, but it just doesn't seem that way to me. What do I want, a stereotype? Probably. Farces are usually full of them. Farce is all about exaggeration, and exaggeration relies heavily on stereotype.

My favorite scene in the movie has got to be the aftermath of the "Sunny Side of the Street" fiasco. Streetwise teenager tells catty blonde débutantes to "f--- off," leaving them flabbergasted with shock. That's funny enough, but then smooth, cultured, filthy rich family matriarch comes along behind her with, "You heard her. F--- off," which was one hundred percent hysterical.

There's the scene at the train station where Paco delivers the line, "You are as much a Winterbourne as I am," putting a lump in my throat.

I do have trouble with the wedding scene at the end. Connie stops the proceedings (and nearly stops the priest's pulse as well) by unexpectedly saying no. She, Patricia Winterbourne, does *not* take Bill Winterbourne to be her husband. "I, Constance Helen Doyle, do all that." And everything's back on again. My problem is that the marriage license would have read Patricia Winterbourne. They wouldn't have had time to correct it. Which, of course, would invalidate the ceremony, making Grandma Grace Winterbourne's closing line to baby Hughie--"They're married"--a false statement. Oh, no they're not. Also, I am forced to agree that Ricki Lake does NOT look like a character who just turned 18 years old. But hey, if I'm going to be consistent and say that farce isn't supposed to be completely believable, then we can suspend reality for those things too.

To summarize, so what if Mrs. Winterbourne is a chick flick? Chicks are half the world's population, guys. Get used to it.

Shirley MacLaine Carries the Film.

[anaconda-40658 · 5/10 · 4 June 2015]

Mrs. Winterbourne (1996): Dir: Richard Benjamin / Cast: Ricki Lake, Shirley MacLaine, Brendan Fraser, Loren Dean, Jane Krakowski: Intriguing romantic comedy that has its charm before surrendering to stupid situations that derail any richness it had. Ricki Lake moves to New York and meets a guy on her birthday but he throws her out of her apartment upon pregnancy. She encounters a couple on the subway who are expecting their first child. When she is allowed to try on their wedding band tragedy strikes. Lake awakens to learn that her baby was born and she is mistaken for someone else. Intriguing introduction becomes predictable with a nonsensical ending. Directed by Richard Benjamin who previously made Milk Money and Mermaids. First issue with this film is its weak performance by Lake. Another actress might have saved this mediocre delivery. Shirley MacLaine is a compelling actress but as Mrs. Winterbourne she is just a presence playing a type who will save the day. The best performance goes to Brendan Fraser as twins. He will accept Lake when it is learned that his brother died but their relationship is no surprise. Loren Dean as Lake's ex is the typical scheming guy whom wants back in her life for the wrong reasons. Theme of family unity falls into foolish situations that becomes more a sideshow fiasco than a decent romance. Score: 5 ½ / 10

Totally Underrated

[Glassix · 9/10 · 17 January 2004]

This was a great film. Just because Ricki Lake stars in this movie doesn't automatically make it bad. It's a sweet story about a girl who had a rough life and accidentally finds herself with a ton of possibilities just unfortunately, as someone else. Ricki Lakes character has a lot of integrity and is truly a good mom along with all the chaos. Brendan Fraser is very lovable and Shirley Mclain was fabulous as only she could be. This is a definite rental if you haven't seen it and are looking for a sweet romantic comedy. You won't be disappointed.

Another Modern Fairy Tale

[Lil'Girl · 7/10 · 14 July 1999]

Mrs Winterbourne is another in a line of modern Cinderella, a rags-to-riches story. It serves as a reminder that every so often we still hanker after Romance with a capital "R". It's fun and doesn't have pretensions of taking itself seriously. It's a lovely idea that a stiff young man would fall in love with a woman he initially disdains but Ricki Lake as the girl in question doesn't always pull it off. Shirley McLaine is, as always, wonderful to watch and just as delightful is Brendan Fraser.

William Irish(Cornell Woolrich) demeaned

[dbdumonteil · 4/10 · 11 March 2005]

The third version of William Irish's absorbing psychological thriller "I married a dead man",after Leisen's "no man of her own" (1950),starring Barbara Stanwyck, which I have not seen but would like to,Robin Davis's 1982 "j'ai épousé une ombre" starring Natalie Baye.That French attempt,although it did a lot of francs (no euros at the time),was a disappointment,because the heroine ,without her terrible guilty feeling,was devoid of interest, and because the scenarists felt compelled to secure a ridiculous happy end which the novel had not.William Irish's world is noir,desperate ,some of his short novels to rival the best of Poe.

What about Richard Benjamin's work?It's an insult to the great writer who once gave Hitchcock "rear window" .You simply cannot turn an Irish tragic heroine into a Pygmalion/my fair lady character .Connie was not a crude vulgar woman,she was a frail girl who said to us at the beginning of the book-which like Benjamin's film is a long flashback- "We've lost;that's all I know,we've lost".Oddly the part of the father has been ruled out,probably to make room for MacLaine who gets here the lion's share .The director does not know what he wants to do,a comedy or a thriller ,and the movie suffers accordingly.

Best performance:Baby Hughie.

Since I wrote my comment I had the opportunity to see "no man of her own";It's the best by far!

Fraser saves a cliche-ridden movie and makes it hilarious

[Faith-5 · 9/10 · 30 March 1999]

First off, if you want to enjoy this one, be prepared to suspend disbelief. The plot hinges on a number of incredibly unlikely coincidences, in the manner of '30's screwball comedies. It doesn't always work, but parts of it are so hysterically funny I'd definitely recommend seeing it. The script is uneven, with the first 20 minutes slow and somewhat depressing. But with the introduction of Fraser and MacLaine it perks up a whole lot. The central problem of this movie is that Ricki Lake simply isn't a strong enough actress to carry a lead role. Her Connie comes across as merely dumb, rather than vulnerable, and she's just not all that funny. To see how Connie should have been played, watch Sandra Bullock in "While You Were Sleeping", playing a very similar role infinitely better. MacLaine is terrific as the iron-willed, acid-tongued Winterbourne matriarch, but Fraser steals the show! He has a deadpan delivery that enhances the good lines he's given, but even when he's silent, he's funny. He has terrifically versatile facial expressions that can push a scene from amusing to hilarious. Also, Miguel Sandoval is great as the bossy, flamboyant butler. There is some great side-business between MacLaine, Fraser and Sandoval as the two men conspire to try and keep her healthy, and she sneaks around smoking and drinking. It's fluffy stuff, but these 3 experienced comic performers milk it for everything it's worth. That could pretty much sum up the whole movie: light on plot, light on plausibility, but very very funny. With a different actress exploiting Connie's comic potential this one could have been a gem. As it is, it's flawed but definitely worth seeing. The "tango" scene alone is worth the price of the video.

Interesting, exciting story

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 26 June 2017]

The opening scene of Mrs. Winterbourne is gripping. I don't really want to reveal any of the plot, because it unfolds so beautifully if you have no idea what's coming.

Barbara Stanwyck starred in the original in 1950, entitled No Man of Her Own, and while the black-and-white version is also very entertaining, I like the remake a little better. The pace is a little quicker, and it keeps your attention better. In this version, Ricki Lake, Brendan Fraser, and Shirley MacLaine are the leads, and they play off each other very well.

Mrs. Winterbourne is a romance, a thriller, a mystery, and an all-around cute flick from the 90s. While I won't tell you the premise, the movie centers on a young woman trying to fit into a higher class than she was born into. If you like those kinds of movies, you'll really like this one!

Ricki Lake: sadly, not the next Sandra Bullock...

[moonspinner55 · 4/10 · 23 October 2005]

Excruciating, impossible comedy, an adaptation of Cornell Woolrich's story "I Married a Dead Man", concerns homeless, pregnant, incredibly naive young woman (Ricki Lake, three years after debuting as a TV chat-show hostess) coming in contact with a wealthy Bostonian family who believe she's an in-law of theirs. The wonderful cast includes Brendan Fraser, Shirley MacLaine and an unbilled Paula Prentiss, but not even their lively efforts can make this script easy to swallow. Story previously filmed several times over, most notably in 1950 with Barbara Stanwyck as "No Man of Her Own", however this version seems to have a case of "While You Were Sleeping"-itis. Unfortunately, Lake isn't the polished comedic actress that Sandra Bullock is; she certainly tries hard, but doesn't have the soft charm or the innate presence to carry a major role such as this. *1/2 from ****

BRENDAN'S SLEEPER FILM

[peacelil · 7 August 1999]

OH my god.

I just watched this. The tango scene is worth BUYING this movie for. I am surprised I do not see more about this movie on many of the Brendan websites. He is extremely hot in this.

All the other actors are really good in it as well.

But Brendan? *sigh*

Better than I Remember

[stormy_daze · 7/10 · 27 February 2009]

So.... two hours before bed, I'm bored.... want to watch something fluffy and pointless, something i won't get too invested in before sleep... something i won't really care if i fall asleep during it... but something i haven't seen in a while.

Always been a big fan of Frazer, and decided to watch this for a strange reason -- Frazer is ambidextrous and usually writes with his left hand. But I had this memory of him sitting at a desk writing with his right, and I couldn't remember what the movie is. So I'm trying to figure out what it was.... and then remembered him saying one of the lines of the movie. So I hopped on to IMDb and just as I was typing his name I remembered the movie. Looked for it online for a little while, finally found it via good ol' YouTube.

I had expected, going in, a really wretched horrible movie; but had hoped to be at least somewhat entertained by Frazer. The man is really a fantastic actor; He always amuses me. So I thought, what the heck -- I watched The Air I Breathe last night, that was heavy. Let's have a Frazer fluffy movie (that's not Blast from the Past or the Mummy because i've seen them so many times) and had hoped to be, at least, mildly entertained.

This is not a brilliant movie. But Frazer and MacLaine are absolutely wonderful and make the movie watchable.

I just remember this movie coming out around the same time as While You Were Sleeping. Same basic premise -- following a confusion over identity, a lonely girl lies to family about who she really is because the family takes her in and she feels accepted for the first time in her life.

...This one has a baby in it.

So, not original. Let's make that clear. Not believable. Not even that good a movie. However, Frazer and MacLaine are lovely and the movie has its moments -- like when Rikki Lake comes in the room asking MacLaine (who is smoking) who had been smoking in the room and MacLaine half-swallows the lit cigarette to avoid being caught. Or everyone constantly taking MacClaine's alcohol from her as well as her cigs. Cute little moments make it fun-- the Cuban butler getting drunk and dancing in the empty pool over a broken heart is a fun moment too.

So, not original, not believable, not really great. But it's not nearly as bad as I remember. Frazer is fab at playing a snarky business man and there is definite chemistry between MacClaine and Frazer that make the whole thing not only watchable, but enjoyable if nothing else for them.

A weaker story and someone like Lake who just doesn't have the magical charisma to stand up to someone like Frazer or MacClaine just reminds you what the movie is missing most of the time. If they'd cast someone with more charisma like Sandra Bullock in While You Were Sleeping, I'd have been very interested to see Sandra and Frazer together.

Anyway, it's a good fluff, don't expect much and you might enjoy yourself. It's not brilliant, it's not even great, but you know, if you just want a mindless fluff and watch Frazer being snarky it's good enough.

not a gold digger

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 3 January 2020]

Connie Doyle (Ricki Lake) walks away from home to make it in New York. She gets taken by a hustler and left pregnant. Alone and penniless, she accidentally boards a train to Boston. She is befriended by Hugh Winterbourne (Brendan Fraser) who is bringing home his pregnant wife Patricia from Hong Kong. When the train crashes, both Hugh and Patricia are killed. Connie wakes up 8 days later after delivering the baby. The authorities had mistaken her for Patricia. When she is brought to Hugh's mother Grace Winterbourne (Shirley MacLaine), she is shock that Hugh has identical twin Bill. Paco (Miguel Sandoval) is the chauffeur.

The premise needs one central idea that can never be breached. Connie is not a gold digger. She has an easy excuse to see Grace. She needs to give her the news in person and return the ring. When she sees Grace in a sickly state, she can't bring herself to give her the bad news. Then she can spend her time caring for Grace. Bill can come home later and the rest is easy to write. With a few structural tweaks, this could be "While You Were Sleeping" 2 but it's not up to that level. Then it goes into black comedy area. It's kinda fun to go dark and that helps save the last act. This could be better.

MacLaine made it somewhat entertaining

[davispittman · 6/10 · 5 April 2017]

To be honest, Shirley McClaine is what made this movie at least somewhat entertaining at parts. Shirley McClaine shines in all of her scenes, as she always does in literally every movie she is involved in. The only real problem with this movie is that sometimes the writing can become dull and as a result, the scene and the comedic value in it suffers from it. Yes you have Shirley McClaine's wonderful witty humor and great acting abilities, but sometimes the writing can be underwhelming and then that just brings the whole scene down. Ricki Lake was pretty good in the lead role as Connie Doyle, I don't think that she's a bad actress and I don't think at all that she gave a poor performance here. Like I said, I think one of the movies main problems is the underwhelming writing that can come up sometimes, but I think another problem with Mrs. Winterbourne is Brendan Fraser. Now I don't mean to hate on Brendan Fraser, and I think he has given some good acting performances in other films, but to be honest, I just didn't think he was a good fit in this movie. I didn't like the way he came across in most scenes, and I just didn't like him as a character until the very end, and even then he seemed to me like he was stuck in some cheesy run-of-the-mill Hallmark movie, I just thought he gave a poor performance here. 6/10 overall for Mrs. Winterbourne seems fair.

Are you kidding me?

[freeliner116 · 1/10 · 26 April 2004]

I just finished watching this movie on TV and couldn't understand why anyone would bother releasing this film to theater other than to cash in on some reputable names of actors that obviously made poor decisions, furthermore why anyone would bother spending more than pocket lint to be subjected to such pathetic dribble.

For starters, if this character found herself in such a sit com like situation as she did, why didn't she just tell the truth instead of dragging things out until the inevitable, tedious and way too predictable end.

Brendan Fraser is a capable actor and what can I say about Shirley MacLaine. Ricki Lake although, with her best performance since "Hairspray", should now reserve herself for the kind of melodrama that only daytime television affords her.

After losing 2 hours of my life already to this travesty, I feel it is my duty to spare my fellow viewers from the same horror that I have just endured.

One of my favorite movies!

[leonorbassq · 10/10 · 18 July 2020]

This movie has a special place in my heart. I watched years ago, I don't know how old I was, but it became my favorite. After that I've watched about 5 times and I never get enough of it. This is the perfect movie for those who love romance and a sweet love story.

Ricki Lake taking on a Barbara Stanwyck role! Whoulda thought it?

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 22 April 2022]

While this is indeed an entertaining comedy melodrama, it was better as the very serious "No Man of Her Own", a 1950 drama starring Barbara Stanwyck, John Lund and Jane Cowl. As a typical 90's chick flick, it's entertaining, although a lot of it really it is difficult to believe. Pregnant and jilted by her sleazy boyfriend Loren Dean, Lake accidentally ends up on a train to Boston where somehow she ends up with Susan Haskell's wedding ring. The train crashes and she wakes up in the hospital with a baby and a new family, taken in by Haskell's in-laws who have never met her. Brendan Fraser appear as briefly as Haskell's husband, also killed in the train crash, and is his twin brother who is very suspicious of lake at first. Going against tight as a cranky old women she was playing around this time, Shirley MacLaine is delightfully sweet as the wealthy matron, a former Broadway chorus Girl who married well and welcomes her new daughter-in-law into her family. Only Lake isn't her daughter-in-law, and her constant screw-ups threaten to get her exposed especially when Dean shows back up into the picture.

This is a very likable film, but there are moments of awkwardness that are very forced. Paula Prentiss, wife of director Richard Benjamin, has a cameo as a very obnoxious Maternity Ward nurse, and she overstays her welcome with several not so funny scenes. On the other hand, Jane Krakowski is very funny as a nasty friend of the Winterborne family who is also suspicious of Lake and longs to see her sabotaged. It's also a very attractive production, with Lake struggling to keep up with McLane doing a rendition of "On the Sunny Side of the Street". The film has a very weak moment when it tries to replicate the film noir twist of the original. Still Lake is quite charming for the most part, Fraser always likeable and MacLaine playing a character I wouldn't mind as my mother-in-law.

Touching But Quite Flawed

[sddavis63 · 5/10 · 19 January 2010]

My first bit of confusion was over exactly where this movie wanted to go. I imagined it as a romantic comedy of sorts, and yet from the very beginning it was really quite heavy, dealing as it did with young Connie (Rikki Lake) being homeless, then meeting up with a sleazebag and then being tossed out by him when he gets her pregnant. I really wasn't feeling much fun at that point in the movie. Then mistaken identity turns into deliberate deceit on Connie's part (although I understand it wasn't malicious.) Once she gets taken in by the Winterbourne's after the train wreck that kills their son and his wife (whom the family has never met, and whom Connie is mistaken for) the only character who really made sense to me was Bill (Brendan Fraser), who seemed appropriately suspicious of her given the circumstances. True, he was ridiculously obnoxious, but his suspicion was bang on, except that he then, for no obvious reason that I saw, fell head over heels in love with her, letting go of all his suspicions and deciding to marry her! Where did that come from?

There are some moments of fun in this. Shirley MacLaine (as the matriarch of the Winterbourne clan) was probably the best part of the movie and provided much of the comedy, and the closing scenes (as everyone tries to protect Connie/Patricia) was quite touching, as was the point that the Winterbournes became the family she never had. There was a nice feel to that, especially because we know that Connie isn't out for the family's money, but just wants the sense of family for herself and even more for her son.

There was one huge inconsistency here that just made everything else implausible, though. Bill finally figures out what's going on because he sees "Patricia" sign "Connie Doyle" on a check, and investigates who Connie Doyle is. He gets back a report that Connie and her unborn baby were killed in the train wreck (it was, of course, the real Patricia and her unborn baby who were killed.) How would he get that report? Connie wasn't supposed to be on that train. She got swept into it by a huge crowd of people, she had no ticket, and since it wasn't really Connie there would be no way of identifying the body as Connie. How then would anyone come to the conclusion that the dead body was Connie when no one knew Connie was on that train - and, in fact, no one on that train even knew Connie?

This isn't an unenjoyable movie. It's quite touching, really - but it does have a lot of flaws! 5/10

I'm still smiling

[cougar-10 · 8/10 · 1 December 1998]

I just finished watching this movie and I enjoyed it very much. The plot is implausible but there are some excellent performances and memorable scenes.

Brendan Fraser is gorgeous (as always) and there were many entertaining moments where he shines in his dual roles as identical twin brothers. Shirley MacLaine is excellent as an incorrigible matriarch and Miguel Sandoval hilarious as the devoted butler.

Ricki Lake plays Connie, the title character, who is mistakenly identified as Mrs. Winterbourne after an accident. Being a homeless, unwed mother she allows herself to be taken in by the Winterbourne family but is a fish out of water and in constant fear of being unmasked. The family have their own fears and pains but Connie and the Winterbourne's manage to be positive influences on each other allowing healing, growth and romance.

Of course I've seen it all before but this movie is definitely worth a look if feel good comedy romances are your thing.

Nice

[gianmarcoronconi · 7/10 · 4 February 2024]

This is not a real review, it should be understood more as a collection of impressions on the film.

Very classic nineties comedy based on the very classic mechanics of misunderstandings with the very classic morality of love which triumphs in the end. Even though this film is obviously something very banal, it really entertains a lot thanks to various ridiculous or at least truly funny situations. So if someone likes romantic comedies whose sole purpose is to entertain without conveying much, this film is perfect because it entertains lightly without demanding much attention from the viewer. Nice.

Casting Problems

[ann-166 · 5/10 · 16 July 2005]

One thing I have come to realise about any film is the importance of casting. Mrs Winterbourne had great potential and could have been up there with films such as While You Were Sleeping (excellent cast). Shirley MacLaine does her best and is the star of the film but Brendan Fraser, who despite being handsome and watchable, over acts. Poor Ricki Lake is out of her depth here and brings the movie down to an "average" film. As well as the casting problems the story is a bit like a bad hair cut. There seems to be chunks missing. The ugly duckling turns into a swan with a haircut and outfit - and this turns the heart of a man? Wow look out, I am in for a new do and outfit too! I really wanted to like this film - shame.