This is one of those films where it is best to suspend final judgment until the very end credits.

It is quite a long film and one is tempted during some of the dramatic lulls to think that up till then the parts were better than the whole. But, by the end, it is quite satisfying and its themes worth reflecting on.

The screenplay, based on a novel by Jennifer Weiner, was written by Susannah Grant who wrote Erin Brockovich and the forthcoming Charlotte’s Web. It is very much a women’s project. The focus is on three women and the emotional issues between them. It is surprising to find that the male director, Curtis Hanson, is better known for some tough thrillers like his best film, LA Confidential, as well as Bad Influence, The River Wild and The Hand that Rocks the Cradle.

This time the shoes are not kinky boots but a wardrobe full of stylish shoes collected by the plain and dowdy sister, Rose (Toni Colette). They are borrowed without permission (and broken) by the attractive and wilful sister, Maggie (Cameron Diaz). The first part of the film is the compare and contrast of the two women and the exasperation of the responsible sister who is sick of mopping up after the thoughtlessness and spoilt-brat behaviour of the other. While Rose can sometimes be annoying as she tries to cope and make good with some unexpected relationships, Maggie is completely frustrating. It is to the credit of both actresses that they are quite persuasive.

When Maggie disappears to Florida to sponge on her newly discovered grandmother, Rose is quietly distraught at having thrown her out and being unable to find her. However, love enters her life and it is wonderful. Maggie, on the other hand, does a deal with her grandmother and is transformed (rather quickly) by working in a home for the elderly, full of genial refugees from the colder northern states, especially the wise and wisecracking Mrs Lefkowitz (Francine Beers).

The reason the Florida sequences work so well is the presence of Shirley MacLaine. She gives a finely controlled performance as a strong woman with sensible convictions who wants to rectify the mistakes she has made in her past. Watching her, we realise that she could have a powerful influence on changing the fickle Maggie.

The film ends happily (which has brought down the wrath of some critics who deplore hope as sentimentality).

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