Your enjoyment of “Monster-in-Law” will be in direct proportion to your ability to tolerate some language.
Charlotte, known as Charlie to her friends (Jennifer Lopez) is a free-spirited, genuinely kind girl who keeps herself busy with several different odd jobs, including walking dogs. She isn’t living her dreams, but she’s content with what she has and makes the most of every day, joyfully.
When she meets handsome doctor Kevin (Michael Vartan) he’s attracted to this sense of peace she exudes. It’s something he’s never known, growing up with the emotionally-charged Viola Fields (Jane Fonda) talk-show host, activist, woman on the go.
When Viola learns that she’s to be replaced on her show, she has a nervous breakdown and spends a couple of months in a hospital. Upon her release, she’s greeted by the news that her darling Kevin is going to get married. To a dogwalker!
She immediately puts into gear her plan to break the two of them up. She can’t imagine her son being happy with a woman who has so few prospects, but her plans all fall through when she discovers that their love is stronger than she is. Well, she’ll just bring it up a notch. Meanwhile, Charlie discovers what she’s up to and starts giving it back as good as she’s getting it. The plot goes back and forth in a tug-of-war of power until the end, when the two decide to call a truce and create a real family.
I liked this movie for the comedy it provided, yet I did think the language could have been toned down a bit. Ms. Fonda did have a little bit of a mouth on her, as did the actress playing her assistant, and there were a few hand gestures toward the beginning of the film as well. If language is a concern for you, you might want to pass this one by. However, if you’re willing to put up with a few things, I do think this film had enough good points to recommend it. There were no bed scenes in the whole thing—unless you count the one between Fonda and Lopez, which consisted of Fonda pretending to have a nightmare so Lopez will stay to comfort her, after which she spends the night pummeling Lopez to bits in her “sleep.” That was pretty funny.
So, you be the judge and decide whether or not to add this PG-13 rated film to your list.
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