After a fifteen-year retirement, Jane Fonda came back to Hollywood and starred in Monster-in-Law, a comedy about an overbearing mother who tries to interfere with her son's impending marriage because she feels his fiancé isn't good enough for him. Or, if you look at it another way, a loving mother feels her handsome doctor son could do better than a flaky, part-time dog walker, and she tries to help him come to his senses before they're married.
Michael Vartan plays Jane's son, and Jennifer Lopez is the impending daughter-in-law. All three are perfectly cast in their roles: Michael is weak, easily swayed, but sincere; Jenny is sweet but strong; and Jane is impeccable, uptight, and a force to be reckoned with. While it might be a bit of a shock for audiences who last saw Jane as a romantic lead in Stanley & Iris in 1990, she doesn't take the role as the mother-in-law to say, "I'm an old lady now." She's beautiful, vibrant, and able to compete toe-to-toe with the icon JLo. Jane even films a scene in her negligee; it's clear to her audience that she's nowhere near old age.
As to the movie itself, it's very entertaining and funny. Wanda Sykes costars as Jane's assistant and friend, and while everything out her mouth is supposed to a sarcastic aside to make the audience laugh, nothing she says is very funny. Jane and Jenny are the funny ones, and it's so easy to root for both of them, you'll find yourself changing sides every time you watch it! Keep a lookout for Elaine Stritch, Adam Scott, Monet Mazur and Will Arnett in smaller but memorable parts. This is a great movie to watch with your girlfriends or your mom—or if you have a great relationship with her, your mother-in-law. Pop the corn and champagne and get ready to giggle the night away.
