Meanwhile, Charlotte has fallen in love with Joe (Michael Schoeffling), the young man working as a caretaker for the local Catholic Nuns. At first things are awkward between them, neither knowing how to proceed, but a national tragedy leads to a teary-eyed make-out session in a bell tower and, later, sex. As a film, Mermaids treads no new ground but that is not a detriment. What it lacks in originality it more than makes up for with a wonderfully realized cast of characters.
Cher is a delight to watch as the matriarch of the family, a lonely woman afraid of getting too close to any man lest she get hurt again like she did with her ex-husband. This fear has lead her to a life of promiscuity, not even knowing the name of the man who fathered her second child, Kate. Her response when things get complicated is to run away from it, keeping her life simple enough to be able to pack it all up in a handful of suitcases and vacate on short notice. We see both sides of the spectrum here. First we see her dealing with a cheating husband using her for sex. Later, with Lou, it’s a man who is devoted to her and her daughters. When the girls start spending time with Lou, Rachel throws up her defenses, pushing to shut him out of the girls’ lives lest they get too attached to a future break-up. To his credit, Lou is frustrated with all the gate-keeping but stays devoted to her.
Charlotte is a sheltered young woman, barely old enough to drive, and was never taught the birds and the bees. This leads to a hilarious moment when, convinced she’s pregnant because she kissed a man, she goes to a gynecologist only to get a wake up call over how things really work. She is ultra conservative, a stark contrast to her very liberal mother. She also is fascinated with Catholicism despite being raised Jewish. Winona Ryder made a career out of playing angsty outsiders and this is no exception. Just two years prior she played probably the most famous version of this character in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice. While these are not the exact same character they are very similar. What makes Charlotte stand out above her Beetlejuice character is a series of inner monologues that narrate her every emotion. These are often very funny and are relatable to anyone who has gone through their teens.
The youngest daughter, Kate, is played by newcomer Christina Ricci who was nine years old when filming Mermaids, although to watch her you would think she had been acting since infancy. There is an innocence to her performance here that many child actors don’t have. She was a natural in front of the camera and looks like she’s having a blast just being there. This is also one of the rare occasions when Ricci would be playing a cheerful child, dressed in bright colors. Just one year later she would be playing Wednesday Addams, launching a long career of darker, more serious, characters. The gothy vibes she would portray for much of her remaining childhood and into adulthood are not present here and it’s a sheer delight to see this side of her.
Rounding out the cast is Bob Hoskin’s Lou. Bob is a great actor and does a great job navigating his relationship with Rachel and the girls. He has a wide array of emotions to convey from completely infatuated to hurt and frustration. Unfortunately he’s saddled with a Boston accent that he is incapable of accurately portraying. He’s a British actor with a British accent and it seeps in occasionally, hampering some of the more dramatic moments. The film would have been better off just saying he was a British man who had immigrated rather than trying to fake the distinctive New England accent. Still, if you can get past that aural monstrosity, you can feel for this man who loves a woman who has latched onto him temporarily because that is what she always does. He can’t help but love her, knowing that getting that back is an uphill battle.
Mermaids is a coming-of-age drama in a crowded market of coming-of-age dramas. It would be understandable had it gotten forgotten over the years amidst all the other similar films. Yet it’s remembered fondly by those who grew up watching it. The relatable characters and the great acting, especially from Cher, who has never been this good before or since, raise this above the crowd to make it a delightful watch. As things roll into the final act there’s a real worry that Rachel will indeed pack things up again and make yet another move. This would push Charlotte away and could do irreparable harm to their relationship. Kate would weather it alright but, as she grows up, would eventually also resent all the moving. And Rachel would once again be alone, seeking men for short term engagements. Lou represents a healing of sorts for this family, a stability that has never been there in the past. In the end that’s what Mermaids is really about, healing. The film closes out with the three girls, dressed in cheerfully colored attire, dancing to If You Wanna Be Happy by Jimmy Soul, a not so subtle reminder that for the longest time that happiness has been absent.
Release Date: December 14, 1990
Running Time: 110 Minutes
Rated PG-13
Starring: Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder, Michael Schoeffling and Christina Ricci
Directed By: Richard Benjamin
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