This Is My Life (1992)

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Directed by Nora Ephron.

Starring Gaby Hoffmann, Julie Kavner, Samantha Mathis, Dan Aykroyd, Carrie Fisher.

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Based on the book by Meg Wolitzer, This Is My Life is the directorial debut for Nora Ephron, who adapted the script with sister, Delia Ephron. Dottie Engels (Julie Kavner) is a single mother with aspirations of becoming a standup comedian. When her Aunt Harriet dies, Dottie gets an apartment in Manhattan with her daughters, teenaged Erica (Samantha Mathis) and ten-year-old Opal (Gaby Hoffmann). Soon, Dottie's career is taking off and her agent, Claudia Curtis (Carrie Fisher), gets her on a comedy tour. Everything seems to work out well for Dottie, except that her daughters are left without a mother. Erica, who has just started dating Jordan (Danny Zorn) gets especially mad when she hears Dottie talking about her personal information on a talk show. The two girls are further upset with their mother's choice for a boyfriend, Arnold Moss (Dan Aykroyd). Eventually, Erica and Opal try to track down their real father, Norm (Louis di Banco), in upstate New York. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

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Review by All Movie Guide

All Movie Guide

is neutral about it.

Nora Ephron's debut feature, which she co-wrote with her sister Delia Ephron, is a warmhearted coming-of-age drama where comedy figures in the narrative yet does not make the movie that funny. Narrated mostly from estranged daughter Erica's (Samantha Mathis) point of view, This Is My Life follows a predictable path to tell the story of a single mother torn between her standup comedy career and watching her two daughters grow up. It's a noble character arc with the talented voice of Marge Simpson (Julie Kavner) in the role of the mother, Dottie. Unfortunately, the jokes just aren't that funny, and the stronger story line lies with dour Erica and her optimistic little sister, Opal (Gaby Hoffmann), who miss their mother and resent her career choice. Some funny character quirks do appear in the small roles of eccentric big-city agents played by Carrie Fisher and Dan Aykroyd, but such attempts fail in the neurotic bunch of baby-sitters who tell more stale jokes. This Is My Life does take a sitcom approach to the material, but the strong cast and the conflict between mother and daughter for protagonist make it a worthwhile exploration of show-biz families. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Tags: agent-representative , career , mother , singleparent , sister
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