THE WOMEN (2008) 3 stars out of 4. Starring Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Bette Midler, Candice Bergen, Carrie Fisher, Cloris Leachman and Debi Mazer. Based on the play by Clare Boothe Luce. Screenplay by Diane English. Directed by Diane English. Rated: PG-13. Running time: 114 minutes.

Moviegoers without any knowledge of cinematic history will view "The Women" as a knock-off or a film inspired by the popularity of "Sex and the City."

But it is "The Women" that is the grandmother of films and TV series such as "Sex in the City" or "Lipstick Jungle."

Clare Booth Luce's play, "The Women," premiered in 1936. It was a biting satire on the idleness of rich wives and divorcees.

Three years later, MGM turned it into an all-star feature starring queen-of-the-lot Norma Shearer, wannabe-queen Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Joan Fontaine and Paulette Goddard, among others.

The hook of the play and movie was the lack of men in the cast.

Fast forward to 2008. An updated version of the work comes to the screen starring Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing and Jada Pinkett Smith.

This contemporary version, written for the screen and directed by Diane English, is a rather faithful adaptation. Concessions have been made for the times: the women have careers and one is openly gay.


The basic plot is unaltered. Mary Haines (Ryan) finds that her husband is cheating on her with Crystal Allen (Mendes), the "spritzer girl" at the Saks cosmetic counter.

Mary gets advice and sympathy from her circle of friends, including magazine editor Sylvie Fowler (Bening), always pregnant Edie (Messing) and writer Alex (Pinkett Smith).

Of course, everyone learns a life lesson or two, friendships and relationships are splintered but repaired and the movie ends with all's right with the world.

What is most interesting is that English, creator of the classic TV series "Murphy Brown," adhered so closely to the original.

Updating a 70-plus-year-old work, she avoided the temptation of fiddling, of adding men to the cast or making any radical changes to contemporize Booth Luce's original.

The movie's main drawback is what always has been its handicap. It revolves around successful, professional, upper-class women who live in swank houses or apartments, think nothing of dropping hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, at Saks Fifth Avenue as if it were a rollback special at Wal-Mart.

It makes it difficult for the average working woman to identify with the characters. At least that is this man's perspective.

Putting that aside, though, "The Women" is witty and clever.

The dialogue is sharp, the acting strong, the characters interesting.

"The Women" is a grand old dame that shrugs off time as easily as signing a credit card receipt. It is the definitive "chick flick," one female moviegoers will enjoy %u2014 with or without their men.

Bob Bloom is the film critic and DVD reviewer at the Journal & Courier in Lafayette, Ind., and for the Gannett News Service. He can be reached by e-mail at bbloom@journalandcourier.com or at bloomjc@yahoo.com. Bloom's reviews also can be found at the Journal & Courier Web site: www.jconline.com
Other reviews by Bloom can be found at the Rottentomatoes Web site: www.rottentomatoes.com.