This smart, deceptively modest comedy about female beauty is full of genuine surprises and odd, improvised moments.
Made-Up (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:32
Fresh:13
Rotten:19
Average Rating:5.3/10
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: When Elizabeth gave up her acting career to become a wife and mother, it was a liberating choice. She let her hair go gray, stopped worrying about every extra pound, and laughed when her teenage... When Elizabeth gave up her acting career to become a wife and mother, it was a liberating choice. She let her hair go gray, stopped worrying about every extra pound, and laughed when her teenage daughter Sara nagged her about her appearance. But then Duncan, the husband she thought adored her, leaves her for a beautiful and much younger woman. At the same time, Sara becomes obsessed with appearance and threatens to drop out of school and become a beautician, a career choice that horrifies Elizabeth. Kate, Elizabeth's older sister, is searching for a subject for her documentary video class, and sees the perfect opportunity. She persuades Elizabeth to let Sara do an elaborate makeover on her. With a tape-on face-lift, eye-tucks, girdle, and wig, Elizabeth is transformed - at least fifteen years younger, very glamorous, with a new zest and self-confidence. Sara arranges a meeting at a restaurant between her mother and father to show off her creation, but the focus of Elizabeth's attention wanders to Max, the restaurant's owner. In an effort to spice up her video with a little romance, Kate sets up a date for Max and Elizabeth. Elizabeth, believing Max is only interested in her "made-up" self, transforms herself again for their date. Despite a host of glitches and a near disaster, Elizabeth likes Max, and she loves feeling sexy again. When a production company considers developing the video project into a romantic comedy, Kate's obsession soars. She is certain she has a seminal work on beauty and aging and believes she can turn her video documentary - and her sister's life - into a comedy. When company executives complain that her sister is boring, Kate goes overboard to make Elizabeth interesting. Does Kate go too far? Perhaps. But that's where the comedy begins. What starts as a mother-daughter documentary turns into a Sister Film about beauty and aging, passion and creativity, seeing and being seen - a coming of middle age comedy. -- © 2002 Sister Films [More]
Starring: Brooke Adams, Lynne Adams, Gary Sinise, Eva Amurri
Starring: Brooke Adams, Lynne Adams, Gary Sinise, Eva Amurri
Director: Tony Shalhoub
Director: Tony Shalhoub
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Reviews for Made-Up
A witty coming-of-middle-age comedy with hilarious performances by first-time director Tony Shalhoub and wife Brooke Adams.
It made me want to get made-up and go see this movie with my sisters. I thought the relationships were wonderful, the comedy was funny, and the love 'real'.
The filmmakers do a fine job of focusing on the difficulties of aging in a youth-obsessed culture.
Made-Up is a funny film that catches the different shades of beauty in the lives of a small cross-cut of women.
Shalhoub's direction is smart, the dialogue is tart and the Adams' family shares a palpable intimacy that translates directly onto the screen.
A comedy with lots going on and with considerable depth and complexity.
Mockumentaries aren’t hard to come by, of course, but none of them have ever turned back on themselves like this one does.
While it doesn't expose any new truths about the problems posed by reaching middle age, it reflects wisely on the truths that already exist.
Made-Up lampoons the moviemaking process itself, while shining a not particularly flattering spotlight on America's skin-deep notions of pulchritude.
Salvaged by one meta-read that carries some weight as Shalhoub, an Arab-American of Lebanese descent, directs a film about the ills of stereotyping based on appearance.
If Made-Up sounds all over the place, it is. And we don't suggest you follow.
The rest of the cast spend so much time trying to avoid tripping over each other and the electric wires strewn all over the carpets that the suspension of disbelief becomes an increasingly strenuous chore.
Droll... but too psychologically fuzzy to engender more than of-the-moment laughs, Made-Up ping-pongs from cultural satire to wan proclamations of 'sisterhood.'
While a harmless enough diversion, proves to be a relatively feeble--and rather precious--little comedy-drama about aging and parenthood.
The film wants to satirize both our fixation on appearances and reality filmmaking, but its strained humor and litany of cliches add little to either topic.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 90% 90% | District 9 |
| 86% 86% | 500 Days of Summer |
| 63% 63% | Extract |
| 06% 06% | All About Steve |
| 78% 78% | It Might Get Loud |
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