Product: The Next Best Thing (2000)
Rating: 2.0
Disappointment from a great cast.
First, I'd like to say that I am a huge madonna fan. I own all of her CDs, many singles and many movies -- well, except this one.Synopsis: In 'The Next Best Thing', Madonna and Rupert Everett play two best friends who have a drunken one night stand, resulting nine months later in the birth of their son. The problem? The father is gay. For six years everything is peachy until Madonna's character, Abbie, meets and becomes engaged to Ben Cooper, played by Bejamin Bratt. Now instead of creating a new-aged 'two daddies and a mommy' kind of family, they go into a full-out custody battle over their son, Sam.The Problems: Despite great acting from great actors, the storyline goes from happy and feel-good to disappointing and quite frankly, depressing. Also, being gay myself, I was confused as to why Rupert and Madonna would have sex. This movie brings up the very sensitive subject of gay panenting. Instead of making a profound statement about modern families and gay parents, it avoids the issue altogether and leaves viewer asking "Isn't blood thicker than water?" 'The Next Best Thing' could have been a great movie and even a big step forward in the gay community, but fails without any effort.The only redeeming quality of this movie is the AMAZING sountrack. Madonna, as always, contibutes fabulous songs. In this case it's her great cover of "American Pie" and the tearjerking ballad "Time Stood Still". Every song on this soundtrack is comepletely beautiful. My personal favorites are 'Swayambhu' by Solar Twins, 'Boom Boom Ba' by Metisse and 'Bongo Bong' by Manu Chao. So my advice to you: go buy 'Swept Away', 'Evita', and 'The Next Best Thing' soundtrack -- but avoid this movie.