Product: The Next Best Thing (2000)
Rating: 2.0
Interesting Premise, Disappointing Execution
The basic story line of a gay man and his best (female) friend raising a child and then what happens when the woman falls in love with another man was intriguing and certainly had my husband and I discussing the various sides after the movie was over. However, the thought-provoking premise is marred by Madonna's atrocious acting (what IS it with the phony pseudo-British accent she has developed over the past few years! ) poor editing, abrubt jumps in time and a choppy story. In addition, the character of Abby is so blah (and in the end, deceitful) that one wonders how the kind-hearted, loving character of Robert could consider this weak vessel to be his best friend! Stupid mistakes further get in the way of the movie (The little boy, Sam, is supposed to be six? The actor is definitely too old to play six! Further, the timing of the insipid "well how are we going to explain it all to Sam" was unrealistic. Surely these characters would have talked about how to handle that issue earlier...)In conclusion, it is always a shame when a clever storyline is marred by amateurish acting and writing.