Henry Jaglom's Eating - A Very Serious Comedy About Women and Food
Long beforeSex and the City, Henry Jaglom (Déjà Vu) directed this chatty exposé on women and body image. Sure, there's some talk about men and relationships, but the film's upper-class California females spend most of their time discussing weight and dieting (with stops along the way for plastic surgery, bulimia, and abortion). The occasion is a multiple-birthday party for Kate (Mary Crosby), who is turning 30, Helene (Lisa Richards), who is turning 40, and Sadie (Marlena Giovi), who is turning 50. SubtitledA Very Serious Comedy about Women and Food,Eatingplays like a low-budget cross betweenThe Decline of the American EmpireandThe Anniversary Party. As with the rest of Jaglom's oeuvre, the tone is as self-conscious as Woody Allen, the approach as loose as John Cassavetes. If it doesn't quite hit those heights,Eatingprovides--if you'll pardon the pun--plenty of food for thought.--Kathleen C. Fennessy