I, on the other hand, like it

The Women has gotten some really brutal reviews. Yet I enjoyed it. Especially touching to me were Ryan's relationships with her best friend (Annete Benning) and her housekeeper (Cloris Leachman). Yes, Jada Pinkett's lesbian character seemed more like a plot device than a person. Yes, Ryan's transformation was a bit too neat. But you know what? It was fun all the same. The clothes were pretty (I loved Annette Benning's bag), and most of the performances were good. Hell, it was worth the price of admission just to watch Debra Messing's face while she was in labor. It was a fine enough way to escape a gloomy Saturday afternoon.

I'll be interested to see how The Women did at the box office. While the audience size was certainly respectable, I felt like one of the younger women there … and I'm 50. I wonder how big the middle-aged audience is.