Movie Matters: The Women

In a movie with more estrogen than my friend group, The Women, starring Meg Ryan, Annette Benning, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Eva Mendes, Bette Midler, Murphy Brown, and Princess Leia, is a jumble of emotions and designer footwear. With mindless quips like "Nobody hates Saks," The Women strikes a tired mantra of, "It's hard out here for a princess."

Four friends, a working mother fashion heiress wife of a hedge fund manager, Mary Haines (Meg Ryan); a high powered fashion magazine editor with a shopping addiction, Sylvia Fowler (Annette Benning); an earthy mother of many, Edie Cohen (Debra Messing); and an accomplished lesbian author, Alex Fisher (Jada Pinkett-Smith) lean on each other to face the challenges of motherhood, marriage, work, and friendship.

The only Y chromosome that actually appears on screen emerges from Edie's womb during the final frames of the film in a truly uterus-tugging moment. The movie is generally cute, but somehow misses the mark. If you like nice bags and sassy women you will like this film, but it’s an empty calorie snack.