Confessing to Laura is a 1990 romantic comedy film directed by Paul Shapiro and starring Mary Stuart Masterson as Laura, a young woman who lives in a small California town. The film follows Laura as she struggles to come to terms with her own feelings and the expectations of her family, friends, and community in regard to her relationships. The movie received mixed reviews upon its release, with some viewing it as a charming and heartfelt story about young love, while others were less impressed with its formulaic plot and lack of originality. In this article, we will look at six things people didn’t like about Confessing to Laura.
1. The Lack of Chemistry Between the Lead Actors
One of the main criticisms leveled at Confessing to Laura was the lack of chemistry between the two lead actors, Mary Stuart Masterson and Michael O’Keefe. While Masterson was able to successfully portray Laura’s vulnerability and confusion as she navigates her relationships, O’Keefe’s character was often stiff and unconvincing. The lack of chemistry between the two actors made it difficult to believe in their relationship, and the romantic moments between them felt forced and awkward.
2. The Predictable Plot
Many viewers felt that the plot of Confessing to Laura was overly predictable and formulaic. Laura’s story follows a traditional romantic comedy structure, in which a young woman discovers her true feelings for a man and must then confront her family, her friends, and her community in order to be with him. While this structure can be effective in creating an emotional journey for the audience, it can also be seen as unoriginal and overly familiar.
3. Stereotypical Characters
Although Laura was portrayed as an interesting and complex character, some viewers felt that the other characters in the film were too one-dimensional and stereotypical. Laura’s friends and family members had very little depth and served mainly as plot devices rather than fully-developed characters. This lack of nuance in the other characters made them difficult to relate to and made the overall story less believable.
4. Lack of Conflict
Despite the fact that Laura was struggling to come to terms with her own feelings and the expectations of her family and community, the conflict in the film was often vague and underdeveloped. The film failed to effectively explore the issues of sexuality and gender roles that were central to the story, leaving many viewers feeling that the characters and their struggles were not properly represented.
5. Overly Cute Dialogue
The dialogue in Confessing to Laura was often overly cute and too sugary for some viewers. This was especially noticeable during the romantic scenes between Laura and her love interest, which felt too cheesy and contrived. Many viewers felt that the dialogue would have been more effective if it had been more natural and realistic.
6. Uninspiring Music
The music in Confessing to Laura was often uninspiring and forgettable. While some of the musical choices were appropriate for certain scenes, many of the songs felt like generic background music and failed to add any emotional depth to the film.
Overall, Confessing to Laura was a charming and heartfelt look at young love, but it failed to live up to its potential due to its lack of originality and its reliance on formulaic plot devices. The lack of chemistry between the lead actors, the overly cute dialogue, and the uninspiring music all detracted from the overall experience, leaving many viewers disappointed.
