Mermaids (Film) - TV Tropes
WMG
Left to right: Charlotte, Rachel, Kate, Lou.
"Charlotte, I know you're planning a celibate life, but with half my chromosomes, I think that might be tough."
— Rachel Flax
Mermaids is a 1990 dramedy directed by Richard Benjamin and starring Cher , Bob Hoskins , Winona Ryder (who was nominated for a Golden Globe), and Christina Ricci (in her first film role). Interestingly, the movie was 110 minutes long and made $110 million, meaning that each minute of the film was worth one million dollars.
In the early 1960s, Rachel Flax (Cher) is what used to be called a "loose woman". She's also the mother of Charlotte (Ryder) and Kate (Ricci), who are forced to move from town to town to escape their mother's failed relationships. Defiantly sexy and nonmaternal, Mrs. Flax is a constant source of embarassment to the older Charlotte, who turns to prudish dress and behavior in reaction to her mother's reputation. Charlotte fantasizes about being a nun, and is thrilled when their move to Massachusetts puts them a stone's throw away from an actual convent. Yet proving to be even more thrilling is the handsome handyman Joe (Michael Schoeffling), who works for the nuns. Charlotte is terrified that her attraction to him means she'll turn out just like her mother.
Meanwhile, her mother is having some problems of her own. The town's genial shoe salesman, Lou Landsky (Hoskins), seems good for a few laughs. Unfortunately, he digs his heels in and wants a real relationship with Rachel, and doesn't go away no matter how badly she behaves.
This film provides examples of:
Auto Erotica : Early in the film, we see a shot of Mrs. Flax and her boss in a car that's rocking while audible moans can be heard. We then see that they were just passionately making out, and it's likely that had Mrs. Flax not stopped, sex would've occurred.
Can't Get Away with Nuthin' : Charlotte's first time having sex happens at the same time that Kate almost drowns.
Censor Suds : Seen in a bath scene with Mrs. Flax near the start of the film, with a clump of suds obscuring her breasts.