Displaying items by tag: Frances Fisher

THE WRONG PARIS

US, 2025, 107 minutes, Colour.

Miranda Cosgrove, Pierson Fode, Frances Fisher.

Directed by Janeen Damian.

The Wrong Paris is an enjoyable title, a young woman expecting France but finishing up at a reality show in Paris, Texas.

This is a popular romantic comedy, variations on the expectations but it is heading in the romantic direction with some humour and clashes along the way.

It has been directed by Janeen Damian whose previous films, Falling for Christmas and Irish Wish were star vehicles for Lindsay Lohan.

Miranda Cosgrove, popular from Nickelodeon and streaming channels, plays Dawn, an artist, in need of money, helping her sick grandmother (Frances Fisher), her sister engineering her to enter into a reality show to win money for studies in France. But, it turns out it is in Paris, Texas.

At home, she had encountered a handsome cowboy – and then discovers that he is the object of the reality show. And so, her wanting to get out of the show, trapped by the need for the money, all kinds of goings-on amongst the contestants, falling in love, his visiting her house.

And, what else, her winning the show and the cowboy!

1. The title and expectations, Paris, France, Paris, Texas?
2. The popularity, especially on streaming networks, of romantic comedies? Expectations, romance, ups and downs, predictability – that enjoyment of the predictability?
3. The Texas settings, homes, towns, bars, the ranch, the competition? And some Paris, France?
4. Dawn, her art, hoping to study in France, scholarships, her sister, her grandmother and her health? The information about the competition, the entry fee? At the bar, the encounter with the cowboy? Attractive?
5. Going to the reality TV show, the title, the expectations, the young women, their hopes, their personalities, interactions? Dawn, the discovery that the destination was Paris, Texas? Her reaction?
6. The producer, the rules, the demands? Dawn and her manoeuvres to get out of the show? The need for the money?
7. Trey revealed as the cowboy, the object of the reality show? Dawn and her experience? The attraction, but wanting to get out? The squabbles amongst the contestants? Dawn and her manoeuvres?
8. The falling in love, as expected? Dawn and helping with the horses? The travel, and Trey, his visit to the family?
9. Dawn, to France, the end of the competition, her manoeuvres, the rules? But the happy ending?

THE ROOMMATE

US, 2011, 98 minutes, Colour.

Leighton Meester, Minka Kelly, Cam Gigandet, Aly Michalka, Frances Fisher, Billy Zane, Nina Dobrev.

Directed by Christian E. Christensen.

The Roommate is a thriller, released in 2011, panned by critics, but very popular with audiences – and still circulating on Netflix 14 years later.

The film has a college setting, the central character, Sara, Minka Kelly, coming from interstate, meeting a group of friends at a club, Tracy, lively and outgoing, and Stephen, playing in the band. Tracy opens Sara to outgoing nightlife and enjoyment. She has a romantic relationship with Stephen.

Sara is waiting for her roommate. This is Rebecca, Leighton Meester, seemingly retiring, somewhat alienated from her parents (including Frances Fisher as her mother). She forms an attachment to Sara, becoming more and more preoccupied, being with Sara, learning more about her family.

While Rebecca does take Sara to see her parents, she is somewhat hostile to them.

What follows then is an attack on the various people in Sara’s life. There is a violent attack on Tracy in a shower. Stephen continues to protect Sara, defends her, is standard by Rebecca and taken to hospital. There is an art professor, played by Billy Zane, who is very sympathetic but then revealed to be flirtatious with a range of students. Rebecca has an interview with him, feigns a sexual attack by him which gets him dismissed. Sara also has an art friend, Irene, and goes to stay with her for safety, but Rebecca attacks and ties up Irene.

And, needless to say, there is a confrontation at the end, Sara saved, Stephen surviving, Rebecca doomed.