Hush (1998)

In the tradition of Die! Die! My Darling comes this tale of a young heroine made miserable by a lover's eccentric relations. Gwyneth Paltrow plays a New Yorker who marries a handsome boyfriend (Jonathon Schaech) and--following a confidence-shattering encounter with Manhattan crime--moves to his family's thoroughbred ranch. There, the young man's dominating mother (a hammy, Blanche DuBois-like role for Jessica Lange) goes to war with new bride's claim on mama's Oedipal turf. A stock thriller ensues, and while one has a sense of déjà vu about the whole thing, the film is fun for its audacity, its underpinnings of dime-store psychology, and some gothic stereotypes. (Hal Holbrook is perfect as one's fantasy of a country doctor.) --Tom Keogh Amazon.com

hush

This movie was pretty good, but the end was quite predictable. Not the sort of ending you're looking for in a thriller. Jessica Lange was marvelous and scary. July 12, 2008

Hush and just love it for being campy!

Let me start off by saying that if you take this film too seriously, you will be put off by the many flaws. This will undoubtedly go down as a camp classic starring two great actresses of our time. But, if you accept it as a fun, entertaining B-movie where there are no rules (like getting up and walking around the next day after giving birth) you will enjoy it very much. There is some smart, witty dialogue here and what a riot it is watching Jessica Lange and Gwenyth Paltrow sharpen their claws on each other. "What do you think you are, some alley cat dropping her litter on the side of the road!?" LOL! Nina Foch is great in her supporting role and Jessica plays the mother-in-law from hell to the hilt as she smokes and drinks her way through the entire film trying to do away with poor Gwyneth Paltrow so she can have her son all to herself. Johnathon Schaech is just along for the ride because this film belongs to the women. If you love campy thrillers, this one should be at the top of your list! If you enjoyed this also check out Mommie Dearest, Hush...Hush Sweet Charlotte and Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice? May 13, 2008

A stunning beautiful movie

This movie has a beautiful storyline. Gwyneth is fabulous and looks great and her acting is stunning. Very attractive. Jessica lange is fabulous. I like when they meet for the first time and catches gwinnie in the nude. Cute butt! The actor who plays her husband is good too. This is a movie that people can watch from time to time about a loving couple and many exciting and entertaining surpises. Definitely an underrated movie. December 11, 2006

How can you be brainwashed by your own mother?

A rather melodramatic rewriting of a plot that could have been produced by Tennessee Williams. The black widow of a mother who only lives and marries to get a son and put her hands on a big agricultural - or so - estate will not hesitate to kill and then she brainwashes her own son into believing his father died in some kind of an accident. What happens when this son gets married and is expecting a child from his newly wed wife ? The attachment of the son to his mother is shown as perverse and leading to the rejection of the wife, of the mother of the baby to come. Then it melodramatically develops into a new criminal affair and the son finds then the courage, in the name of his wife and child, to break off and go. There is something incestuous and insane in this mother and the film sounds sad and unhappy, in spite of the positive ending. A son, a man, a human being in general cannot live as a human being if he or she rejects his or her parents utterly. This is hatred and hatred is nothing but the perversion of love and hatred makes love impossible. A man or woman who hates cannot love anyone properly and rejects herself or himself out of society. Hatred is psychotic and leads, sooner or later, to murder and death.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Paris Dauphine & University of Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne
October 16, 2006

TOTALLY RIDICULOUS CLIMAX!!

Do not read any further if you don't want to know the climax of this inferior thriller. Gwyneth Paltrow quickly recovering (after hours of intense natural childbirth labor!!!!!) to go to the garage and find the evidence that Jessica Lange killed her husband and having the strength to belt Lange in the process and looking downright none the worse for wear to boot was totally unbelievable and implausible. There is no way in real life that this could have occurred! It takes days for a woman who has undergone natural childbirth to get back on her feet, yet Paltrow is presented as though it was as easy as getting a good night's rest and getting up feeling refreshed, full of vim and vigor!! Total nonsense. The performances of the principals, mostly Lange and Paltrow make up for the implausibilities of the script. Nina Foch does a dandy turn as the granmother but the scene where Lange turns up the cold water in her steam bath is also unbelievable. In the next scene Foch is revealed to be fine and happy....no pneumonia, no after effects .....nothing!! This film was one big disappointment and I give it two stars for the acting because the story is pure fluff. All the actors deserve better here!! No wonder this film was a "hush" at the box-office....it came and went quickly and I can understand why. June 14, 2006

More reviews at Amazon.com ...