The Underrated Julia Roberts Drama Getting A Second Chance On Netflix
When it comes to leading lady performances in the romantic-comedy genre, Julia Roberts reigns supreme. The prolific actress is best known for starring as Vivian Ward in "Pretty Woman," Julianne Potter in "My Best Friend's Wedding," Daisy Araújo in "Mystic Pizza," and Anna Scott in "Notting Hill."
Roberts is also known for her roles in dramatic films like "Steel Magnolias," "August: Osage County," and "Erin Brockovich," for which she won the Oscar for best actress. While to some, Roberts will always be a rom-com queen, she has shown her versatility over the years by tackling a swath of different genres.
Although it wasn't a huge hit with critics when it first premiered, for some fans of Roberts, there's one performance in particular that will reliably bring them to tears. This family drama from 1998 was recently added to Netflix, who announced the film's December 1 arrival on their platform by tweeting, "Since everyone loves a good cry at the holidays..."
Netflix fans are revisiting this Julia Roberts family drama
Any child of divorce in the early 2000s is likely to have watched the 1998 Julia Roberts drama "Stepmom." The film follows the complicated dynamics between Jackie Harrison (Susan Sarandon), her ex-husband, Luke Harrison (Ed Harris), and his younger girlfriend, Isabel Kelly (Julia Roberts), as they attempt to co-parent the Harrison's two children. The Harrison children struggle to accept the career-focused Isabel as their incoming stepmom after Luke proposes. Meanwhile, Jackie is secretly battling a cancer diagnosis that she only reveals once it's deemed terminal. With this devastating news, the blended family must confront their repressed emotions about the divorce and learn to accept one another's roles in their lives.
It looks like Netflix viewers are indeed in the mood for a good cry, as "Stepmom" is currently on the streamer's list of the Top 10 Movies in the U.S.
Though "Stepmom" received mixed reviews upon its release (it currently has a middling 46% critic's score on Rotten Tomatoes), the film was a financial success, raking in nearly $160 million at the worldwide box office, according to The Numbers. With its success on Netflix, it's clear that the film remains popular among fans of Roberts and Sarandon. You can currently revisit the melodramatic film yourself — just don't forget a box of tissues.