DEVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Ellen Burstyn, Maggie Smith, James Garner and Ashley Judd
Director: Callie Khouri
Running Time: 116 mins
Certificate: 12A

Successful playwright Siddalee Walker (Bullock) gives a no holds barred interview to Time magazine about the main influence on her writing, her unhappy childhood. When her mother, Vivi Walker (Burstyn) reads the article she is devastated and cuts off all communication with her daughter. Wanting to put things right, Vivi's life long friends known as the Ya-Yas kidnap Sidda from New York and bring her home to find out the truth behind her upbringing.

If any women take their boyfriends or husbands to see this movie, the men in there lives will not be very happy as this is a prime of example of the "Chick-flick". Based on the best selling novel of the same name, the movie is another one of those past defining the future films with a long title like Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café or How to make an American Quilt but it offers nothing new.

While the performances of Ellen Burstyn and Ashley Judd as the old and young Vivi Walker are the highlight of the movie, the rest of the cast seem to be on autopilot, especially Sandra Bullock. It doesn't help that the supporting characters don't have very much to work with in the first place as Vivi is the key focus of the movie and this is what lets it down. These characters are not given any real soul or purpose. You never really find out why James Garner's Shep Walker stayed with Vivi for all those years, even though he was never loved or why the group of friends became the Ya-Yas in the first place.

The plot is depressing melodrama that is very predictable and too easily wrapped up very nicely. The ending is far too forgiving with Sidda's childhood traumas all neatly down to one reason from her mother's past but it conveniently forgets about the times before his event.

The Devine Secret of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood is a simple one that never really captures your interest, whether you are a man or a woman. Unimaginative, predictable and a tad depressing the movie is far too sugar coated by the end for even the sweetest of palettes.

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