mark.waltz Some films play the eccentricity card too much in their attempts to be "different", and from the moment you meet Shirley MacLaine's Grandma Millicent Mirabeau, you will find yourself torn between whether or not you like her or find her a total pain in the butt. This wacky woman is her attempt to be Auntie Mame, but she actually comes closer to Roz Russell's absurd mother in "Oh, Dad, Poor Dad...". Whether locking herself in a dressing room over the fact that a sale on a VCR ended (and asking her granddaughter for toilet paper!) or constantly berating her grieving widowed son for neglecting his three daughters, MacLaine takes every single eccentric character she's ever played and pulls an Emeril ("Takin' it up a notch!") to create the first on-screen granny that needs a "time out". Yes, this grandmother can certainly say she lives life to the fullest, using clichés like "Two tacos short of a combination plate" and "You live, and then you die" to express her independent view of life. She's got a flashy wardrobe, isn't afraid to express every element of her soul to the girls she is raising, yet somehow seems more over-medicated than just "feisty". And yet, in spite of that, you can't take your eyes off of her, as if MacLaine was being possessed by the spirits of Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead or any other eccentric actress that had passed before her.If MacLaine's character does anything, it is the fact that she exposes what the new generation gap has become. Today's youth (besides taking themselves and life too seriously) are afraid of living to the fullest, walking in their own paths and trying new things in fear of rejection of a technology obsessed society. It shows that the rules have switched to where the young are seeming older than their youthful ages, while the older folks are simply marching to their own drumbeat as if their evian bottles contained champagne rather than water. Take MacLaine's three granddaughters, all named after states (with the exception of the state of confusion), all neurotic beyond reasonable belief. Oldest granddaughter Julia Stiles lives with a man that seems perfect for her, yet they are only friends, and he is unapologetically heterosexual. (Apparently cool enough to grab two "Cleaning Queens of West Hollywood" to take care of an after Christmas dinner mess). Middle granddaughter Azura Skye is pregnant but in denial of who the father is, while youngest Mika Boorem is obsessed with the lottery and dresses up provocatively to try to appear over 18 in order to buy a ticket. Needy messes all, they defy likability in spite of loving their grandmother and just cause head-scratching when trying to find one quality to even care about these character's lives.Ultimately, there seems to be little point here other than showing the comedy of the absurd that reveals little warmth about identifying with a new generation in the "Me!" era. Alessandro Nivola is charming as Stiles' roommate, and Edward Atterton has no real purpose in being there as the British date whom Stiles considers like an Italian suit she has no place to wear it to. Then, Jennifer Coolidge, as MacLaine's much younger Madame sister, comes in, serving no purpose other than to add more unappealing eccentricity into the convoluted mix. Randy Quaid is poorly treated as the troubled son/father who gets bashed every time he shows up. No wonder he only comes around to drop off his newest offspring. So in retrospect, this is a depressing view of family with comic and tragic elements, on the other side of the railroad tracks where they obviously rode in on the Bi-Polar Express.

irish23 This picture is billed as a romantic comedy but it's really more about family and how that can affect romances. While this is definitely a fluff piece, Shirley MacLaine's character and acting knock it out of the ballpark.Julia Stiles, by contrast, is wooden and unsympathetic in her role as the female romantic lead. I kept wanting to see her in some 1970's BBC drama where emotionless, physically dull acting was more the rage.Azura Skye does a nice turn in the predictable role of "the trashy sister" who gets pregnant after a one-night stand. Randy Quaid and the rest of the cast practically disappear except to act as foils to MacLaine's outrageous "tough love/live life my own way" Grandma.This is not great art or even great romantic comedy. You won't need to see it more than once. Watch it for MacLaine's performance and be ready to fluff your way through the rest!

frostedpinkcupcake *Possible spoilers*I don't know what movie the original comment was watching, but I laughed all through this movie. Some movies are not for thinking, they're for watching, and having fun! This is one of those movies... I enjoyed the family interaction ( didn't seem canned, or phony), and the comedy throughout the film was capturing. I found myself waiting for the next shoe to drop. The best thing about this movie is that it actually held an ideal of family values that most movies these days seem to eager to forget about. Amazing, Hollywood really CAN make a movie without much swearing and sex, that is great fun to watch, and also pass on a little life lesson in the process. I'd like to preface any comments with the fact that I liked this movie. It was a good watch, and I really enjoyed it. I was never much of a Julia Stiles fan, but after watching this one it's impossible not to love that girl :o)I can't stand the people on the international movie database that write these over-analytical, Hollywood b******t analyses; so I'll keep this one simple and to the point: Solid romantic plot, fun dialog, and interesting characters.I also had fun recognizing some of the people in this film who play lesser roles, who are more notable from other movies/television shows (i.e. Penny from Blue Crush, Samara from The Ring, Sarah from Save the Last Dance, Stifler's mom from American Pie, just to name a few). I don't want to brand any of these actors with these roles; it's just that I'd find myself watching and go: I know that person!I just finished seeing Carolina for the first time and my first impressions for this movie are good. I liked this movie for it's simplicity and well written monologues which entangle you in it's story line enough to take you through the entire movie. It's young cast is good enough to portray a somewhat lost teenager in what would be best described as "small town U.S.A." All except for the sometimes over played, but not this time, feisty adventurous girl, portrayed by Julia Stiles. I did though have a problem with the way the movie develops as it seems to leave as hanging awaiting for a "and they lived happily ever after" tag line but then again I guess that was implied in the movie itself. I'd definitely recommend it. I just finished watching it and I can't wait to see it again.This movie was, not to sound cliche, but a breath of fresh air. It was packed with good-natured humor and real family values. It proved to put family before other things. This film had really no foul language or anything that made me shift in my seat while I wished my brother hadn't heard that. No, this film was a comfortable, funny, and all around good movie for everyone. The ending could have been taken up a notch, but you can't expect perfection. When we don't have to pay more than the price of a movie ticket to experience a wildly eccentric family, then it's tons of fun. So, first off, yes, I have to admit that the mere fact that the movie centers around an eccentric, crazy, weird family makes it enjoyable from the start. I was almost instanteously engaged until over halfway through the movie trying to keep track, and with such a talented and diverse ensemble, I enjoyed watching all of the development, especially the Grandma (Shirley MacLaine), the woman who kind of tied the whole story together. They even found room for overrated stars as one-note characters among the others. I also think that underneath all the comedy there was a lot of moral value within the conflicts between and Carolina (Julia Stiles) and her family and all those people trying to tear it apart.Well, that's all I got here...give it a watch :o)

bug2 Carolina is a warm and tender movie that will make you chuckle and at times laugh out loud. The Performances by Julia Stiles and Shirley MacLaine are wonderful as is their chemistry together. Unfortunately I was only able to see this on DVD and not the big screen where I would have enjoyed it so much.How do I know this was an entertaining movie well worth recommending to others, because when it was over I had laughed, shed a tear and it left me with a smile on my face. See this if you can.