Partially a romantic comedy and partially a coming-of-age drama about Catholic teen angst, Mermaids centers upon Rachel Flax (Cher), a flighty single mother who suddenly relocates to a small Massachusetts town on a whim. Most of the dramatic tension comes from the conflict between Mrs. Flax and her daughter Charlotte (Winona Ryder), a neurotic teen who's embraced Catholicism at least partially to rebel against her mother's libertine inclinations. However, things are complicated further when Mrs. Flax is courted by warm-hearted shoe salesman Louis (Bob Hoskins) and Charlotte's raging hormones put her in the path of twentysomething bus driver Joe (Michael Schoeffling). Christina Ricci, making her screen debut, fleshes out the cast as the younger Flax daughter Kate.
Alternatively sweet and emotive, Mermaids pulls off the risky gambit of accurately recreating the awkwardness of teenage life without making audiences so uncomfortable that they have to stop watching. Mermaids wasn't profitable upon its release, but its soundtrack was a surprise hit and the endearing performances eventually won the movie an appreciative audience in the years ahead.
Ryan is joined by Sylvan and Cheryl for an in-depth deconstruction of this well-regarded sleeper. Discussion topics include religious identity, the inability of one to escape their roots, and how sexual politics have evolved since the movie's period setting.
