The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Barbra Streisand

Writers:

André Cayatte (screenplay) and
Gérard Oury (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 November 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

There are two things a woman knows: what she's looking for and what she'll settle for.

Plot:

Rose and Gregory, both Columbia University professors meet when Rose's sister answers Gregory's "personals" ad...

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Makeover | Literature | Love | Math

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Barbra Streisand	...	Rose Morgan
Jeff Bridges	...	Gregory Larkin
Lauren Bacall	...	Hannah Morgan
George Segal	...	Henry Fine
Mimi Rogers	...	Claire
Pierce Brosnan	...	Alex
Brenda Vaccaro	...	Doris
Austin Pendleton	...	Barry
Elle Macpherson	...	Candice
Ali Marsh	...	Girl student #1
Leslie Stefanson	...	Sara Myers
Taina Elg	...	Female professor
Lucy Avery Brooks	...	Felicia
Amber Smith	...	Felicia on video
David Kinzie	...	Claire's masseur

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language, sensuality and some mature thematic material.

Runtime:

126 min | Poland:122 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby SR

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Sweden:Btl | Argentina:13 | Australia:M (video rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Germany:6 | Poland:15 (DVD rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

505 West End Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Barwood Films

Trivia:

Dudley Moore was originally cast in the role that went to George Segal.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When Greg arrives at "new" Rose's house.

Quotes:

Henry Fine: I don't date these girls becuase they're well-read. I gave one of them a copy of "Farewell to Arms". She thought it was a diet book.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Greek: Isn't It Bro-mantic? (#2.20)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

I Finally Found Someone

Your Own Private Math Party

The Mirror Has Two Faces is one of those old fashioned romance stories, in which Barbra Streisand and Jeff Bridges prove that love can be had in middle age and romance might even be better at that point.

Both Streisand and Bridges are a pair of Columbia University professors, she of English, him of Mathematics. They've come to opposite conclusions about life and love. Barbra wants some love in her life, but Bridges having been burned a little too often in relationships is swearing off sex.

I like what director Streisand did with Bridges's character. I can identify with the students in his class, you spell it B-O-R-I-N-G. There are some people who are turned on by math, I'm not one of them. I sat through too many teachers who could not pique my interest in the slightest and many who were like Bridges as Barbra describes him, having his own math party at the blackboard. No one ever made it relevant for me in my academic career.

Barbra didn't do too bad with the rest of the cast which includes her mother Lauren Bacall, her sister Mimi Rogers, her wolfish brother-in-law Pierce Brosnan, best friend Brenda Vaccaro, and Bridges best friend George Segal who is a cheerful middle aged hedonist and loving every minute of it.

Lauren Bacall got her one Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress and I thought sure she would cap her career with that Oscar. She lost to Juliette Binoche for The English Patient. But Bacall is absolutely stunning as the mother who Barbra convinces that her life isn't over either.

For the acclaim it got, The Mirror Has Two Faces should have gotten a lot more, including a Best Director nomination for Barbra Streisand. And this review is dedicated to all of us who had to sit through a boring professor having his own private math party at the blackboard.