Heaven help all the daughters who took their mothers to see this movie today.

They probably thought, as I did, that it was a comedy. One of those mother-daughter angst comedies, but still. Funny. Lighthearted.

Imagine my surprise when, out of complete left field, Lindsey Lohan’s character, at a barbecue, mentions to someone that her step-father sexually abused her. From then on, the plot revolves around the alleged abuse. She takes it back, but was she lying, or is she lying about lying?

Oh, what a tangled web we weave…

The film wasn’t bad – quite the opposite, actually. Felicity Huffman gives a great performance, Jane Fonda is Jane Fonda, and Lohan really surprised me.

(Aside from the fact that her character wears white the entire movie, and then in one revealing scene is suddenly draped all over in harlot red. Why not just put a flashing neon sign that reads “A plot twist is coming!” over her head?)

Cary Elwes does a really great job of playing the step-father. I didn’t recognize him until I saw his name on IMDB. He plays his part well enough that you really aren’t sure if he’s guilty or not.

Oh, and by the way, the film is set in Idaho, which was another surprise. I thought it was one of those crazy Southern women stories, but no. Georgia is the name of Jane Fonda’s character.

Basically, the film has great acting and while some of it is incredibly uncomfortable to watch – especially sitting next to your mother – it has a great plot, too.

Just don’t watch the trailer. It’s advertising a movie that doesn’t exist.