I love this movie so much

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

I don't laugh out loud that often at films, but this film had me doing that several times. Yes, some of the situations were absolutely ridiculous like Marlo Thomas and Elliot Gould doing LSD.At the center of it all is Alicia Witt as Claire. Witt has to do a number of different kinds of things in this part and she manages to keep it all together pretty well. And I read that she even plays her own piano, some of which is material typically done by concert pianists. In those scenes, she does an entertaining job. But she also has to do silly, and a little crazy, and depressed, and love sick like a 13 year old. But she also does seriously dealing with the future of her life. I love Witt when she does strange faces, and she gets a couple of chances to do that here. One slight negative - this wiry redhead doesn't look or sound a bit Jewish, while most of the rest of the family is definitely so.Fierstein does a passable job as her mentor. But Thomas and Gould are totally one-dimensional and at times cliché as are the actors playing her sister and girlfriends, and for that matter her family.In craziness such as this movie, it is easy to look too closely and forget that sometimes even the cliché parents on LSD can get a laugh or two if you just let yourself enjoy it.

The movie itself is what it is. A tolerable, at times engaging chick-flick with good writing and a good balance of storylines.As someone who's played piano most of my life, I usually roll my eyes at Hollywood's depiction of performing pianists. Usually, the pianist sways one way when they should sway the other, they gesticulate extravagently for no reason reflected in the music, or they rotate their arms back and forth like they're churning butter when they're supposed to be playing the piano.Most of Alicia Witt's playing was believable, presumably because she was actually and in fact playing (she was classically trained and is credited as the performer in the film's credits).The only exception I noticed: the scene where she's playing the Chopin G minor Ballade while talking in a full, articulate voice to her piano instructor (Harvey Fierstein). Not impossible, but not typical either for a pianist to whip through a pretty demanding piece such as that Chopin and carry on a full-throated conversation at the same time. To me it looked like a Victor Borge routine for just a moment.Other then that, this film gets high marks from me for its believable piano playing. As for the rest, well, let's just say I wouldn't even be commenting on this film were it not for the goofy scene with the G Minor Ballade.

I used to run a video store and this movie rarely got rented. It came on cable this afternoon and I didn't have anything else to do. I found the beginning of the film slow and rather predictable, but, as it got further into the story, I actually found myself hanging on the story, curious as to what could POSSIBLY happen next. I now find myself wondering why it never got rented in the store, because this was REALLY a good movie. I keep guessing if it was a romantic movie trying to be funny or a comedy trying to be romantic. The blend of both is what I actually enjoyed most about the film.I have only seen one other movies with Alicia Witt, but I think I'm going to be looking for more of her. Elliott Gould and Marlo Thomas are a nice blend as her parents, too.

"Playing Mona Lisa" is about the crucial point in your life when you're not any longer sure which direction you're heading. After graduation from music college, Claire, a gifted pianist, slightly loses it when her long-time boyfriend leaves her, her house is damaged in an earthquake and she has to move in with her slightly neurotic parents.The movie, while having many refreshingly comic moments, is also quite serious in its theme, and deals remarkably well with Claire's attempts to get a new grip on her life. The plot-line is not too strong and is drifting along rather than developing; I don't see this as a problem, though, as it pretty much reflects both real life and Claire's lost sense of direction. Even in its darker moments, the movie retains an overall optimistic mood and never turns into a heavy problem movie; if you're looking for quick laughs or lots of action, however, this movie is not for you.Lots of good acting from a great cast of characters. Alicia Witt is thoroughly enjoyable as Claire and guides her character remarkably through good times, bad times and mood swings. Brooke Langton and Johnny Galecki play along nicely as her very likeable friends. Great performances (as usual) from Elliot Gould as Claire's father and Harvey Fierstein as her piano teacher.An overall quiet, but thoroughly enjoyable film which starts slowly and seriously grows on you after a while. 8/10.