I only recently heard about INCONCEIVABLE (2017). It’s in select theaters currently, but I streamed if off Amazon for $6.99. As the cast includes Nicolas Cage, Gina Gershon and Faye Dunaway, it was obvious that the acting would be topnotch and entertaining.
The hubby told me that most compared it to WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS (2016) which I enjoyed immensely. Honestly, there are many similarities, but it’s not a rip-off. In some ways, it has more in common with THE STEPFATHER (1987).
The film begins when unbalanced egg donor Katie (Nicky Whelan) tracks down the parents of the child. She dislikes the way in which the mother ignores the infant’s cries, while she bathes in a bathtub. Convinced, the girl was not in the right hands, Katie kidnaps the baby and raises the girl as her daughter.
After a few years, Katie also finds Angela (Gina Gerhson), another woman, who gave birth utilizing one of her eggs. Angela has had several miscarriages, the only successful birth coming from Katie’s egg. Having no idea that Katie was the egg donor, Angela welcomes her into her life.
Angela decides she wants another child, but not wanting to risk another miscarriage, she looks for a surrogate. At first, Angela asks the mutual friend that introduced her to Katie. When Katie finds out, she kills the woman and makes it appear to be a boating accident. She then quickly becomes closer to Angela, moves in as a nanny all in effort to gain access to both Angela’s daughter and to become the surrogate using her last egg.
The plan goes smoothly, until Angela plans to go back to work. That on top of finding out that Angela was a previous addict, is enough to make Katie decide that she must remove Angela from the picture altogether and take her place as mother to all three of the children that came from her eggs. She even begins to raise the daughter she stole from the original family and Angela’s daughter as sisters.
She plants drugs in Angela’s food and plays the victim whenever she’s accused of her misdeeds. She puts on an innocent and concerned face to Angela’s husband Brian (Nicolas Cage) secretly hoping that once Angela is out of the picture she can step in and be both wife and mother.
Brian’s mother Donna (Faye Dunaway) has an immediate dislike and distrust of Katie. Slowly it seems Donna warms up to her and even helps make a surprise nursery.
Things blow up as Donna and Brian become convinced that Angela is taking pills again. Angela shows up at a surprise baby shower completely messed up on pills that Katie gave her in a health drink that she drank without thinking.
The conclusion culminates in an insane knife fight that sends both women into the hospital. The last few moments throw some fun and crazy twists and turns in.
The film did have some problems. Apart from one scene, it didn’t really appear that Brian had any attraction for Katie. Angela showed jealousy and suspicion almost immediately, but there were really no scenes that made one think Brian and Katie had any connection. In fact, in the end when Katie begins to act as though she loves Brian, it comes out of left field.
Also, Donna’s switch was annoying. I loved Donna’s trepidation and immediate suspicion of Katie. It would’ve been so much better to see Donna and Angela team up to uncover the truth. Even if Donna ended up being a casualty upon Katie figuring out the women were colluding with one another to take her down, it would’ve been worth it.
I mean, you have Faye Dunaway in your movie – use FAYE DUNAWAY! She’s brilliant! I love her! Especially, when certain scenes go nowhere. At one point, Brian makes Angela give a urine sample and we then see both Katie and Brian turning it in, but the results never come back and it’s a moot point minutes later when we see Angela drugged out of her mind at the baby shower.
All of that said, I do love this type of movie and it is worth watching. Gershon really steals the show as a woman pushed to her limit desperate to prove to everyone that she’s not crazy, not on drugs and that the woman carrying her child is a sociopath.
Whelan is also fantastic as the nut-job who in her mind has the moral high-ground. The connection I saw to THE STEPFATHER (1987) was in her role. Much like Terry O’Quinn’s portrayal of Jerry Blake, Whelan portrayed Katie as someone who just wanted the perfect family. She expected the mothers of “her” children to be raised with the mother at home, off drugs and dedicating their life to motherhood. When she saw that the mothers were not living up to her expectations, she took action.
Another highlight of the film was Katie’s backstory. There were issues that arose during her original medical procedure which, at least encouraged, her insane behavior. I’m not saying she’s an angel or fully redeemable, but there are sympathetic aspects, which make for a more compelling movie.
Finally, there’s Nicolas Cage! I adore him and everything about him. I think some of our tax dollars should go to buying him whatever he wants. He has brought so much joy into my life since I was a little girl. I remember the first time I saw PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED (1986). I was 9 years old and completely mesmerized by him – and never stopped.
Hell, I watched two Cage movies today and it wasn’t intentional. The first was VALLEY GIRL (1983), which for some ungodly reason isn’t available on streaming. I had to order the DVD on Amazon and wait two days as my other copy is buried in one of the moving boxes within my garage. For those who have never seen VALLEY GIRL! Buy it! It’s pure 80s joy. Filmmakers often try to recreate the 1980s but they just can’t get it right. If you ever want to feel like you’re actually living back in the 80s, VALLEY GIRL, LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN (1985) (starring Helen Slater and Christian Slater) and TUFF TURF (1985) (starring James Spader and Robert Downey Jr.) are the must-watch underrated classics.
After my 1980s fun of VALLEY GIRL, I ordered INCONCEIVABLE (2017) without even thinking about the Cage connection. The movie just sounded awesome! Seriously though, that’s just the way Cage is. He’s been in so many fantastic films and it’s very easy to pick out a few to watch without even attempting to make a CAGEATHON. It happens organically.
Right now, I’m thinking about watching CON-AIR (1997) because it’s awesome! I mean the man deserves accolades just for being in an amazing horror remakes. How many remakes or re-imaginings are dreadful? A minimum of ninety percent of remakes absolutely suck; but what happens when Cage stars in one? Over a decade later people are still quoting, “Oh no, not the bees!” You can argue that THE WICKER MAN (2006) is a movie that is so-bad-it’s-good, but it’s still a fantastic fun film that you can watch over-and-over again. I adore the original, but I watch the remake more often.
Cage was great in this movie. I wish there was more scenes with him in it, but hey he could’ve been in 90 minutes and I still would’ve said he should’ve been in more scenes.
Overall, I suggest spending the $6.99 to watch this flick. It won’t change your life, but it won’t disappoint.
Scared Stiff Rating: 7/10
