Bed Of Roses Parent Guide

Sleepless In Seattle opened the gates of the romance movie era and the flood continues with Bed Of Roses. This time Christian Slater plays the man that every woman would love to meet. Quiet, mysterious, and able to find joy in life’s simple moments, Slater’s character, Lewis, is a clone of Tom Hank’s Baldwin in Sleepless. Meanwhile, Mary Stuart Masterson plays the hard shelled Lisa, an investment broker who comes from a past too tragic to believe.

After a long day, Lisa comes home to find her goldfish doing a permanent backstroke. Added to everything else that has gone wrong, Lisa begins to cry, but as she stands in her apartment window, she is unaware of Lewis on the sidewalk below. The next day a mysterious bouquet arrives at the office. Yes, she is bound to meet up with Lewis, and the predictable outcome is only an hour away.

Although I liked the movie, I was disappointed when Lisa dropped her on-and-off boyfriend, with whom (from what is implied) she does not have a sexual relationship with so that she can hop into bed with Lewis on the second day of their relationship. At first, Lewis seems to be good at arranging more than just flowers, but we are led to believe that his haste stems from a sad past that comes close to one-upping Lisa’s tale of woe.

Can two sad sacks make each other happy? Absolutely, but first they have to jump the usual romantic hurdles including the typical “will she come back” dilemma. At least we are spared the silly coincidental scene where they meet up again. In Bed Of Roses, Lisa comes to her senses, apologizes, and their budding romance finally comes into bloom.

Fortunately, they were smart enough to make this film short. Any longer, and it would run in circles. If you are looking for romance, it’s an average choice. However, you may want to make sure younger family members understand that sexual relations are not an obligatory element of a dating relationship.

About author

Rod Gustafson

Rod Gustafson has worked in various media industries since 1977. He founded Parent Previews in 1993, and today continues to write and broadcast the reviews in newspapers, on radio and (of course) on the Internet. His efforts also include writing and researching media in all its forms and observing how it effects society and culture. He and his wife Donna have four children.