Monster-in-Law
Monster-in-Law is a 2005 romantic comedy film directed by Robert Luketic, written by Anya Kochoff and starring Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, Michael Vartan and Wanda Sykes. It marked a return to cinema for Fonda, being her first film in 15 years since Stanley & Iris in 1990. The film was negatively received by critics who praised Fonda's performance but panned the screenplay, and Lopez's performance. Monster-in-Law was a box office success, grossing $154 million on a $43 million budget. Plot Charlie Cantilini is a temp/dog walker/yoga instructor and aspiring fashion designer from Venice Beach, California, who meets doctor Kevin Fields. At first, she believes he is gay because of a lie his vindictive ex-girlfriend Fiona told her, but Kevin later asks her out and she feels she has finally found the right man. Things start to sour when Kevin introduces Charlie to his mother Viola, a former newscaster-turned-talk show host who was recently replaced by someone younger, leading to her having a meltdown and attacking a guest on-air. Loathing Charlie immediately, Viola becomes more distraught when Kevin proposes to her, fearing she will lose her son just as she lost her career. Determined to ruin Kevin and Charlie's relationship, she enlists the help of her loyal assistant Ruby as well as Fiona. At the engagement party, Fiona kisses Kevin as he is dressing in his room, deeply hurting Charlie who feels out of place in Kevin’s world, exactly as Viola and Fiona planned. Viola feigns an anxiety attack and moves in with Charlie while Kevin is away for a medical conference, hoping to drive her crazy with her antics. Charlie soon catches onto Viola's plan and retaliates by destroying her bedroom and tampering with her anti-psychotic medication (which Viola had replaced with vitamin C tablets). Charlie eventually confronts her, forcing her to move out. Finding no way to stop the wedding, Viola tricks Charlie into eating nuts during the rehearsal dinner, causing an extreme allergic reaction, resulting in Charlie's face swelling up. Luckily, it subsides by morning. On the day of the wedding, Viola turns up wearing an extravagant white dress instead of the peach-colored one Charlie had specially made for her. This leads to a violent standoff between them, with Viola refusing to accept Charlie and declaring she will never be good enough for Kevin. Suddenly, Viola's own dreadful mother-in-law, Kevin's grandmother Gertrude, arrives and they have an indignant argument. Gertrude holds Viola responsible for the death of her son, Kevin's father, many years earlier, claiming he died of "terminal disappointment". Gertrude's resentment of Viola bears a strong resemblance to Viola's animosity towards Charlie, who decides to back down as she feels the same thing will happen to them in 30 years. Charlie leaves to tell Kevin the wedding is off, but before she can, Ruby finally gets through to Viola. She resents being compared to Gertrude, but Ruby points out that Viola is actually far worse, as Gertrude never tried to poison her (referring to the rehearsal dinner