OK, it's sappy, it's hokey, it's cornball — and it's very silly in places. But somewhere along the way, "Bed of Roses" got to me. It's not great, but if you're in the mood for sentimental romance, you could do worse.
The setting is New York, and Mary Stuart Masterson is a successful, upscale businesswoman who carries on her shoulders the weight of a dark, troubling secret. One night, while she's crying at a lighted window, a stranger who is out for a stroll happens to glance up and see her, and he's touched.
The next day, Masterson receives flowers from an anonymous admirer, delivered by Christian Slater. It doesn't take long for her to discover that Slater is the stranger and that he's not just a flower-delivery boy — he's the owner of the flower shop. But he enjoys delivering flowers because the recipients are always so happy to see him.
As they become closer, Slater teaches workaholic Masterson to stop and smell the roses, if you will. But Masterson has deliberately kept her relationships with men at arm's length, and she's hesitant to get too close.
Everything comes to a head when Slater takes her home for Christmas to meet his family and Masterson is forced to confront her past.
Written and directed by Michael Goldenberg, a playwright making his first film, "Bed of Roses" doesn't attempt to be anything other than what it is, an old-fashioned soap-opera romance. There are no big comic set-pieces, though the film does have some humor, and the ultimate revelations are not earth-shattering or overly melodramatic . . . though they could have been.
Goldenberg takes a slice-of-life approach with a sweet-and-sentimental tone and lets the actors' considerable charm push the narrative along. (Note should be made of Pamela Segall's performance as Masterson' best friend; she's funny and likable, and with her husky voice and facial similarities, a wittier Demi Moore came to mind.)
The film does have its clunky elements, chief among them a string of "romantic" music videos and truly dumb running subplot about Slater attending the local library to hear stories read aloud to children. He even takes Masterson there for a date!
But setting those aspects aside, "Bed of Roses" is fairly satisfying.
The film is rated PG for a vulgar remark or two, as well as implied sexuality.