Gloria

Sharon Stone plays the title character, a gun moll with a heart of gold who takes a 7-year-old boy under her wing when her mobster friends threaten to rub him out (after killing his entire family). This remake of John Cassavetes's l980 film should probably have been nipped in the bud; Stone is totally miscast in the title role. As for the other characters, they don't inspire much sympathy or even interest in the audience, not even the cute kid. Why do directors feel the need to do remakes of good movies? As problematic as Cassavetes's films tend to be, Sidney Lumet should have known better than to take this on. Sharon Stone fans may enjoy this film, but there are plenty of disappointing problems that tend to get in the way. --Jerry Renshaw