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'In Her Shoes': However you label it, still an engrossing film

To the male population, the horror movies coming out later this month have nothing on "In Her Shoes."

The film's misguided ad campaign practically shrieks the words that make most men cringe: "chick flick." Indeed, the audience I saw it with this week was at least 80 percent female. I almost felt like I'd wandered into the feminine hygiene aisle at the grocery by mistake.

20th Century Fox 'In Her Shoes' A The verdict: Presented so believably way that the characters, and the whole movie, feel lived in. Director: Curtis Hanson Starring: Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette, Shirley MacLaine, Mark Feuerstein, Brooke Smith Run time: 130 minutes Release date: Oct. 7, 2005 Rating: PG-13 for thematic material, language and some sexual content. See showtimes On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime [an error occurred while processing this directive]

As it turns out, the terrific "In Her Shoes" is not a real chick flick at all.

Chick flicks are frothy and/or weepy movies that usually have nothing to do with real life. That's part of their appeal. Some, like "Pretty Woman," are very good. Others, like "Legends of the Fall" (asleep) are very bad.

A better term for "In Her Shoes" would be what Hollywood called female-centered movies back in the day. "Shoes" is a "woman's picture" — one with people and situations that seem like they could really exist. It's the kind of movie that George Cukor, the director of classics like "The Philadelphia Story," might have made.

Based on Jennifer Weiner's novel, "In Her Shoes" centers around two sisters. Rose (Toni Collette) is the sensible, "plain" one riddled with insecurities. Maggie (Cameron Diaz) is the devil-may-care babe whose picture would be in the dictionary next to the word "irresponsible."

Rose constantly covers for Maggie's screw-ups, but the sisters eventually have a falling out, causing Maggie to flee to her grandmother (Shirley MacLaine) who has been estranged from the family ever since tragedy struck.

That "In Her Shoes" works so well is remarkable because Susannah Grant's screenplay actually obeys many of the conventions common to chick flicks. There's the cynical best buddy, the feisty old lady with all the funny lines, the long-lost relative with a dark secret, the jerk boyfriend, the too-good-to-be-true boyfriend, and so on.

That said, they're presented so believably way that they, and the whole movie, feel lived in. It's easy to identify with these folks. Even though the film runs a tad long, with one crisis too many at the end, it's never less than engrossing.

The cast is faultless. Diaz does some of her best work, using her good looks for her character and then transcending them to create a performance of real depth. Collette perfectly portrays the struggles of a woman who longs to make her outer beauty shine like her inner beauty. MacLaine once again is a consummate pro, hitting the highs and lows of her character with the greatest impact.

Guiding these women with a steady but strong hand is Curtis Hanson, a director of such diverse films as "L.A. Confidential," "Wonder Boys" and "The River Wild." More than most directors today, Hanson's work recalls the confident class of venerated filmmakers like Cukor or William Wyler or Vincente Minnelli, who hopped from genre to genre without missing a beat.

Women might have to drag men to this movie, but the men may well thank them for it. With "In Her Shoes," one size fits all.