Monster-in-Law

Charlotte, who works as a temp, has grown used to disappointing dates and too many jobs. Then she meets Kevin, a surgeon who seems to have no faults at all, and soon they are engaged. The obstacle is his mother, Viola, a television presenter who has just lost her job and now fears losing her son as well. Determined to drive Charlotte away, Viola sets out to be the worst mother-in-law imaginable, and Charlotte eventually recognises the scheme and fights back.

Robert Luketic directed the film, his third feature after Legally Blonde and Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!, from a screenplay by Anya Kochoff. Jennifer Lopez plays Charlotte, Jane Fonda plays Viola, Michael Vartan plays Kevin, and Wanda Sykes and Adam Scott appear in supporting roles. It was produced by Chris Bender, Paula Weinstein and J.C. Spink, and it runs 101 minutes.

Made for about 43 million dollars, the film took roughly 154 million dollars worldwide, a strong return for a romantic comedy of its period. On IMDb it holds 5.6 out of 10 from around 69,000 votes, while on TMDB it has 6.2 out of 10 from about 1,800 votes. A critics' rating of 4.6 out of 10 from 167 reviews places it below both audience scores.