Losing Chase

Actor Kevin Bacon plays it a little too safe in his directorial debut, assembling a foolproof cast (including his wife, Kyra Sedgwick), undeniably picturesque Martha's Vineyard locations and a frustratingly unadventurous script. Helen Mirren stars as Chase Philips, an unhappy, middle-aged wife and mother who, after staging a spectacular nervous breakdown atop a storm-swept lighthouse, has sunk into a paralyzing depression. Husband Richard (Beau Bridges) hires the winsome Elizabeth (Sedgwick) to work as a mother's helper while Chase gets back on her feet, but all Chase wants to do is degrade her young hireling. A few sparks fly during these early scenes: Mirren hur...