75 Degrees

Bottom Line: There’s something--many things, in fact--very familiar about this unabashed chick flick. It fairly teems with repressed feelings, knowing glances, pregnant pauses and other elements of the genre. And, of course, as it takes place in the Southwest, the film simply must have a musical score that relies on the plaintive twanging of an acoustic guitar. Like many of this type, 2000’s 75 Degrees (shortened from its original title, 75 Degrees in Texas) doesn’t have a clearly defined story. What there is of the plot is driven entirely by the characters, whose lives are circumscribed by past events referred to in dialog. What makes this film appealing are the performances, especially those of Sillas and character actors Yulin and Shirley Knight, who play her parents. Count on this one to satisfy female renters more than male.