Overacted?

I just saw this for the first time and was trying to pinpoint what was so bad about it. The acting definitely plays a role, and I think you have a point about the actresses each trying to draw all the attention, though this may result from their characters all striving for empowerment. Overacted for sure, these are actresses I usually respect but I found them all obnoxious.

I also feel like the movie couldn't decide whether it was more comedy or drama; a series of severe events dealing with real issues ties the plot together, but what would then be comedic releif so overly saturates the plot that it seems to fit more in line with comedy (which is what it is marketed as.)

The only character who could have been misconstrued as 'overacteed' would be Brenda (Bette Midler's character), but that was just the characters personality to overact at situations and be loud and overbearing. I thought the acting in this movie was topnotch.

"Meryl Streep Is Nominated For 2 Golden Globes! Keep 'Em Coming!"

I unfortunately have to agree. The best women's comedies (or dramas) (9 to 5, Steel Magnolias) were wonderful films that were much more subtle and focused. Diane Keaton was funny at times, but as much as I wanted to like the film, the acting was hammy and the plot very thin. Everything from the acting to the one-note message of the movie felt fake and overdone. The story was very poor; we get it, the middle-aged women are mistreated by their husbands and want revenge. But they didn't develop a sufficiently eventful plot to make this story a worthwhile film.

It seems like women's comedies are either really overdone and mediocre or really funny and smart. For example, I enjoyed Sex and the City as a follow-up to the series, but have no interest in seeing The Women remake because of the poor reviews.

This was average throughout. The highlight was the final song, which, like everything else, was kitschy fun at best. The Stepford Wives remake was wittier in some early scenes. 9 to 5 worked because it didn't overemphasize the desire for revenge to the extent that you hate the protagonists. This was no Desperate Housewives, even though the three main ladies would have had genuine chemistry given better material. Instead, they were just caricatures. And the cast was so large that having three caricatures at the center made it much less enjoyable than it could have been.

They're going for farce at the instruction of the Director. Blame him.