Mermaids - The Movie

Mermaids is the name of a 1990 movie directed by Richard Benjamin and starring Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci. The movie is based on the book by Patty Dann.

The Plot
The Mermaids Millions Slot Machine is the most famous watery slot on the net, but these aquatic beauties have also inspired many films, most notably Mermaids. The film centres on a 15-year-old girl called Charlotte Flax who lives with her wonderful but weird mum, Rachel (Cher), and sister, Kate. Charlotte idolizes the nuns living in a convent as the family move to a new town, even though she is officially Jewish.

Charlotte takes a fancy to Joe, a strapping young caretaker of the convent and school bus driver while Rachel falls for a local shop owner named Lou. Charlotte kisses Joe in the belltower and subsequently begins fasting to cleanse her mucky thoughts. She soon believes she is pregnant, and, steals Rachel's car and runs off. She ends up at the house of a family in Connecticut, where she is later picked up by Lou and taken home. Later she goes to see an obstetrician who tells her she is still a virgin.
At a New Year's party Lou asks Rachel to move in but she refuses. She asks Joe for a lift home after which she kisses him. Charlotte spots this and suspects that her mother is trying to steal her lover. So she dresses up in Rachel's clothes and she and Kate drink a skin full of wine. She takes her to the convent to see Joe. Kate stays behind while Charlotte heads up to the belltower and one thing leads to another- she ends up losing her virginity to him.

Mermaids the Movie: Trailer

Meanwhile Kate falls into a river and almost drowns, but is rescued by the nuns from the convent. Rachel is furious at thegoings on  and she and Charlotte have a big bust up.

She decides to move house yet again to avoid the stares of the whole town which is talking about Charlotte and Joe. But Charlotte convinces her to stay put for another year.

Rachel stays in the town and her relationship with Lou moves through the gears. Joe heads away but keeps in contact by sending mountains of postcards, while Charlotte discovers Greek myths which become her new passion (hence the name of the movie: Mermaids).

Kate recovers from her near drowning with a slight loss of hearing, and the film draws to a close with the eccentric family setting the table for dinner (a novelty until Lou arrived on the scene).