1996 Hit Romance Film, Which Saw a ’70s Legend Fired, Is Suddenly Climbing the Charts 30 Years Later

A nearly 30-year-old romance film is finding a new audience after being named one of the best movies currently streaming on Netflix. 

Us Weekly ranked The Mirror Has Two Faces at No. 21 on its list of the “44 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now,” helping push the 1996 romantic comedy-drama back into online conversations decades after its original release.

Directed by and starring Barbra Streisand, the film tells the story of Rose Morgan, a lonely Columbia University professor who enters a marriage built on companionship instead of physical attraction. Co-starring Jeff Bridges, the movie mixes romance, comedy and emotional drama while exploring love, self-image and insecurity.

The renewed attention has also brought back discussion about the film’s troubled production history, including the firing of legendary actor Dudley Moore during filming. 

Moore was removed from the project after struggling to remember his lines. It was later revealed that he had progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a brain disorder that eventually led to his death. Actor George Segal later replaced him in the film.

Released by Sony Pictures in November 1996, The Mirror Has Two Faces earned $82 million worldwide and became one of Streisand’s most talked-about directing projects. The movie also featured performances from Lauren Bacall, Pierce Brosnan, Mimi Rogers and Brenda Vaccaro.

The movie’s streaming comeback appears tied to renewed interest in classic romance films and star-led dramas from the 1990s. Us Weekly described the film as “a super-sized rom-com with super-sized emotions,” highlighting its emotional love story and memorable performances.

In the film, Rose believes she may never find lasting love until Gregory Larkin answers a personal ad seeking companionship without sex. Their unusual arrangement slowly changes as real feelings develop between them.

The story’s emotional turning point comes when Rose begins questioning her own self-worth after Gregory pulls away from intimacy. After reconnecting with her mother, Hannah, Rose undergoes a personal transformation that changes how she sees herself.

Roger Ebert praised the movie’s writing and emotional depth in his original review. He wrote, “It’s rare to find a film that deals intelligently with issues of sex and love.” He also called the film “a moving and challenging movie.”

Critics were divided when the film first opened. The movie currently holds a 51% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences gave it a much stronger 71% score.

Some reviewers criticized the film for focusing heavily on appearance and beauty standards. Variety called it “a vanity production of the first order,” while still praising Jeff Bridges’ performance and the film’s production quality.

While reactions to the movie itself were mixed, Lauren Bacall’s performance as Rose’s mother earned widespread praise. Her role won her a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also received her first-ever Academy Award nomination after more than 50 years in Hollywood.

One of the film’s most remembered scenes features Rose asking her mother what it felt like to be beautiful. Bacall’s quiet delivery became one of the emotional highlights of the movie.

The film also earned attention for its music. Streisand teamed with Bryan Adams for the Oscar-nominated song “I Finally Found Someone,” which became a hit in the late 1990s.Today, many viewers are rediscovering The Mirror Has Two Faces not just as a romance movie, but as a film about insecurity, aging and emotional connection.