Ah, the tango scene in Mrs. Winterbourne.  In a movie that’s basically comprised of nonsensical moments, the tango scene manages to stand out.

Without the tango scene, I may have never heard of Mrs. Winterbourne.  I bonded with one of my good friends from high school over our mutual crush on 90s-era Brendan Fraser.  I think we worked our way through his entire 1990-1999 filmography (actually, I just checked IMDb and we made it through a good two thirds).  I will admit without shame I started crushing on him with George of the Jungle (1997 – and can you blame me?!) and was more than happy to revisit and explore the movies that came out of Brendan’s hitherto sexiest era.  Brendan, if you read this, your abs were George-ous.

I apologize for nothing.

This is your cue as a reader to google “Brendan Fraser George of the Jungle”.  Had you forgotten?  I haven’t.

Anyway, thanks to the combination of Brendan’s bodacious bod and goofy style of humor, two high school girls got many movies to watch at sleepovers.  Years later, the same friend would suggest Mrs. Winterbourne as a movie in which Brendan Fraser is “totally hot”. Any you know, even with my complaints about the lack of chemistry between Ricki Lake and Brendan Fraser, the tango scene holds up in a weird, sexually charged way.  The actors are obviously not dancers (which makes sense for Ricki’s Connie), the tango is stilted, and the kissing is weird, but I definitely imagine myself in the arms of Fraser’s Bill every time.  Enjoy this Spanish language clip, imagine George of the Jungle’s abs under those pleated pants, and let yourself be swept away!

For more on March’s Movie of the Month, 1996’s Mrs. Winterbourne, check out our Swampchat discussion of the film, this peek into the film’s press kit, and last week’s look into its noir genre sister adaptation No Man of Her Own.

-Erin Kinchen