On Hewitt's Hemline

By Stephen M. Silverman

05/01/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

In "Heartbreakers," a new mother-daughter caper comedy starring Sigourney Weaver (as the mom) and Jennifer Love Hewitt (as her daughter), the victims are played Gene Hackman, Ray Liotta and Jason Lee. For Hewitt, playing a nasty role was a kick, she told PEOPLE. "I think every part I play ends up having a lot more of me than I ever intended. I think the great thing about actors is that we are people born with a thousand different personalities all in one body." Weaver, however, tried to skirt a certain issue on the set. Says Hewitt: "She always wanted me to make my dresses longer. She'd say, 'Please add more material. Put a coat on her.' She would have fits when I walked on set (and tell me), 'You look like a hussy.' " Explained Weaver: "She always looked absolutely gorgeous, but her dresses looked like they took normal dresses and cut them in half. She had some very short skirts. And in the scene where she had to fall, we cleared areas so she could fall with confidence."