Violet:You collect comic books? That's so cute. Kevin:It's not cute... it's very rugged and manly.
Kevin O'Donnell knows he owns a piece of history with The Amazing Spider-Man #129(vol. 1). This particular issue, which he purchased for a measly $1,000, features the first appearance of the Jackal, one of Spider-Man's deadliest foes of the 1970s and the instigator on the now-infamous "Clone Saga" of the 1990s, one of the most controversial Spider-Man stories in history. Oh yeah, some dude in a black named the Punisher also made his debut.
Leave it to Kevin Smith (who did an uncredited rewite of the script) to throw in a comic book reference. And what better way to show that a guy is interested in a girl by betting on her talents, and losing his prized possession in the process because of it.
Coyote Ugly is a film that shows the dreams of Violet Sanford, a girl from New Jersey, trying to make a name for herself as a songwriter. What better place to do it than in the busiest city in the world--New York City. The culture shock alone is one that would test anyone's intestinal fortitude on the other side of the George Washington Bridge, and Violet is tested very early on as she realizes that things are not as easy as it seems. After experiencing a robbery at her apartment, she needs money and fast in order to survive. Enter a trendy bar called Coyote Ugly.
However, this bar is far from normal as she must quickly learn to get with the act by singing, dancing, and performing crazy and rowdy acts for the bar patrons. The problem is that she is terribly shy and has a huge problem with stage fright. This obstacle becomes a greater problem as she needs to be able to showcase her talent at several open mic auditions in order to get her songs noticed by the music industry.
When I first saw the advertisement for Coyote Ugly, two things stuck in my mind: it's a movie about a bar with crazy, dancing bar waitresses and it featured Tyra Banks. I think that was the entire selling point of the movie. Who knew that there was actually somewhat of a plot devised for this movie? There's nothing bad about the story at all. It's just a formulaic movie about making it to the top and showcasing the struggles along the way. Sometimes, I wish all my problems would be solved within a 90-minute timeframe.
Piper Pearbo and Adam Garcia star as Violet Sanford and Kevin O'Donnell, respectively. Perabo is convincing as an optimistic and naïve young woman who has high hopes for herself, but is struggling to find a break into the music industry. She has great screen presence with an infectious smile, ala Julia Roberts. Too bad the movie wasn't as up to par in showcasing her talents. The film also features Maria Bello as Lil, Coyote Ugly's bar owner, John Goodman as Violet's father, and a very short, walk-on role for Tyra Banks. I love Bello's feistiness and Goodman's over protectiveness for his daughter.
But is there a film that doesn't deliver so many clichéd lines? It seems as if Coyote Ugly's story revolves around this final line of the movie: "What do you do when you realize all your dreams have come true?" If all her dreams came true, then where does she go from there?
I have mixed feelings about Coyote Ugly. Yes, I realize that this is supposed to be a predictable movie told with different situations and props. I guess more than anything, it's supposed to be a feel-good /inspirational film of sorts to remind all of us to never give up on our dreams. But I also hoped that there would have been a few different twists along the way. Maybe I'm over thinking the situation too much. After all, aren't films like these just supposed to scratch the surface and wrap things up nicely in the end with a bow? If so, that's where the movie succeeds. I have no problems with movies such as these. In fact, I sometimes like the brainless predictability. Still, there are times I would have loved a bit more sustenance in order to fulfill my appetite and I think this movie could have delivered on that. Or in this case, I think I needed to be liquored up in order to read between the lines and find the meaning of life.
Oh wait, the meaning of life revolves around The Amazing Spider-Man #129. Never mind.
Bar dancing and fire-breathing are all in a day s work atcoyote ugly, new york city s rowdiest bar. Perabo stars as thesuburbanite who makes good in t...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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