Not Even Worth The Free Library Borrowing To Watch
Written: Feb 02 '04
Product Rating:
Pros: A Somewhat decent cast, moments of Walken
Cons: Not Funny, Unlikable Characters, Predictable, low denominator humor
The Bottom Line: In a film devoid of any characters who are empathetic and a plot that seems like it was written by a third grade student, the viewer has nothing to enjoy.
When was the last time you watched a romantic comedy that actually surprised you? One where you couldn't call the ending in the first two minutes of the film and where the characters were actually interesting and likable? How about one that was actually funny and that stood up over multiple viewings? If you're looking for a movie that meets all of those criteria . . .
. . . keep looking, it's not "America's Sweethearts."
The premise of this dullard is that a famous movie couple has broken up. Gwen and Eddie were box office magic when they worked together and their last film is ready to be released, but it needs the two of them to work the press to sell it. So, their agents work tirelessly to arrange a press junket where it will appear that the two are still together. The problems? Eddie has had a complete, crippling nervous breakdown and Gwen is a hellish diva.
Right off the bat, the only moment of this film I enjoyed was Christopher Walken's character. When Hal plays the movie he filmed that the press junket is supposed to be for, I laughed. That was once in 102 minutes. That's not enough.
What went wrong? The script is horrible. It's not funny. It resorts to stupid jokes like a dog nuzzling into a man's crotch (and the man is Billy Crystal). It resorts to stupid fat jokes in reference to Kiki, Gwen's sister and agent, and it tops it all off with stupid attempts to make Eddie's mental state seem funny.
All of the meetings between Gwen and Eddie at the resort are obvious, contrived and insult the intelligence of the viewers. That Eddie can't see Kiki's obvious love for him is ridiculous and the way all of the characters behave is appalling and insipid. This movie reads like a tabloid, without the emotional resonance of celebrities one actually cares about.
Catherine Zeta-Jones portrays Gwen as a hellion without any redeeming qualities such that it makes it impossible to see why the nice guy Eddie, much less anyone, would be attracted to her. John Cusak never makes Eddie anything special. He plays the wounded man much like his other parts, like Jonathan in "Serendipity." Put Eddie and Jonathan in the same room and I couldn't tell them apart at this point.
"America's Sweethearts" continues the trend of leaving me baffled as to how Julia Roberts continues to keep getting work. Indeed, like Cusak, there is nothing distinctive that she does as Kiki to differentiate from some of her other roles.
In short, "America's Sweethearts" is a contrived piece that works under the idea that if you put two feuding, unlike people together in a situation where they have to be on their best behavior, hilarity will ensue. It does not. If you want a good romantic comedy that puts two different people together and actually works, try "When Harry Met Sally."
Two movie stars that are going through a rough breakup have to stomach their emotions to come together for a press junket for their latest, and possib...More at HotMovieSale.com
For Kiki (Julia Roberts), being the personal assistant to beautiful megastar Gwen (Catherine Zeta-Jones) isn t easy. In fact, it s nearly impossible s...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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