America's Sweethearts

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HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 2115 WIDTH="546"><div> <IMG SRC="e796f5a0.jpg" border=0 width="111" height="90" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">                  <IMG SRC="e7b7a5a0.jpg" border=0 width="122" height="90" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">                <IMG SRC="e7c7e5a0.jpg" border=0 width="126" height="90" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005M97M/reelmoviecriticc">Buy Soundtrack from Amazon.com</A>  </div> <div>  <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00003CY5G/reelmoviecriticc">Buy DVD from Amazon.com</A>  </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 ><NOBR><div> America's Sweethearts **1/2 Recommended (PG-13</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Reviewed By Pam Singleton</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="549" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="545"><div>  Grist for the tabloid mill</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="580" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Kiki: Julia Roberts </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Lee Phillips: Billy Crystal</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Gwen Harrison: Catherine Zeta-Jones</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Eddie Thomas: John Cusack</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> David Kingman: Stanley Tucci</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Hector: Hank Azaria</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Director: Joe Roth</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Hal Weidmann: Christopher Walken</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>30 Second Bottom Line</B>: Hollywood's golden couple splits; but they must come together again, for a press junket, to promote one last film.  One other problem<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Symbol" >-</FONT>the director will not release the film to the studio for preview. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Story Line:</B> Gwen Harrison and Eddie Thomas (Catherine Zeta-Jones and John Cusack) are "America's Sweethearts"<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Symbol" >-</FONT> on-camera. Off-screen they have been separated 18 months. Gwen is living with her Spanish lover Hector (Hank Azaria) and Eddie is "healing" at a center run by "wellness guide" Alan Arkin. </div> <bR> <div> One piece of unfinished business, aside from signing the final divorce papers, is the promotion of their last movie together. Gwen and Eddie had nine successful films prior to the breakup; so studio head David Kingman (Stanley Tucci) is desperate to have them appear together at the press junket to introduce the picture.</div> <bR> <div> Enter Billy Crystal as veteran press agent Lee Phillip (make that <I>former</I> press agent) who is about to be replaced by his young protégé Danny (Seth Green). Lee promoted all the other films and is a friend of Eddie and Gwen's. He makes a deal with Kingman to keep his job and Lee immediately calls for his secret weapon, Kiki (Julia Roberts); Gwen's personal assistant. Aside from meeting Gwen's sometime outlandish requests, Kiki also has the dubious distinction of being Gwen's sister.  </div> <bR> <div> Kiki and Lee join forces to bring these two megastars back together. Lee gets Eddie sprung from the "wellness center" and Kiki convinces Gwen that the photo ops and interviews with Eddie will be good publicity for the movie, and therefore good for her career, which has been waning a bit since the couple split. </div> <bR> <div> Lee makes the decision to hold the junket at a remote resort in the desert. The theory of nowhere to run, nowhere to hide is in operation here. Egotist director (is that redundant?) Hal Weidmann (Christopher Walken) is holding the film back from pre-screening at the studio. If Weidmann and the film don't show up, Lee wants to somewhat control the situation, and the 300 members of the press, sort of like a closed set. </div> <bR> <div> Once the ensemble is assembled at the desert oasis (actually a Hyatt</div> <div>  Regency that is currently under construction in Henderson, Nevada) some very interesting developments occur. It's clear that Kiki loves Eddie and he thinks of her as a terrific friend, the antithesis of her sister Gwen. Ever loyal to Gwen, Kiki has kept her feelings for Eddie under wraps. But now maybe 60 pounds isn't the only thing that Kiki will shed, as she searches for what <I>she </I>wants in life<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Symbol" >-</FONT>a new experience for Kiki.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Tell Me More About It</B>: Self-centered, wheedling and narcissistic are how you could describe beautiful superstar Gwen Harrison. On top of that she's just plain "not nice" to her sister, ordering Kiki about with no apparent concern for her feelings. Devoted, caring and finally determined is what makes Kiki tick. Self-preservation ruffles the passion Kiki feels about Eddie and she decides to take action. It takes Eddie a while to open his eyes and see who each of these women really is as well. </div> <bR> <div> The plot of this film holds promise, but ultimately it does not deliver. Oddly enough with Billy Crystal and Hank Azaria on board, the jokes and punch lines are pedestrian. There are a few good laughs, sometimes from unlikely sources.</div> <bR> <div> The wonderful ensemble cast is what recommends <I>America's Sweethearts</I>. There are moments when talent rises above the script. </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="591" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> PG-13 (language; some crude and sexual humor)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Pam Singleton © 2001</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> <A HREF="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com"><U><U>pam@reelmoviecritic.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> Mini Filmography </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="286"><div> Julia Roberts: <I><B>The Mexican;</B></I><I><B> </B></I><A HREF="id84.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Erin Brockovich"><U><I><B>Erin Brokovich</B></I></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><div> Billy Crystal: 72<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" >nd</FONT> Annual Academy Awards (TV-2000)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Catherine Zeta-Jones:<A HREF="id752.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Traffic"><U> </U></A><A HREF="id752.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Traffic"><U><I><B>Traffic</B></I></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><div> John Cusack: <A HREF="id253.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="High Fidelity"><U><I><B>High Fidelity</B></I></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Christopher Walken: <A HREF="id582.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Opportunists"><U><I><B>The Opportunists</B></I></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="286" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 38 ><NOBR><div> Stanley Tucci: <I>Conspiracy</I> (HBO)</div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Hank Azaria: <I>Tuesdays with Morrie</I> (TV)</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>  </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>