by Yazmin Ghonaim
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by Yazmin Ghonaim |
AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS
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Responding to the film studio boss' (Stanley Tucci) ultimatum: "If you can get Gwen and Eddie back together, you get your job back", press agent Lee Phillips (Billy Crystal) sets out on a seemingly impossible mission of reuniting the conceited mega-star Gwen Harris (Catherine Zeta-Jones: Traffic) with her angered husband and costar Eddie Thomas (John Cusack: High Fidelity). Doing so is crucial for the upcoming junket (an event where the press is invited to an advance film screening and to interview the cast), which the famous couple is expected to host as a way of promoting their latest film, "Time Over Time". With the aid of Kiki Harrison (Julia Roberts: The Mexican), Gwen's personal assistant and sister, Lee manages to lure the stars to the intended location. Soon, however, Lee proves to be an opportunist, ready to provoke and/or exploit a series of scandalous moments between Gwen and Eddie, and willing to do anything that might inflame the press' and the public's morbid curiosity --and, therefore-- ensure box-office success. Surprisingly, Kiki 's platonic love and heartfelt reconnection with Eddie motivates the actor to genuinely shock everyone and break all the rules of the game.
America's Sweethearts amuses
the viewer by demonstrating Eddie's schizophrenic
relationship with himself. The star must develop the ability
to embody an attractive, artificial personality as readily
and naturally as his real one. However, while Gwen and Eddie
are aware of the constant need to suppress their true
identities for the sake of public interest, the film also
focuses on Eddie's contempt toward the press --in
particular, gossip columnists and biased critics-- as well
as Gwen's ability to manipulate them. By depicting
all these characters (journalists and critics) as
biased and unconcerned with the true art of acting and
cinema, America's Sweethearts establishes its own
specific views. In addition, it is ironic that while the
film tries to demystify its celebrities by showing their
"true" identities, it simultaneously creates a myth for the
Julia Roberts character Kiki, and perpetuates Roberts'
superstar status. (Kiki is a former overweight, shy and
abused woman who gains self-confidence and physical beauty
and wins the love of the movie's male star.) Similarly, by
involving journalist Larry King in a series of fictionalized
scenarios (where King plays himself interviewing Gwen),
America's Sweethearts exploits King's star status and
uses his television "nonfictional" persona to create a
supposed nonfictional setting for the fictional character of
Gwen (whom the viewer may most probably see as Catherine
Zeta-Jones playing herself). In spite of the troubling
duality of its premise, America's Sweethearts tries
to establish a certain degree of independence from
Hollywood. This is first seen where it describes the
Hollywood movie industry as one being run by ruthless
businessmen who do not care for nor understand the art of
cinema in its purest form. Secondly, a generous dose of
humor is injected to its other claim for "independence"
through the character of director Hal (Christopher Walken),
the film's most humorous and disparate character, whose film
"Time Over Time" breaks away from conventionality, and
defines the independent filmmaker as one who uses the camera
as a recorder of truth.
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Outstanding Features: |
Costume & Makeup, some Acting |
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