Cast: Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal, Catherine Zeta-Jones, John Cusack, Hank Azaria, Stanley Tucci, Christopher Walken, Seth Green
Director: Joe Roth
Producers: Susan Arnold, Billy Crystal, Donna Roth
Screenplay: Billy Crystal & Peter Tolan
Cinematography: Phedon Papamichael
Music: James Newton Howard
U.S. Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Bruce Willis & Demi Moore. Meg Ryan & Dennis Quaid. Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman. These are only three of the highest profile Hollywood "supercouples" to have blown apart in recent years, their splits enflaming the interest of gossip-mongers everywhere. It was only a matter of time before a group of filmmakers decided to make a movie about "Divorce - Hollywood Style." The talented trio to tackle the subject are veteran producer-turned-director Joe Roth and screenwriters Billy Crystal & Peter Tolan - all three of whom have their satirical razors sharpened to a keen edge for this endeavor. The previews are selling America's Sweethearts as a romantic comedy, but, while that's an admitted element of the picture's broad-based appeal, the film does much more than merely chronicle a formulaic boy-meets-girl story.
America's Sweethearts is first and foremost a lampoon of today's Hollywood, and its targets are as diverse as the cast. No one emerges unscathed from this comedy - not high-powered, egotistical producers; not directors with an arty reputation; not self-absorbed actors; not film critics; and (especially) not publicists. Roth, Crystal, and Tolan show no mercy and take no prisoners, and the result is one of the most caustic and hilarious looks behind the scenes of movie-making since Bowfinger. (The film is a shade less ruthless than Robert Altman's The Player.) The film has been developed as an ensemble piece - an unusual undertaking considering the high wattages associated with the lead cast members. Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and John Cusack all share the spotlight equally. The supporting roster is comprised of A-list character actors: Stanley Tucci, Christopher Walken, Hank Azaria, and Alan Arkin.
Eddie Thomas (Cusack) and Gwen Harrison (Zeta-Jones) were America's most beloved husband-and-wife acting duo, with such titles on their combined resume as Autumn with Greg & Peg, Requiem for an Outfielder, and Sasha and the Optometrist. Of the nine films they made together, six grossed more than $100 million. Then, 18 months ago, their fairy-tale story came to an end when Gwen began an affair with Spanish heartthrob Hector (Azaria) and Eddie suffered a nervous breakdown. Now, after her solo film career has gone into a downward spiral steeper than the stairs in Vertigo and he has spent countless months in a "rest clinic", Eddie and Gwen are about to meet again to promote their final motion picture together: a science fiction spectacular called Time Over Time. Two publicists, studio flack, Lee (Crystal), and Gwen's sister, Kiki (Julia Roberts), have the unenviable task of attempting to convince all the journalists on the press junket that Eddie and Gwen might be headed for a reunion. But there are complications - not only do Eddie and Gwen have trouble being civil to one another, but Kiki's long-harbored crush on Eddie threatens to turn everything on its head.
America's Sweethearts is characterized by sharp dialogue, comedy that varies from tame to ribald (Billy Crystal's encounter with a friendly Doberman is priceless), and a romance that adds a little sugar to the otherwise salty circumstances. The movie is more about the shenanigans that go on during the course of a press junket than about any particular character or relationship. It's the way all of the stories spin out of control and entwine with each other that makes the movie so enjoyable. Sure, the ending is predictable, but 95% of the fun is getting there, and, whenever things start getting too soft, there's always a vicious one-liner just around the corner.
For John Cusack, this continues his tradition of appearing in offbeat motion pictures. As romances go, this is no more conventional than High Fidelity or Grosse Pointe Blank. Cusack is playing the kind of role that suits him best - a quirky but likable guy who's a little strung out. Meanwhile, Julia Roberts takes a profile-cut to play the wallflower who learns how to blossom (she even gets to wear a "fat suit" to add about 60 pounds). Catherine Zeta-Jones portrays Gwen as cold, calculating, oblivious, and beautiful. And Billy Crystal, who gave himself some of the best lines, is at his cynical best, making frequent observations about the duplicity of publicists. Of the supporting performers, the most consistently funny are Hank Azaria, whose inane, exaggerated accent alone is worth a giggle or two, and Stanley Tucci, who is frighteningly believable as a big-time producer. Even Larry King gets into the proceedings, portraying a "tough" version of himself (for once, he doesn't ask just powder-puff questions).
To date, America's Sweethearts represents the best non-animated fare that Hollywood has been able to serve up this summer. It is viewed as a form of "counter-programming", but the movie has a little of something (except flatulence) to satisfy just about everyone. It is well cast, smartly written, and effectively directed - three qualities that have not been true of a majority of 2001's mid-year "blockbusters". If promoted properly, even when placed in head-to-head competition with the dino-powered Jurassic Park III, Joe Roth's motion picture should have the potential to sweeten Columbia's coffers.
© 2001 James Berardinelli