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Click above to purchase "America's Sweethearts" at
amazon.com
America's Sweethearts
review by Zach B.
Rated PG-13
Running Time: 103 minutes
Starring Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal, Catherine
Zeta-Jones, John Cusack, Hank Azaria, Stanley Tucci,
Christopher Walken, Seth Green
Written by Billy Crystal & Peter Tolan
Directed by Joe Roth
Studio: Columbia/Tristar
Retail Price: $27.95
Features: Deleted Scenes with Optional Director's
Introduction, Filmographies, Theatrical Trailers
Specs: 2.40:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.33:1 Full
Screen, English Dolby Digital 5.1, English Dolby Surround,
French Dolby Surround, English Closed Captions, English
Subtitles, French Subtitles, Scene Selections (28
Scenes)
Released: November 13th, 2001
Eddie Thomas and Gwen Harrison (John Cusack and Catherine
Zeta-Jones) were America's favorite on-screen and off-screen
couple. Doing multiple movies together and living the high
life, they did split up and sadly, things haven't been the
same since. Gwen found a Spanish guy named Hector (Hank
Azaria) to hook up with (not to mention her career bombing)
while Eddie has been a total wreck. While they have been
avoiding each other and the press has had field days with
them, the final movie they made together during their
marriage, "Time After Time", is set for release. However,
there is a problem. The film's eccentric director
(Christopher Walken) is holding the film hostage until the
press junket, that being the place where reporters are flown
in to interview the stars and get buttered up by the studio.
This does not please the studio head (Stanley Tucci), so he
hires recently fired publicist Lee (Billy Crystal) to
distract the press about not having the press, so Lee puts
together an incredible junket with the main attraction of
the fixed reconciliation of Eddie and Gwen. However, as
things get underway Eddie starts to fall for Gwen's
assistant and sister, Kiki (Julia Roberts). Guess what
happens?
I had high hopes for "America's Sweethearts", but in the
end, I'm sorry to say it did disappoint me. While it does a
lot of things right, it also has some key flaws. The
multitalented Billy Crystal co-produced, co-wrote and
co-stars in the film, and while I am a giant Crystal fan I
must say his script, written with friend Peter Tolan, did
disappoint me. Crystal usually writes with Lowel Ganz and
Babloo Mandel, who have a nice niche as writers in the
entertainment industry. Here, with Tolan, who co-wrote the
overrated "Analyze This" and was responsible for co-writing
such bombs as the "Bedazzled" remake and "What Planet Are
You From?", they create a script that lacks crucial
development. To make matters worse, the film isn't even that
funny either where I expected a lot of satire and a lot of
commentary on the entertainment industry. There is some of
that which I liked, but more would have really satisfied me.
The two try to create a screwball comedy that never really
lives up to what it could have, and I expected a lot of
funny stuff that would have suited Crystal and the other
performers nicely. There is some slapstick and one-liners
that I chuckled at, but screwball moments are pretty
ridiculous and nothing new. Again, more slaps at the
entertainment industry, stars in general (sorry, Zeta-Jones
being pampered and snotty gets old too fast) and actual
press junkets would have made this a real winner in the
comedy department. Also, the two creating a whole romantic
comedy in this film does not really work, sadly. The
relationships in this film lack key development. While I
guess Gwen and Eddie's is set up perfectly fine, the most
important one (at least I think) is the one between Eddie
and Kiki. Yes there are some mentions and a flashback or two
with them, but things are never really built up between them
and all of it happens way too fast. I feels like something
is missing, and as an audience we're supposed to make
assumptions and go along with it. Also, Kiki and Gwen's
relationship is also set up nicely, but the change in it
that appears later on in the film makes you wonder the
simple question "Why now?". I won't spoil it here, but I
felt the change also needed much more of a build-up. Not
that it's so sudden and it is pretty predictable, but there
could have been even more to their relationship and how Kiki
begins to come to terms with herself. Finally, the ending is
pretty funny and somewhat ironic that fits the film really
well, though for some reason I expected something different.
Not that I wasn't happy with this ending, I just thought
there could have been more with the characters facing
everything. More lines and even a little more sap and
reactions would have been good in the long run. Overall, I
was disappointed with the script considering Crystal was
behind it, as I think it's a really fabulous premise.
Despite the disappointing script, there's a good deal of
things to enjoy in "America's Sweethearts". The acting is
outstanding. Catherine Zeta-Jones as the prissy and spoiled
Gwen does a job well done, while John Cusack as Eddie plays
off of her and others well. He has a good charm and
sensibility for the character. Julia Roberts, taking more of
a unique role is really likable, enjoyable and vulnerable as
Kiki. As usual, her performance is natural, true and
outstanding. And she was originally offered the role of
Gwen. Seth Green in a bald look has a small but fun role
which I liked, while Hank Azaria (who I think is a wonderful
character actor and pulls off tremendous work on "The
Simpsons") steals the show as the Spaniard Hector. His
accent and body language is hilarious. Finally, Stanley
Tucci as the studio head is perfect for the part (I would
have liked to see more of him), and Crystal does his great,
fun acting style to Lee who's also perfect for his role. Oh
yeah... Christopher Walken. Creepy and eerie as always, he
shows up for a few scenes and is downright enjoyable. So, a
truly solid cast right here that no one should be
disappointed with. On a side note, there's a cameo by Byron
Allen. Who's Byron Allen? That's the point. I enjoy his
syndicated talk show, and he has a few lines in this movie
and even gets to plug his website. The sad thing is he'll
reach more person in a single theater watching this movie
then he ever has with his talk show.
Former studio head Joe Roth, who was a honcho at Disney
for a few years and developed "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Home
Alone" for Fox has gone back to directing and developing
films with this production company Revolution Studios. Roth
has not directed since 1990's "Coupe de Ville", but I have
to say he does a good job overall. He knows the material and
presents it nicely with a good pace. While the film is a bit
of a let down, I found it to go by really fast and I did get
wrapped up in it. Roth was a fine choice to direct this
movie, it feels like another romantic comedy but with its
own touches. So, it's standard but has some nice elements.
Again, it's fine for the film. I felt he used too many songs
through the film for transitions and scenes, which did get
annoying. Otherwise, a pretty solid directing job but I
wished he could have improved the scenes with the
relationships building up. On a different matter, I did
notice some shots in the TV spots and previews that were
changed or didn't make it into the final cut... I hate when
that happens.
A big deal about this movie is that Julia Roberts wears a
fat suit. It's really no big deal. It's only for two or
three flashback scenes that don't last that long. She
doesn't look fat either, she just looks a little chunky and
that's about it. Why this was even written in was beyond me.
To show an ugly duckling that didn't look that bad really in
the first place is now so beautiful? Well, fine but it lacks
establishment and no one hated that Kiki was fat in the
first place. On a different note, the light musical score
from James Newton Howard (great composer) sounds fantastic
and fits in within the style of the film.
"America's Sweethearts" really disappointed me, being the
Billy Crystal fan I was and how much there could have been
to this movie. While it does pack a few laughs and some
fantastic comedic acting, the script's few flaws become
major ones and I expected a lot more as far as humor goes.
More jabs at the industry and relationship developments
would have made this a nearly flawless romantic comedy, but
alas, it is not. Still, it is a pretty entertaining movie
that moves fast, and you do become wrapped up in it. You'll
really be surprised how fast it goes. While it's not a
terrible movie by any means, "America's Sweethearts" could
have been so much more. Very sweet? No. Sort of sweet? Yes.
Decent, at best.
Columbia/Tri-Star is pleasing the mainstream here, as the
DVD includes 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen and 1.33:1 full
frame transfers of the movie. Color saturation here is very
good, as fleshtones are right on target and look fairly
accurate most of the time. Hues are also pretty good.
However, things aren't perfect all of the time as far as
colors. Black levels are pretty good, but I found that
exterior shots with lots of color looked high in contrast
and a bit unnatural, with some oversaturation. Some interior
scenes struggle too. I noticed a lot of shimmering, noise
and edge enhancement throughout too. The transfer, on the
plus side, is pretty spotless. There are some blemishes here
and there, but nothing major. Grain is also there. Overall,
these are fine transfers, so take your pick. Though I'd go
with the widescreen, as always. You do lose quite a bit with
the full screen transfer.
There's a 5.1 Dolby Digital English mix, but it doesn't
really sound like one. Fidelity is surprisingly low on the
track and there aren't a lot of surrounds. During the
motorcycle crash scene, I expected to feel like the glass
shattering on me, but it felt like something rather small
and straight-forward. Sound is clear, but sometimes there is
a bit of distortion which can be rather annoying. There
really isn't much to the 5.1 track at all. James Newton
Howard's fine, light score sounds decent. There's also not
much bass extension. I felt the Dolby Surround tracks, in
English and French, sounded a bit worse. English closed
captions and English subtitles as well as French subtitles
are also included.
Not much. We have Theatrical Trailers for
"America's Sweethearts" (in anamorphic widescreen and Dolby
Digital 5.1), "My Best Friend's Wedding" (in anamorphic
widescreen and Dolby Surround) and finally, "The Mask Of
Zorro" (also in anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital
5.1). Inside the keep case there are some decent production
notes, while brief Filmographies round up the
standard stuff.
I suppose the big draw of all this are the five
Deleted Scenes with Optional Director Introductions.
If you turn on "Director's Commentary," (that's a mistake on
the menus there, there's no alternate audio track, just
video intros) director Joe Roth gives really nice videotaped
intros for the scenes in full frame. Then the scene plays in
non-anamorphic widescreen. However, if you choose not to
watch the introductions, the scenes are presented in 2.40:1
anamorphic widescreen. I guess there was a forgotten switch
over of sorts... in any case, the scenes are complete and
have Dolby Surround tracks in English, but I agree with
Roth's reasoning. Still, they can be a bit entertaining but
don't go so well with the film. They are shot. I was also
disappointed to see that two scenes cut from the film, that
I saw in commercials (Eddie and Kiki laughing in a car
together and a shot of Gwen and Kiki at a premiere) aren't
in here. Interesting...
"America's Sweethearts" is one of the summer of 2001's
bigger success stories, but the grand potential it had is
sadly lost throughout. This really could have been a fine
romantic comedy and a great showbiz satire, but in the end,
it feels so manufactured and predictable. Despite the great
talent behind it, nothing really sets it apart. It's nothing
great, but it's tolerable. The DVD has a good transfer, but
the extras and sound mix are weak. The price is a bit steep
too. Unless you loved it to death, "America's Sweethearts"
is only worth a rental.
 (3/5 - NOT included in
final score)
 (4/5)
 (2.5/5)
 (1/5)
(2.5/5, NOT an average)
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