America's Sweethearts
America's Sweethearts
PG-13 | 17 July 2001 (USA)
America's Sweethearts Trailers

In the midst of a nasty public breakup of married movie stars, a studio publicist scrambles to put a cap on the escalating situation as the couple's latest film has found it's only print kidnapped by the director.

Reviews
Titreenp SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?
Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;
Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.
Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
HotToastyRag Films that depict what Hollywood is really like are incredibly popular with audiences because everyone longs to know how movie stars behave when the camera isn't on them. America's Sweethearts is one of the most hilarious, realistic, and all-around best movies in that genre.Catherine Zeta-Jones plays a character everyone secretly believes she is, but hopes she isn't: a beautiful, self-centered actress who isn't nearly as sweet as her public image. She plays the role so well, it'll be hard to see her as anyone else after you've seen the movie-she's continued to play the "bad girl" in every movie since. But, she's beautiful and has a tremendous presence, so even when you're hating her, you still love her.Catherine's unstable actor ex-husband is played by John Cusack, and he's so hilarious, you'll find yourself imitating his outbursts the next time you feel like losing it. Catherine's sister and assistant is Julia Roberts, and while Richard Dean's makeup transforms her very believably during a touching flashback, her role is the least likable in the movie. Her character is a little frustrated since she's taken a backseat to her prettier sister her whole life, and she isn't always good at her job. I've been an assistant, and you can't usually get away with having attitude or a chip on your shoulder. Still, she'll probably only start to get on your nerves after you've seen it fifty times-which I have-so if you stick to forty-nine viewings, you should be fine.Billy Crystal is a film publicist who's given the very difficult task of promoting the last movie "America's Sweethearts" made before their breakup. Obviously, in Hollywood, everything's about making money, so he has to make the press and public think that Catherine and John are getting along in order to generate positive buzz-his job, aka the main plot of the film, is fraught with hilarious obstacles. With a supporting cast of Stanley Tucci, Hank Azaria, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Seth Green, Rainn Wilson, and Larry King, the film will give you much more than a laugh a minute. Since the script was co-written by Peter Tolan and Billy Crystal, you can't help but wonder how much of the character quirks were inspired by real people. It's clever, funny, surprising, and captivating, with something to love-and phrases to quote-for everyone.
ashleycheely It is interesting to watch "the stars" get older, with all of their lumpy bumpy faces and the awful kitsch. Too painful to complete. And I like to watch Robert's upper lip get bigger and smaller and to watch the Botox come and go. Also interesting is the pink eye shadow on Roberts and the on-off with brow makeup on Zeta-Jones. And the wigs are off-set. There are true beauties…none in this film…ouch. I have to keep writing… I hope it was worth it, as there is nothing left to show for the effort? OMG just read about the blacklist…oh no! I would be so worried!!!! Wait! Let's stop and congratulate each other on job well done! I am so happy with myself, and do you know how BEAUTIFUL I AM?
vanToom Yet another movie where the script is unfortunately not able to carry the spectators interest for the whole period. Or, in other words, an idea is not enough and the result is disappointing. Having Americas hottest couple breaking up, putting the question "Will they get together again?" and enrich this plot with some characters that should appear quite overdone but in reality are likely to be even more strange is funny for the first 20 minutes. After that: "Blah, blah, blah" and you have to wait literally until another 50 minutes are gone before there's another gag worth mentioning. The end is screwed up with an idea of a film in the film that is even worse. Sorry, it just doesn't work. Unfortunately there are also not the actors best performances to see so why go and watch this film? Take my advice: Spend your time on some other activity.
RResende There is a common cliché in film commenting, usually by average viewers, the target audiences for films such as this, which goes like: it's good to watch because it allows me not to think and to forget the real world. Something like that. This is a bogus, of course. No one who thinks will stop thinking in front of some unchallenging piece of entertainment, like this film, and those who usually aren't accustomed to question things, won't do it, no matter what film you place in front of them. But i understand the meaning of the concept of "not thinking", and this film has a gold place in the (huge) warehouse of films designed not to be interesting, merely entertain. That's because if the makers of it didn't place interesting leads for us to follow, there's nothing to follow.Well, even in the worst swamps we have some flowers growing, so there are two things i point out here: One is John Cusack. The guy is good, and brings something fresh even to worn out roles like this one. He has a strange way to place himself in between the narrative in the film and us, audiences. Is neither a real life person (like us, as viewers) nor a film integrated character. Instead it seems like he a kind of David Attenborough of cinema, someone who is in the action scene, but comfortably protected by some bushes, while commenting on the dangerous lions meal. He is great.Taking this Cusack situation, i think we have the core of this film. We have 2 plus 2 characters swinging all the time between two distinct realities in the film: that of stardom, and that of the "real life" in the film. Absolutely everything, every joke, every romance bit, every discussion, every plot point swings around the idea that famous actors like Cusack and Zeta Jones' characters have two faces, two lives; one that shows to the whole world, shiny and brilliant, and the reality of boring, unhappy and unfit lives. In the end Zeta Jones sticks to the fake reality of fame, and that's why she stays with the Spanish equally fake character; and Cusack stays with Julia Roberts' character, someone who live in the shadow of stardom all her life, watching and living star environments all the way without ever becoming part of it. There's a public venue where all the assumptions (by the public in the film and the characters) take place. That's a golden rule of date films.So, the way i see it, we have this: the "real" life of Jones and Cusack's characters is to their star profile, in the film, as this film is to real interesting cinematic ideas. Dull, boring, empty, trying to look bright, shiny and appealing. But hey, this entertains, and even if you start thinking about it, you won't take much out of it, so i suppose it completes its purposes.My opinion: 1/5 http://www.7eyes.wordpress.com