America's Sweethearts

Main Cast

  • Catherine Zeta-Jones is Gwen Harris
  • John Cusack is Eddie
  • Julia Roberts is Kiki (Gwen's Sister)
  • Billy Crystal is Lee Phillips

Director:  Joe Roth

Rating:  2 Stars. Only if you have nothing better to do.

Plot Summary: Gwen (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Eddie (John Cusack) are the American Sweethearts. The couple have made 8 successful Hollywood movies together and their 9th is about to be released.  But Gwen has left Eddie and run off with her Latin lover, Hector.  The studio management are worried that, because of the split, audiences will not be interested in seeing the movie and it will flop at the box office.  Expert publicist Lee Phillips (Billy Crystal) is given the job to hold a “Media Junket” to promote the movie.  His hardest job will be to get Gwen and Eddie to attend the Junket together…

Review: This comedy brings together a great cast but unfortunately a great cast doesn’t make a great film and this is especially true in the case of American Sweethearts.  There are plenty of laughs in the movie but in between these the movie is not engaging.  There is no basis to connect with the characters and I didn’t really care what happened to them in the end.  On the positive side the movie is original and the satricical swipes at Hollywood movie making are quite interesting.  It also takes a few swipes at self-important actors/actresses.

The humour is a little hit and miss.  At times the humour is sharp and witty but at other times it is bawdy and would have been more at home in a movie like American Pie or Porky’s.

Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Gwen the selfish, vain, actress.  Her narcissistic character is funny at times but is neither likeable nor dislikeable.

John Cusack is the emotional Eddie.  Since Gwen left him he has been falling apart at the seams and appears to be holding it together with the help of prescribed drugs and the hope that they will get back together.

Julia Roberts is Gwen’s sister and personal assistant Kiki.  She finds herself pampering and running after Gwen.  Her character seems to lack some element and it is hard to sympathise with her.  Like Gwen she is neither likeable not dislikeable.

Billy Cyrstal who is the only true comedienne in the cast plays the funniest character.  His character is Lee Phillips, the publicist, who must try and get Gwen and Eddie back together in order to make the movie a success.  He has no morals and will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.  The biggest laughs are usually when he is in the scene.

Overall a disappointing effort and only worth watching if you have nothing better to do.

Reviewed by Niall Quinn, PremierMovieReviews 2001

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