Posted: 07/30/2001

America’s Sweethearts

(2001)

by Janet Branagan

A totally inappropriate vehicle for John Cusack.

What if Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were forced to reunite publicly one more time? How about Gwenyth Paltrow and Brad Pitt? This is the premise behind the new romantic comedy America’s Sweethearts starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, John Cusack, Billy Crystal and America’s current sweetheart, actress Julia Roberts.

America’s Sweethearts are the beloved Hollywood couple Eddie Thomas (Cusack) and Gwen Harrison (Jones). For years the duo created magic- both on screen and off and was paparazzi’s dream. When Gwen falls out of love with Eddie however, she moves on and shacks up with her new boy toy, Hector (the over the top Hank Azaria). Eddie can’t take the idea of losing Gwen and flips out in a fit of publicly displayed jealous rage.

Before their parting, the pair did make one final yet to be released picture- Time Over Time. Avant-garde film maker Hal Weidman (played by the always-a-treat actor Christopher Walken), therefore holds in his hands not only the final piece of work between Eddie and Gwen, but the key to rekindling both the stars as well as the studio’s box office success. Studio executive Dave Kingman (the quintessentially smarmy Stanley Tucci) has only one problem- he’s yet to see the finished picture. Weidman sends him the opening credits and promises in a big Hollywood no no to bring the final product to the press junket. In a panic, Kingman enlists recently fired publicity guru Lee Phillips (Billy Crystal) to help him out in a pinch. Lee might be on his way out, but even Kingman knows he has the make or break connections he needs.

So with much reluctance Lee contacts Kiki (Julia Roberts), Gwen’s Cinderella-like sister and convinces her to talk Gwen into going to the junket. On the other side of the world Lee finds Eddie, still taking an extended recovery from the less than amicable break up. Both Kiki and Lee lead their half of the former super couple kicking and screaming to the secluded premiere. The habitually dramatic Gwen complains and sighs her way through the whole experience, while Eddie just tries to keep himself together. Eddie also is not so secretly hoping Gwen will have had a change of heart and want him back. It isn’t until everyone arrives at the event that we realize the ugly duckling turned to swan Kiki has always had a sore spot for Eddie despite playing the constant second fiddle to her diva sister. And this is where the plot thickens.

America’s Sweethearts is a likable enough film that manages to glide by on a weak plot premise and even weaker character developments. This is due largely in part to its powerhouse cast mocking the business only they know best. Zeta-Jones does a good job playing the vapid leading lady Gwen Harrison and Billy Crystal is perfect as the lovable yet shrewd Lee Phillips. Christopher Walken as oddball filmmaker Hal Weidman was also well cast, doing what he does best- being odd. In fact, in the past five years or so the always eerie Walken has all but made a career on feeding into his eerie underlying qualities that nowadays creates a caricature of his own persona.

It was also good to see actor John Cusack show up again in leading man territory. The believability, however, of either pairing of Eddie and Gwen or Eddie and Kiki didn’t fare quite as well. This was partly due to the few and far between heartfelt moments shared. Sure, we saw a lot of Jones, Roberts and Cusack, but we didn’t see a lot of Jones AND Cusack or Roberts AND Cusack or at least enough to root for either one of the pairings. Instead, the movie spent a good chunk of time talking about what was and what could have been instead of actually showing us.

So although America’s Sweethearts is a simple and cute film, it is still far too simple to make a long lasting impression.

Janet Branagan is a freelance writer and pop culture addict from New Jersey.

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