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America's Sweethearts Customer Reviews (16 - 18 of 44 Reviews)

Hit or miss comedy
This farcical lampoon of Hollywood publicity, paparazzi, and affectation has its funny moments, but overall comes up short. It is a story of two formerly married stars that made numerous successful films together, but have now separated. Gwen Harrison (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is a pouty and manipulative shrew who left her husband and co-star Eddie Thomas (John Cusack) to cavort with her Spanish lover Hector (Hank Azaria). They must come together to promote the last film they made together before the breakup. Lee Phillips (Billy Crystal) is the studio's representative assigned the task of promoting the film with the help of Kiki Harrison (Julia Roberts), Gwen's sister and agent. Together they must create the illusion that Eddie and Gwen are still America's Sweethearts.

The screenplay was written by Billy Crystal and Peter Tolan ("The Larry Sanders Show", "Analyze This", "Bedazzled"). One can almost tell which scenes are written by whom. Most of Billy Crystal's scenes are obviously written by him (probably improvisationally on the set) in his deadpan sarcastic and ironic style. These are generally the funniest scenes in the film. However, much of the film just drags on attempting to be funny, but clumsily laying egg after egg. The way Eddie is written, he is just a bit too pathetic and Gwen is simply abrasive. The "surprise" ending by eccentric director Hal Weidmann (Christopher Walken) is more bizarre than comical.

Director Joe Roth is better known as a producer than a director, and despite having a terrific cast, he can't deliver comic consistency. The best comedy is delivered by Billy Crystal, Julia Roberts and Hank Azaria, who steals every scene he is in with his hilarious Spaniard impersonation. Crystal and Roberts are both veterans of the romantic comedy and together they form a solid base for the film. Catherine Zeta-Jones is a terrific dramatic actress, but just doesn't have the comic timing for this project. She overdoes her character's whimpering obnoxiousness to the point where it isn't at all funny. John Cusack is always good at playing the hapless soul, but his character is such a loser that Cusack has difficulty breathing much life into him. Hank Azaria is fantastic as the lisping Latin lover. Every time it seemed that the film was losing its edge, Azaria pulled it from the fire with another hysterical scene. Christopher Walken is also excellent as the whacked out director of the Eddie and Gwen film.

Overall, this is a fair comedy with some very funny moments separated by long boring stretches. I rated it a 6/10.

Never a good sign when the trailer is better than the film
Wow, what a misfire. There are to key lines in this movie, one delivered by Julia Robert's character Kathleen "Kiki" Harrison to John Cusack's Eddie Thomas (I think one sign that a romantic comedy is in trouble is when she gets top billing and he is listed fourth), and the other by Billy Crystal's publicity guru Lee Phillips. Both lines on the printed page look great. Both lines as delivered in the film fall flat. To add insult to injury, after watching the movie I checked out the trailer and both lines score in the trailer (the benefit of much better editing than we get in the film). But "America's Sweethearts" is one of those films where not only is the trailer better than the film, the film within the film, directed by Hal Weidmann (Christopher Walken) is better than the film.

The titular couple in this film are the aforementioned Eddie Thomas and his apparently soon to be ex-wife Gwen Harrison, played by Catharine Zeta-Jones. The script by Billy Crystal and Peter Tolan plays off of several famous celebrity relationships, so that when we learn Gwen has left Eddie for her Spanish lover, Hector Gorgonzolas (played by the usually reliable Hank Anzaria in a performance over the top and out of place in the film), we are reminded of Melanie Griffith leaving Don Johnson for Antonio Banderas. When you become bored with this film you can certainly divert your mind by coming up with other guesses as to who the characters are "really" supposed to be. Anyhow, the plot is that Gwen and Eddie have been bombing in films ever since they broke up and the studio has sent Lee Phillips out to get them back together to save their latest film "Time Over Time," made with Zen crackpot director Weidmann (think Tom and Nicole slaving for Kubrick in London for over a year). Is Eddie over Gwen? Or will he notice that her sister Kiki has lost 60 pounds and turned into Julia Roberts?

What? You thought this was a SUSPENSE film?

I like John Cusak, but I keep thinking he is too young for either of the women in this film. Roberts successfully dims her wattage for the most point but her character never really clicks, beyond the fact she is played by Julia Roberts. But I am even more perplexed by the idea that this is a film written by Billy Crystal that is not particularly funny. Walken steals the film as soon as he shows up although Zeta-Jones surprisingly offers the best comic timing and performance in the film. In the end, you look at the cast, you look at who wrote the script, and then you watch the film and wonder what happened.

Crystal Comedy Sparkles
Billy Crystal writes, produces and stars in a "boy-loses-girl", "boy-gets-girl" tale with a twist or two along the way. Crystal plays Lee the publicist sent to placate the media with a "junket" and get separated "American Sweethearts" Gwen Harrison (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Eddie Thomas (John Cusack) back together again. Gwen is the self-centered movie star sister with a Spanish live-in lover with a lisp, Hector, played by Hank Azaria. Eddie is the soon to be ex-husband who has spent the last six months with his East Indian guru, Alan Arkin, getting over being betrayed. Julia Roberts as sweet sister Kiki is Gwen's personal assistant who also happens to be in love with her brother-in-law. Can you imagine a fat Julia Roberts? Flashbacks show us Kiki before she slimmed down. A great cast that also includes Christopher Walken in a pivotal bit part and a cameo appearance by Larry King. Great fun!!

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