America’s Sweethearts is a 2001 romantic comedy about a movie publicist who deals with the messy public split of his movie’s co-stars while keeping reporters at bay while a reclusive director holds the film’s print hostage.
Movies about Hollywood insiders often miss the mark simply because audiences can’t quite connect, and while there are many much better than Joe Roth‘s light-hearted romp America Sweethearts, there’s still something remarkably charming and watchable about this would be snoozer. It follows Lee Phillips (Billy Crystal), a showbiz PR wizard who is given the hardest job of his life, that of bringing recently broken up hot couple Gwen Harrison (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Eddie Thomas (John Cusack) back together to promote a film he can’t show, it being held hostage by the director (Christopher Walken). Meanwhile, Gwen’s sister Kiki (Julia Roberts), serving as her assistant gets involved in all the wrong angles and soon enough it becomes a disaster. Romantic chaos ensues with some fun with Crystal and the always reliable Roberts.
THE LAST WORD
Inspired by the Golden Age of cinema, there’s plenty of energy and good vibrations from the cast, with Crystal funny and Robert’s doing exactly what she does best.
The film lacks the payoff is seems ready to offer, leaving the final act a little disappointing, and Walken is not used nearly as well as he should be.