Reel critics

Teri Simonis, Derek and Sean Ruhland

We went to review “America’s Sweethearts” directed by Joe Roth with

different expectations. I had great expectations of a movie written by

Billy Crystal and Peter Tolan, starring sweethearts Julia Roberts, John

Cusak, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Derek and Sean contemptuously expected

to see a “chick flick.” None of us got what we expected.

Sean and Derek were pleasantly surprised. Sean thought, “people

probably expect the movie to be more for women than for men but

‘America’s Sweethearts’ was pretty good. All the actors played their

roles well, especially Catherine Zeta-Jones. She played the role of a

spoiled diva and unless she is really like that, she played it very

well!”

Derek was even more enthusiastic in his praise, “‘America’s

Sweethearts’ was a laugh-out-loud comedy. Billy Crystal’s one-line

crackups ran fluently throughout the whole movie, while Julia Roberts was

her usual charming self. Cusack as Eddie Thomas delivered big time when

it came for the comedy in his utter despair and disturbed psychosis over

his breakup with Gwen Harrison (Zeta-Jones). Zeta-Jones played her role

of the all-time movie diva perfectly and really made you hate her.

Overall I give ‘America’s Sweethearts’ an A+.”

My sons and the theater-capacity audience laughed out loud at the

crude but witty one-liners and physical comedy so why was I disappointed?

Men dragged to the movie by their wives and girlfriends will enjoy

Crystal and Tolan’s comedy and the women will enjoy a Cinderella, good

sister gets the prince, romance.

The movie did not fulfill my expectations. Though Crystal’s famous

quips entertained, the plot built yawningly slow. All the actors in this

movie are expert craftsmen and they played their parts well but they

couldn’t overcome the script. The jokes were often explicitly sexual and

I was uncomfortable viewing it with my kids. Couples, however, will enjoy

seeing this movie together. A lot worked well in this movie but I’d wait

for the video.

* SEAN RUHLAND, 12, is a seventh-grader at Marine View Middle School,

DEREK RUHLAND, 14, is a freshman at Huntington Beach High School, and

TERI SIMONIS, 41, is an office assistant for the city of Huntington

Beach.