UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1996 Michael John Legeros
(Touchstone)
Directed by Jon Avnet
Written by Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne, suggested by the
book "Golden Girl" by Alanna Nash
Cast Robert Redford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Stockard Channing,
Joe Mantegna, Kate Nelligan, Glenn Plummer, James
Rebhorn, Raymond Cruz, Dedee Pfeiffer
MPAA Rating "PG-13"
Running Time 124 minutes
Reviewed at General Cinemas at Pleasant Valley, Raleigh, NC (1MAR96)
==
The nicest thing that you can say about this movie is that it's *extremely* easy on the eyes. Robert Redford plays a seasoned news producer, Michelle Pfieffer is his ambitious young protege, and, together, they lend a suitable star power to an otherwise lousy movie. UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL is a grand failure because it's ultimately about *nothing.* No social statement, no compelling drama, and not even a very good love story. We're in fairy-tale land, here, where a female anchor's drive has less to do with her career than her co-dependency, and where the biggest story surprise is guessing which hideous hairdo that Pfieffer will wear next. Ugh.
Early in the movie, Redford says of his co-star's character: "She eats the lens." This fact is also true for the actors as actors. Sure, they're too old for their happily-ever-after roles, but R. and M. bring an illusion of buoyancy to a steadily sinking ship. With those two on screen, who wants to leave early-- even in the middle of a movie as meaningless as this?
Unwatchable? No. Awful? Often. The low points lay like land mines, ranging from a succession of stomach-turning love scenes to what must be at least *four* different endings. And what's with all those early shots of Pfieffer bending over?? Somewhere in the middle of UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL-- which was based on the life and times of Jessica Savitch, until Disney got a hold of it. Now it's merely "suggested by"-- the two travel to the Florida Keys, over the highway bridge that James Cameron destroyed in TRUE LIES. I kept wishing for those Harrier jets to return, to blow-up the bridge that would strand them there that would stop the movie that would send us all home. It didn't happen.
Grade: C-
--
Mike Legeros - Raleigh, NC
legeros@nando.net (h) - legeros@unx.sas.com (w)
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