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"The Sweetest Thing"
(Reviewed April 9, 2002)
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Former "Married With Children" jailbait Christina Applegate completely steals this extremely bad movie from star Cameron Diaz. Now in her 30s, Christina is as brassy and human and genuine as Cameron is annoying and unconvincing and fake. This is Applegate's second movie in a row in which she shines much brighter than the picture itself. In last year's "Just Visiting," she was funny and convincing and sweet, as if she were in a completely different picture than the rest of the cast. Here, she is kind of a cross between the gals from "Absolutely Fabulous" and a crasser version of Rachel from "Friends." (Speaking of whom, Applegate would be perfect casting as Jennifer Aniston's sister in some future project. But I digress.)
"The Sweetest Thing" is about a trio of female roommates who are sexually promiscuous, crude and stupid. Then Cameron Diaz falls for a guy who is engaged, and takes a road trip with Applegate to crash his wedding. Hilarity does not ensue.
Here are three of the movie's lowpoints: At one point, Diaz and Applegate are seen in a montage playing dress-up as various celebrities. Unfortunately, the director endlessly repeats and drags out the segments to the point of sheer aggravation. One is tempted to shout at the screen, "Okay, okay, we get it--she's Julia Roberts in `Pretty Woman!' Now for Christ's sake, move on!"
Then there is the scene where we are expected to believe that Diaz would not figure out that there just might be a guy on the other side of a hole in a restroom wall.
Finally, we have a scene in which Diaz--whom the movie establishes is supposed to be impossible for any man to resist--gets sexually rejected because she tells a guy at a bar that she is looking for more than a one-night stand. In the real world, of course, the guy simply would smile and nod his head, bang the hell out of her all night long, and then never call back. What planet is this movie's scriptwriter from, anyway?
Back Row Grade: F
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