THE SWEETEST THING isn't. Christina Walters (Cameron Diaz), a RUNAWAY DATE,
is a woman whose motto is, "Don't look for Mr. Right. Look for Mr. Right
Now." The opening montage features a gaggle of guys whom she has dated once
and dumped. Seeing her girlfriend Jane Burns (Selma Blair) reading a book
titled "True Love: The Ten Commandments," Christina ridicules it by calling
it, "relationship propaganda."
This might make it sound like THE SWEETEST THING has something on its mind,
but it doesn't. Working from a weak and derivative script by Nancy Pimental
("South Park"), director Roger Kumble (CRUEL INTENTIONS) has trouble
crafting many funny moments. Most of the movie is as dead as a blind date
with a corpse.
Crude and silly, the movie tries to mine material that you've seen in many
other gross-out comedies, from an exploding toilet to
what-looks-to-be-but-isn't-really oral sex in a moving car. A movie that
works hard at being crude, it is also a constant tease. One of the
recurring gags involves women touching their own breasts as well as those of
others. Although the movie's smut factor is high, everyone keeps their bra
on.
The plot has Christina falling for a supposedly cute guy named Peter
Donahue, played without any personality whatsoever by Thomas Jane.
Christina's other girlfriend, Courtney Rockliffe (Christina Applegate),
tries her best to get Christina and Peter together. The movie's only
inspired scene occurs when Christina and Courtney ham it up in a dressing
room, trying to recreate brief movie moments from films such as GREASE,
DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN and FLASHDANCE.
Basically a THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY VERY LITE movie, THE SWEETEST THING
is one of the longest 87 minutes you'll spend in the dark, staring at a
screen. The movie isn't so much a bad picture as it is just a complete
waste.
THE SWEETEST THING runs 1:27. It is rated R for "strong sexual content and
language" and would be acceptable for older teenagers.
Copyright © 2002 Steve Rhodes
