DVD Movie Rating for: The Sweetest Thing

4 out of 5

Movie Plot of: The Sweetest Thing

To ease their roommate (Selma Blair) through a relationship-induced depression, Cameron Diaz and Christina Applegate take her out on the town. During their attempts to find her "Mr. Right Now", Diaz meets Peter Donahue, played aptly by Thomas Jane. Missing her opportunity with him that night, Cameron Diaz is talked into pursuing him to his brother's wedding. The ensuing road trip packs even more slapstick and locker room humor into an "already-bursting" movie.

DVD Production Details of: The Sweetest Thing

Director: Roger Kumble

Format: Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby

Studio: Columbia Tristar Hom
DVD Features:
Production notes

Theatrical trailer(s)

Digitally Mastered Audio & Anamorphic Video

Mastered in High Definition

"Politically Erect" Behind the scences on The Sweetet Thing

"A Day in the Life of Nancy M. Pimental"

Full-screen and widescreen anamorphic formats

Cast of the movie: The Sweetest Thing

• Cameron Diaz
• Selma Blair
• Christina Applegate

Photo Gallery of the movie: The Sweetest Thing

Click on one of the thumbnails to see the full size, high resolution photographs

Reviews of the movie: The Sweetest Thing

Prudes, beware! Despite its tendency to take the comedic low road, The Sweetest Thing is a near-perfect product of the new-millennial Hollywood. That's a backhanded compliment, but as a fun-loving Yankee girl's answer to Bridget Jones's Diary, the mainstream pandering of Nancy Pimental's lucrative screenplay is undeniably effective. On the opening soundtrack, Macy Gray's "Sexual Revolution" is a perfect accompaniment to gyrating guy-dumper Christina (Cameron Diaz), whose fear of commitment is tested when she meets Peter (Thomas Jane) and knows he's Mr. Right. With supportive gal-pals Courtney (Christina Applegate) and Jane (Selma Blair), she plots to snag the guy, and the movie's road-trip detour mines gut-busting gold from gags involving incriminating dress stains, oral sex, rotting food, garish clothing, and the simple joys of old-fashioned romance. Perfectly cast, raucously ribald, and conventionally charming, The Sweetest Thing is a schizophrenic comedy, but its dual personalities are irresistibly in synch.

Spoilers herein.

I'm attracted to comedies that miss but show extreme commitment of the Marx Brothers anything goes discontinuity type. Whether the jokes are about bodily fluids is beside the point. This kind of humor is all about timing, and framing and setting the tone visually as a romp. This picture fails for the same reason as `Freddy Got Fingered.' The enthusiasm and commitment wasn't matched by skill.

Watching this is a film school lesson: some film humor can be invested in the performer. Jim Carrey or Robin Williams can do bits that make us laugh regardless of how framed. But the stuff attempted here is situational humor. The girls are not the jokesters, they are the dupes. We need careful shaping of the situation and then their reaction. For instance, we have a long setup where Ms Blair takes a dress to the cleaners with an embarrassing stain. The proprietor is a family friend, then in comes a class trip, and her third grade teacher, then her priest. The setup builds and builds faster and faster and then, what? the scene ends. No joke, no reaction, and no laugh.

The funniest actress in this film is Parker Posey. Check out what she's done for Chris Guest, to see how she works as the target of the joke and then plays under the reaction. The other three can prance well enough, but just don't know what the director seems to have in mind.

Carmen acts with her neck, Christina with her shoulders and Selma with her forehead. Take a look. Parker acts with her chin. Better for comedy.

Ted's evaluation: 1 of 4 -- You can find something better to do with this part of your life.