America's Sweethearts
| America's Sweethearts | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Joe Roth |
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| Written by |
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| Music by | James Newton Howard |
| Cinematography | Phedon Papamichael Jr. |
| Edited by | Stephen A. Rotter |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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103 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $64.4 million |
| Box office | $138.2 million |
America's Sweethearts is a 2001 American romantic comedy film directed by Joe Roth and written by Billy Crystal and Peter Tolan. It stars Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal, John Cusack and Catherine Zeta-Jones, with Hank Azaria, Stanley Tucci, Seth Green, Alan Arkin and Christopher Walken in smaller roles.
Film publicist Lee Phillips (Billy Crystal) is tasked with promoting a film featuring movie stars Gwen Harrison (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Eddie Thomas (John Cusack). His job is complicated by the fact that the eccentric director of the film, Hal Weidmann (Christopher Walken), refuses to show him a cut of the film and demands the first viewing take place at a press junket. To promote the film, Lee decides to focus on the two stars: Gwen and Eddie, once known as "America's Sweethearts". Unfortunately, they are now going through an ugly split. As a result of Gwen's affair with Hector (Hank Azaria), Eddie has an emotional breakdown and is at a New Age retreat. Lee decides that his best chance to promote the film is to reunite the couple.
He tries to get them to attend the junket, playing on Gwen's ego by telling her she will look better to the press and her fans if she attends (and she will be able to serve Eddie with divorce papers). Lee bribes the retreat owner with a car to convince Eddie to come. Gwen's sister and personal assistant, Kiki (Julia Roberts), and Gwen's lover (Hector) are also involved. When Eddie sees Kiki at the junket she has lost weight and is now physically attractive.
As the junket begins, Eddie and Gwen are forced together as well as Kiki and Hector. Gwen encourages Kiki to be her go-between with Eddie so she can have some alone time with Hector. Eddie and Kiki begin to warm to each other. At first, Gwen is oblivious, but eventually discovers Kiki's feelings for Eddie. Out of her own desire to maintain her career by convincing the press that they are trying to reconcile, Gwen tries to prevent a blossoming relationship between Kiki and Eddie with her manipulation. She succeeds in hurting Kiki's feeling and causing her to eat again. However, Gwen's behavior enrages Eddie who always seen past her for the person she is and also sees his marriage for what it really is. He admits to Lee that he's in love with Kiki and has always liked her for the person she is inside and out. Realizing this along with how unhappy Eddie was with Gwen, Lee encourages him to tell Kiki and end his marriage to Gwen anyway.
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