(1996)
3
Mike DiBella
Ted Demme's schmaltzy buddy romance picture amasses some good Hollywood faces, new and old. From the tender-aged teen sensation Natalie Portman to resident weirdo David Arquette to Hollywood vets Matt Dillon, Timothy Hutton, and Uma Thurman, the strength of this film is its cast -- though the performances themselves are often overwrought and sometimes exceedingly corny. Rosie O'Donnell's loudmouth busybody and Michael Rappaport's bumbling wiseacre practically steal the show. Demme borrows touches from Barry Levinson's Diner but also gives a contemporary polish to the subject matter. This film gets very few high marks for originality and substance, but it doesn't really garner any low ones either. On the whole, it's a playful piece of lighthearted fodder.
Beautiful Girls on AllMovie
Beautiful Girls (1996)
