Soapdish

Day 89 - 3/30/09 - Movie #86

BEFORE: I put this onto a DVD with "Dreamgirls" - 2 movies about behind-the-scenes relationships - this one on the set of a soap opera, starring Sally Field and Kevin Kline. I think one of my friends recommended this film, but I forget who...

THE PLOT: An ambitious TV soap actress connives with her producer to scuttle the career of the show's long-time star, but nothing works as they plan.

AFTER: Kevin Kline, great as usual. Sally Field? A little over-the-top, but the advantage with actors playing soap-opera actors is, it's OK to overact. The soap opera makes a great context for camera-hogging and scenery-chewing. The "real" relationships and drama between the actors turns out to be more interesting than the writers' plotlines for the show. BUT - would any soap ever do a live broadcast? And if they did, wouldn't the fans at home notice if the actors started calling each other by their real names? I'm just sayin'...

RATING: 5 out of 10 Daytime Emmys