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Back Shelf Beauties
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Little Black Book Why does Brittany Murphy continue to get work in Hollywood? She was upstaged in Uptown Girls by a KID, but producers still think she can carry a movie? Little Black Book will put an end to that. Murphy stars as Stacy - a young broadcaster in New Jersey who dreams of working with Diane Sawyer, but is stuck consoling herself with Carly Simon tunes as she takes a new job as an associate producer for the female Jerry Springer, Kippie Kann (Kathy "I won an Oscar once" Bates). While the job isn't her ideal, Stacy is in her ideal relationship with Derek - (Ron Livingston, who seems to have taken that ride across the river to the Jersey side after making sparks with Carrie Bradshaw) - a hockey scout with the New Jersey Devils. When he goes on a recruiting trip, and forgets his Palm Pilot (the 21st Century Little Black Book, GET IT!), Stacy's co-workers, Barb (Holly "I also won an Oscar once" Hunter) and Ira (Kevin "Oscar who?" Sussman), convince her to find out as much as she can about his previous relationships and every woman listed in the Palm Pilot. Will Stacy get more than she bargained for? Is Derek faithful? Didn't Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me put an end to all Jerry Springer parodies? Little Black Book would be the worst movie of the summer if it wasn't for Catwoman. The movie is full of jokes like a dog passing gas, hilarity about genital herpes, and some cringe-filled moments featuring Murphy in an exam (and I don't mean the kind where you need a Number 2 pencil). It doesn't get better from there. It's hard to find anything to like in Little Black Book, especially Murphy, who is the most revolting lead actress in Hollywood. Once upon a time, she was the It Girl ready to rocket to stardom on her cute looks and surprising acting range (Clueless, Don't Say A Word). Now, she is a frighteningly thin, raspy voiced has been who doesn't have chemistry with her leading man or her canine co-star. She forces every joke, overdoes the supposedly zany physical comedy, and doesn't make the character likable in any sense of the word. Of course, writers Melissa Carter and Elisa Bell, along with director Nick Hurran, don't help either. After starting as a light-hearted, screwball comedy, the Hurran/Carter/Bell team makes Little Black Book into the melodramatic downer of the year. This sudden change to a heavy tone, mostly derived from a subplot involving one of Derek's ex-girlfriends, is jarring. It is too much of a surprise to those who might be laughing, and should drive annoyed people from the theater, since this could be the last straw for anyone regretting the $8.50 they just spent. Bates and Hunter are wasted in formulaic, boring roles that should have gone to less respectable actors, and don't be surprised if something "unexpected" happens as everyone prepares for the live show (Tootsie taught me something bad always happens when they do a live show). The big twist leads to the DUMBEST ending of the year featuring a climax trying much too hard to be meaningful and philosophical. They would have been better off writing some sort of twist like all of Derek's ex-girlfriends are ghosts. Even Hurran/Carter/Bell's reliance on Stacy's Carly Simon obsession smacks of desperately trying to be quirky, and only shows the movie's weakness when Carly Simon is the best they can do (Sheena Easton was busy? Laura Brannigan didn't return their calls? Linda Ronstadt was too occupied fighting off the angry mobs in Vegas?). And, as if we won't get the zaniness of Carly Simon, Hurran beats a sight gag to death as wacky incidents keep happening around the Kippie Kann studio, like monkeys and sheep on the loose (Letterman did it a million times better). Little Black Book is a horrible movie and should be avoided at all costs. ½ Waffle (out of 4) Copyright 2004 - WaffleMovies.com
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