Name: Retro Film Review: Up Close & Personal (1996)
Item: Up Close & Personal
Rating: 30
Author: @drax

(source: tmdb.org)

Hollywood can do many things, but telling a true story is not one of them. At least this is the impression given by the way Hollywood handled the script based on the tragic life of popular news anchor Jessica Savitch. The material covered in the book Almost Golden (adapted into TV-film in 1995) was deemed too depressive by Disney executives, so scriptwriters Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne had to change the names, characters and events beyond recognition. The result had as much connection to Jessica Savitch's story as Mohammed al-Sahaf's press briefings had with real situation in Iraq during 2003 invasion. That script served as the basis for Up Close & Personal, 1996 melodrama directed by Jon Avnet.

The protagonist of the film is Tally Atwater (played by Michelle Pfeiffer), young woman with a lofty ambition of becoming famous news anchor. Lack of formal education and inexperience don't discourage her and she takes menial jobs at Miami television station. There she gets noticed by Warren Justice (played by Robert Redford), news director who used to be famous reporter. He sees huge potential in young woman and slowly begins to teach her to become reporter. As Tally matures and becomes more and more successful, Warren falls in love with her. However, Tally soon gets a new job in Philadelphia and the lucky set of circumstances would instantly turn her into national star.

Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert Redford play their roles very well and have good chemistry together. But that is the only good thing about Up Close & Personal. Whenever the plot or the lens strays from their relationship, the film is unable to hold viewer's attention. In an attempt to erase any potentially disturbing elements left from the true story, scriptwriters used cliches, humour which is unfunny and drama without any serious conflict. Lame attempts of some social criticism - addressing the plight of those members of America's underclass that had turned towards crime - look false because of film makers' decision to use the same character on two different occasions (played by Raymond Cruz) to make such point. Even the more gullible viewers would have problems accepting possibility of our heroine meeting that character in circumstances presented in this film. Because of that Up Close & Personal is embodiment of Hollywood falsehood, ironically displayed in the film that dealt with professionals whose main ideal is reporting truth.

RATING: 3/10 (+)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on June 5th 2003)