Soapdish
| Soapdish | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Michael Hoffman |
| Produced by | Aaron Spelling Alan Greisman |
| Written by | Robert Harling Andrew Bergman |
| Starring | Sally Field Kevin Kline Robert Downey, Jr. Whoopi Goldberg Elisabeth Shue Teri Hatcher |
| Music by | Alan Silvestri |
| Cinematography | Ueli Steiger |
| Editing by | Garth Craven |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | May 31, 1991 |
| Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $36,489,888[1] |
Soapdish is a 1991 comedy film which tells a backstage story of the cast and crew of a popular fictional television soap opera. It stars Sally Field as an aging soap star, joined by Kevin Kline, Robert Downey, Jr., Elisabeth Shue, Whoopi Goldberg, Teri Hatcher, Cathy Moriarty, Garry Marshall, Kathy Najimy, and Carrie Fisher, as well as cameo appearances by TV personalities like Leeza Gibbons, John Tesh (both playing themselves as Entertainment Tonight hosts/reporters), and Ben Stein. Kline was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for the film.
Soapdish was directed by Michael Hoffman, from a screenplay by Robert Harling and Andrew Bergman. The film was produced by Aaron Spelling and Field's then-husband Alan Greisman.
It was announced in February 2011 that comedian/actor Ben Schwartz will pen a remake of the film (tentatively titled El Fuego Caliente).
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[edit] Plot
Celeste Talbert, the longtime star of the popular daytime drama The Sun Also Sets, is targeted by costar Montana Moorehead; Montana connives to supplant Celeste as the show's star by promising sexual favors to its producer, David Seton Barnes. To make the audience hate Celeste's character, Montana and David come up with a last-minute plot change in which she will accidentally kill a young, destitute deaf-mute, played by the newly-cast Lori Craven. Despite the strong objections of Head Writer Rose Schwartz and Celeste herself, the scene plays out, but is interrupted by Celeste's recognition of Lori as her real-life niece. Network honcho Edmund Edwards sees potential in the relationship and makes Lori a regular cast member, as Celeste tries to talk her niece out of an acting career.
Montana and David seek to further unnerve Celeste by bringing back Jeffrey Anderson, an actor who had been fired from The Sun Also Sets (and his character decapitated) decades before after his romantic relationship with Celeste had gone sour. Bitter at being reduced to performing dinner theater for uninterested seniors in Florida, Jeffrey relishes the chance to needle Celeste. Outwardly despising Jeffrey but perhaps still harboring some feelings for him, Celeste is horrified as he and the much-younger Lori develop a close friendship. In dramatic fashion, Celeste stops a scripted onscreen kiss between Lori and Jeffrey by revealing that Lori is actually her daughter by Jeffrey. On camera, Celeste explains that she had been responsible for getting Jeffrey fired because of the pregnancy, and had passed Lori off as her niece due to pressure from the network. Despite renewed interest in the show and Lori's burst of sudden fame due to this "storyline," all three actors, furious with each other, demand "They go or I go!"
A decision is made by the network, and the actors head into a live episode in which they will read their lines from a teleprompter to keep secret until the last minute who will be written off. It is revealed that Lori's character has "brain fever" and will die; still hoping to be rid of Celeste, Montana ad-libs and suggests that a brain transplant can save her. In character, Celeste immediately plays along, offering her own brain for the operation. Touched by the sacrifice, Lori asks Celeste not to leave the show, and softens to her newfound parents. Montana is publicly ruined by Rose who, with the help of vengeful Ariel Maloney, reveals the secret that Montana was once a man named Milton Moorehead. David is horrified. Later, Celeste, Jeffrey, and Lori win soap opera awards as Milton performs dinner theater at Jeffrey's former venue.
[edit] Cast
- Sally Field as Celeste Talbert / "Maggie"
- Kevin Kline as Jeffrey Anderson / "Dr. Rod Randall"
- Robert Downey, Jr. as David Seton Barnes
- Cathy Moriarty as Montana Moorehead / "Nurse Nan"
- Elisabeth Shue as Lori Craven / "Angelique"
- Whoopi Goldberg as Rose Schwartz
- Carrie Fisher as Betsy Faye Sharon
- Garry Marshall as Edmund Edwards
- Teri Hatcher as Ariel Maloney / "Dr. Monica Demonico"
- Kathy Najimy as Tawny Miller
- Paul Johansson as Blair Brennan / "Bolt"
- Sheila Kelley as Fran
[edit] Reception
American Film Institute recognition:
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs - Nominated[2]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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