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Latter-day Saint (Mormon) Character
in the movie
America's Sweethearts (2001)
"America's Sweethearts" (2001)
Directed by Joe Roth
Screenplay by Billy Crystal and Peter Tolan
Starring: Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal, Catherine Zeta-Jones, John Cusack, Hank Azaria, Stanley Tucci, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Seth Green, Larry King
MPAA Rating: PG-13
U.S. Box Office: $93,607,673
Production budget: $48,000,000
In this romantic comedy, Billy Crystal plays a publicist promoting a recently completed movie that stars two A-list movie stars (Catherine Zeta-Jones and John Cusack) who are married, but have recently split up in a bout of severe, much publicized animosity. The publicist and the starlet's sister (played by Julia Roberts) struggle to mount a publicity blitz convincing America that this couple is still together on good terms, in order to save the movie. During an all-day junket, the stars and their publicists schedule interviews with 400 media reporters, allotting only 5 minutes for each interview.
After talking to so many interviewers for an entire day, all the while telling outright lies (or letting his wife tell lies) about their relationship still being on solid ground, Cusack decides to joke around. At the end of the day they are giving an interview to a Latter-day Saint media reporter from Salt Lake City. This interviewer is a conservatively-dressed grandmotherly woman, but when we first see her, her home city is not identified. Eddie (John Cusak) tells her with a straight face and convincing manner that he and his wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) have done some "three-ways" along with another man who his wife has been seeing romantically. The media reporter's face and vocalizations display her great shock, and Billy Cystal quickly puts a halt to the interview.
As Billy Crystal helps the interviewer to her feet and thanks her for coming, he tells her to "say hi to everybody in Salt Lake." This is intended as a joke, with the humorous point being that Cusak's character has intentionally spun a ribald tale for a listener who he knew was a conservative - even sheltered - Latter-day Saint woman from Utah.
A real media reporter from Salt Lake City (whether or not she was a Latter-day Saint) would no doubt know that Cusak was either joking around, blowing off steam after a long day, or simply being a jerk. But the perception behind the joke is not a negative one: The writers understand Latter-day Saints to be conservative, traditional and highly-principled (maybe even sheltered) relative to free-wheeling Hollywood ways when it comes to sexual ethics.
Below is the dialogue from this scene, as it can be heard in the movie:
Gwen Harrison (Catherine Zeta-Jones): In spite of all the emotion and the hurting... we were able lean on each other for support. That's when I realized how strong our friendship really was. We're in constant contact.
Eddie Thomas (John Cusack): That's right. I mean, not only are we great, great friends... and not only are we in constant contact... I mean, you should see some of our phone bills. Whoo! We've also done some... I don't know, how should I put this? Hell, I'm just gonna say it... We've done a couple of three-ways. And this guy she's with now... I mean, I can't say that I'm happy with the situation. After all, she's my wife. But after having spent some time in the sack with him... I can see where the attraction is... Although I have to say for a fairly big guy, he's not packing much south of the border, if you know what I mean.
Lee Phillips (Billy Crystal): Oh! And that's five minutes. Thank you so much. Say hi to everybody in Salt Lake. Good to see you.
Eddie (John Cusack): Next.
[NEXT SCENE: Gwen and Eddie are making their way through a crowd.]
Gwen (Catherine Zeta-Jones): I just didn't think it was very funny.
Eddie (John Cusack): It was a joke, Gwen. I do that after the 400th interview of the day.
Gwen (Catherine Zeta-Jones): I don't think Hector's going to find it very funny.
Eddie (John Cusack): Guess what? I don't give a sh-- what Hector thinks.
Below is a description of the scene with both the dialogue as well as a description the action.
[The time - 5:52 - scrolls across the screen. This is an indication that Eddie and Gwen have been giving media interviews all day long. They nearing the end of their marathon session of giving 5-minute interviews to an endless parade of media reporters.]
Gwen Harrison (Catherine Zeta-Jones): In spite of all the emotion and the hurting... we were able lean on each other for support.
[Cut-away shot showing the two people handling publicity for the film: Lee Phillips (Billy Crystal) and Gwen's sister Kathleen "Kiki" Harrison (Julia Robert). Billy Crystal is looking at his watch.]
Gwen Harrison (Catherine Zeta-Jones): That's when I realized how strong our friendship really was. We're in constant contact.
Eddie Thomas (John Cusack): [Feigning sincerity] That's right. I mean, not only are we great, great friends... and not only are we in constant contact... I mean, you should see some of our phone bills. Whoo! [Eddie waves his hand and his eyes look upward, indicating that their phone bills are very large.]
[Cut to the opposite side of the small room, where the current media reporter is sitting. She is a grandmotherly woman, probably about 60 years old. She smiles enthusiastically, with a hint of audible laughter, at Eddie's comment about the phone bills.]
Eddie Thomas (John Cusack): We've also done some... [Eddie turns to face Gwen, who is sitting on the couch right next to him.] I don't know, how should I put this? [Turns back to face the reporter.] Hell, I'm just gonna say it... We've done a couple of three-ways.
[Cut to the shot of Lee (Billy Crystal) and Kiki (Julia Roberts). They are looking intently at a piece of paper, probably the schedule of the next press events. Upon hearing Eddie (John Cusak) mention "three-ways" they suddenly look up in shock and stare at Eddie.]
[Cut to the grandmotherly media reporter. The look on her face conveys shock and worry. She glances over at the publicists Lee and Kiki (Julia Roberts and Billy Crystal).]
Eddie Thomas (John Cusack): And this guy she's with now...
[Cut to publicists Kiki (Julia Roberts) and Lee (Billy Cristal). Kiki tries to signal something to Lee, but he motions for her to wait, and he himself stands up, intent on putting an end to this.]
Eddie Thomas (John Cusack): ...I mean, I can't say that I'm happy with the situation. After all, she's my wife. But after having spent some time in the sack with him...
[Cut to media reporter. Her eyes are bulging out in shock. She glances at the publicists and back to Eddie.]
Eddie Thomas (John Cusack): ...I can see where the attraction is...
[Camera still on the media reporter, who gasps audibly after Eddie says "I can see where the attraction is."]
Eddie Thomas (John Cusack): ...Although I have to say for a fairly big guy, he's not packing much south of the border, if you know what I mean.
Lee Phillips (Billy Crystal): [Lee jumps/walks hurridly in between Eddie and the media reporter.] Oh! And that's five minutes. [Chuckles slightly. He touches the sitting media reporter on the shoulder and shakes her hand while helping her to stand up. She has a look of shock and bewilderment on her face, and she is inarticulately vocalizing what sounds like a combination of whimpering, gurgling and gasping. She quickly walks out of the room.] Thank you so much. Say hi to everybody in Salt Lake. Good to see you.
Eddie (John Cusack): Next. [Claps his hands together.]
[NEXT SCENE: Gwen and Eddie are making their way through a crowd, down a a stairway in what appears to be a mall.]
Gwen (Catherine Zeta-Jones): I just didn't think it was very funny.
Eddie (John Cusack): It was a joke, Gwen. I do that after the 400th interview of the day.
Gwen (Catherine Zeta-Jones): I don't think Hector's going to find it very funny.
Eddie (John Cusack): Guess what? I don't give a sh-- what Hector thinks.
[NOTE: The dialogue above is an exact transcript from the film as it actually was released. Where there are discrepancies between our transcript and the optional English subtitles shown onscreen on the DVD, it is the transcript that is correct. Mistakes in the DVD subtitles are usually a result of presenting subtitles based on the shooting script rather than transcribing the audio track.]
Webpage created 6 October 2004.