Picture Perfect
USA - 1997
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Movie Review By Pete Dunn
OK, let me get this confession out of the way before I review "Picture Perfect" for you. I think Jennifer Aniston is one of the five best looking women in Hollywood, and I am probably biased towards any movie she appears in. Ahhh, I feel better already.
With that in mind, Aniston does do a really good job in her first role starring in a comedy. She plays Kate, a woman who works on Madison Avenue. She is capable, hard-working, and a creative thinker. When she gets passed over for a promotion because she has no attachments, and her boss fears she may leave the firm, she lies about being engaged to a man who she posed with at a wedding. And when you tell one lie ... well, you get the picture -- perfectly, I hope.
The rest of the cast is OK with Jay Mohr (the evil agent in "Jerry Maguire") and Kevin Bacon playing the male leads -- nothing special there. Olympia Dukakis shines as usual playing Kate's mother, and I did enjoy the performance of Kevin Dunn as Mr. Mercer, Kate's boss. These other characters, however, are primarily background for Aniston's performance, and under Glenn Gordon Caron's direction, she makes it a good one. She could be the next Meg Ryan and seems to have a natural affinity towards comedy. She shows a lot more versatility than she does on "Friends."
While a fairly predictable movie, I enjoyed it. The characters are likable, the story well told, and the humor reminiscent of Caron's television hit, "Moonlighting."
However, I can't say that it's a must-see movie. The predictability of the plot, and the lack of anything earth-shattering make this movie enjoyable, but not noteworthy. If you like Aniston, then don't miss this movie in theaters. If for some inexplicable reason you're ambivalent towards her, this will make a good Christmas-time rental.
© 1997 - Pete Dunn - Air Date: 08/97
