Madonna in The Next Best Thing (2000)

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This is more or less an extrapolation of the real-life relationship of Madonna to her friend Rupert Everett. To refresh your memory, Everett is the big, openly gay, handsome lug who wants to be the first gay James Bond.

Anyway, in the movie Everett and Madonna are both down one night, and they get drunk and get it on and she ends up getting pregnant. She wanted a baby anyway, so she goes through with it, and the gay dad decides to move in with her and be the child's father, although the parents will each pursue their own lives in other matters. Very enlightened.

Things work out great for many years until Madonna falls in love with a guy who lives in another state. She decides that she can just take her son and go, but Everett and his family don't see it that way. The parents go through some ugliness, and some court battles, and the movie is about their attempts to resolve the matter.
I guess you can deduce from that summary whether you want to spend any time on this slice-of-life character based comedy/drama. Madonna dances only around the living room, and she sings only briefly and informally (although this quiet duet with Rupert Everett, over the casket at a friend's funeral, was the best scene in the movie.)

Although not a great film, this movie isn't a stinker on the level of Supernova or I Dreamed of Africa. In fact, I thought parts of this film were quite touching, it was slickly produced, there was some humor, and the characters were developed quite well. I didn't mind watching it at all, and never touched the remote. But this one also bombed with both critics and filmgoers.

The Rotten Tomatoes index: 169%! Ten positive reviews, 54 negative. IMDb viewers rated it only 5.0 out of 10. Despite wide release (2000+ screens in March), it grossed 15 million dollars on a 25 million dollar budget.
Believe it or not, screen legend John Schlesinger (Billy Liar, Midnight Cowboy, and many other fine films) directed this movie. He is now in his mid 70's.

The biggest negative, in my book: Madonna now speaks exclusively in perfectly modulated tones with her new refined accent. This would be fine if she were doing public service announcements, but is much too stiff to bring vitality to her character, and she seems to deliver all her lines with the hollow self-awareness of a Stepford Wife. I don't really understand it. To me, Madonna's great success was generated by her vitality and daring. Now that's all under control and she delivers every line like one of those official spokespersons for the British royal family. WTF? I'd like to see Madonna do a Jessica Lange - let us see her as a person, breasts sagging a bit, face dirty, makeup running, hair unkempt, face contorted with rage, whatever is really deep down underneath the expensive clothing and the Henry Higgins articulation lessons.

Anyway, the material girl showed off her still magnificent buns, as well as her breasts in a diaphanous bra. I suppose the bra was cool, since it allowed her to show off the shape she wanted, and allowed the rest of us to see the goodies.

Written by: Scoopy …Scoopy.net