The rumors are true--"Gossip" is awful.
"Gossip"
Overall Rating: *½
In the 1960s, my aunt started a rumor to see how long it would take to get back to her--probably an experiment that many people have tried. She claimed that developers were going to restore the New Amsterdam Theater--a formerly important Broadway theater that had since become an adult entertainment complex. The rumor got back to my aunt in a matter of days. (As a curious footnote, developers did renovate the New Amsterdam Theater many years later; we've wondered if my aunt's false story gave somebody the idea.) "Gossip" is about what happens when people starting false rumors aren't smart enough to make the rumor harmless.
Derrick, Jones, and Travis (James Marsden, Lena Heady, and Norman Reedus respectively) are roommates who attend the same journalism class. While considering possible group projects, they decide to start a rumor and see how it spreads. Later, Derrick observes Naomi and Beau (Kate Hudson and Joshua Jackson) retreat to a bedroom at a party they're attending. Naomi--who has a reputation for not having sex--is drunk, and she and her boyfriend make out until she passes out. Derrick sees the whole incident from an adjoining bathroom, but nonetheless, persuades his roommates to start the rumor that the couple had sex. The rumors of sex become rumors of an orgy at first, but when the rumors then become stories about rape, Naomi herself starts to believe them.
"Gossip" wants desperately to be "Trainspotting," "Wild Things," or "Go." The movie focuses on young, libertine characters who soon demonstrate why people say Hollywood has no moral compass. Still, the first few minutes of "Gossip" almost promises a good movie. A reference to the old party game "Telephone" foreshadows what's going to happen with the rumor they start. The trendy soundtrack--featuring hit rock songs that all, in some way, deal with rumors--helps set the tone. Additionally, the movie even seems to be heading towards a moral: gossip is all fun and games until somebody loses a reputation.
"Gossip," however, doesn't take too long to fall apart, and things get worse as it goes along. Part of this is the characters' natures: I never found them likeable enough--even in a devious way--to care about them. They're stupid college kids who lie a lot. When the protagonists slide from being self-absorbed to being malicious, I stopped caring about them completely.
Since "Gossip" is about stupid and deceitful people, it's hard to weed out the "facts" that turn out to be lies from the actual plot holes. Even after you weed out the deliberate confusion and stupidity, there's still enough unintended confusion and stupidity to go around. One character's family disowned him because he raped a woman in high school; interestingly, however, they gave him a generous trust fund before telling him to get lost. Two characters who have a strong animosity for each other somehow ignore each other until about halfway through the movie. There's one scene where Derrick and Jones have sex while they're mad at each other; rather than being a surprise plot turn, they go back to hating each other, leaving a gratuitous sex scene that is totally out of place. Naomi is both from New York and from Danbury--both of which turn out to be key facts. The true coup de grace comes at the attempted climax. The fight in the final scene played out almost exactly as I expected. A death that I thought was faked turned out to be faked. Then the movie grafts a completely unbelievable happy ending on itself: the villain is revealed to the world to be a fiend and everyone else is unscathed. I, for one, didn't buy it.
I don't think there are any rumors that claim "Gossip" is fit for kids. Significant strong language and dangerous binge drinking are a concern. Though not much is shown in the sex scenes, there are, of course, numerous innuendos. The movie also has a considerable amount of violence; while the worst of the violence is not shown, there is still enough to be concerned about.
The 1990s had numerous crime movies focusing on antiheroes or villains. Some worked, and some didn't. If "Gossip" is hoping to carry the genre into this decade, however, then the genre is in serious trouble--and that's no idle gossip.
Title: "Gossip"
Release date: April 21, 2000
Overall Rating: *½
In the 1960s, my aunt started a rumor to see how long it would take to get back to her--probably an experiment that many people have tried. She claimed that developers were going to restore the New Amsterdam Theater--a formerly important Broadway theater that had since become an adult entertainment complex. The rumor got back to my aunt in a matter of days. (As a curious footnote, developers did renovate the New Amsterdam Theater many years later; we've wondered if my aunt's false story gave somebody the idea.) "Gossip" is about what happens when people starting false rumors aren't smart enough to make the rumor harmless.
Derrick, Jones, and Travis (James Marsden, Lena Heady, and Norman Reedus respectively) are roommates who attend the same journalism class. While considering possible group projects, they decide to start a rumor and see how it spreads. Later, Derrick observes Naomi and Beau (Kate Hudson and Joshua Jackson) retreat to a bedroom at a party they're attending. Naomi--who has a reputation for not having sex--is drunk, and she and her boyfriend make out until she passes out. Derrick sees the whole incident from an adjoining bathroom, but nonetheless, persuades his roommates to start the rumor that the couple had sex. The rumors of sex become rumors of an orgy at first, but when the rumors then become stories about rape, Naomi herself starts to believe them.
"Gossip" wants desperately to be "Trainspotting," "Wild Things," or "Go." The movie focuses on young, libertine characters who soon demonstrate why people say Hollywood has no moral compass. Still, the first few minutes of "Gossip" almost promises a good movie. A reference to the old party game "Telephone" foreshadows what's going to happen with the rumor they start. The trendy soundtrack--featuring hit rock songs that all, in some way, deal with rumors--helps set the tone. Additionally, the movie even seems to be heading towards a moral: gossip is all fun and games until somebody loses a reputation.
"Gossip," however, doesn't take too long to fall apart, and things get worse as it goes along. Part of this is the characters' natures: I never found them likeable enough--even in a devious way--to care about them. They're stupid college kids who lie a lot. When the protagonists slide from being self-absorbed to being malicious, I stopped caring about them completely.
Since "Gossip" is about stupid and deceitful people, it's hard to weed out the "facts" that turn out to be lies from the actual plot holes. Even after you weed out the deliberate confusion and stupidity, there's still enough unintended confusion and stupidity to go around. One character's family disowned him because he raped a woman in high school; interestingly, however, they gave him a generous trust fund before telling him to get lost. Two characters who have a strong animosity for each other somehow ignore each other until about halfway through the movie. There's one scene where Derrick and Jones have sex while they're mad at each other; rather than being a surprise plot turn, they go back to hating each other, leaving a gratuitous sex scene that is totally out of place. Naomi is both from New York and from Danbury--both of which turn out to be key facts. The true coup de grace comes at the attempted climax. The fight in the final scene played out almost exactly as I expected. A death that I thought was faked turned out to be faked. Then the movie grafts a completely unbelievable happy ending on itself: the villain is revealed to the world to be a fiend and everyone else is unscathed. I, for one, didn't buy it.
I don't think there are any rumors that claim "Gossip" is fit for kids. Significant strong language and dangerous binge drinking are a concern. Though not much is shown in the sex scenes, there are, of course, numerous innuendos. The movie also has a considerable amount of violence; while the worst of the violence is not shown, there is still enough to be concerned about.
The 1990s had numerous crime movies focusing on antiheroes or villains. Some worked, and some didn't. If "Gossip" is hoping to carry the genre into this decade, however, then the genre is in serious trouble--and that's no idle gossip.
Title: "Gossip"
Release date: April 21, 2000
MPAA rating: R
Overall rating: *½
Overall rating: *½
Aprox. run time: 90 min.
Director: Davis Guggenheim
Writers: Gregory Poirier (story and screenplay), Theresa Rebeck (screenplay)
Stars: James Marsden, Lena Heady, Norman Reedus, Kate Hudson, Joshua Jackson
Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/reviewsbyjohn/Gossip.htm
Added to blog site: 7/28/09
Director: Davis Guggenheim
Writers: Gregory Poirier (story and screenplay), Theresa Rebeck (screenplay)
Stars: James Marsden, Lena Heady, Norman Reedus, Kate Hudson, Joshua Jackson
Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/reviewsbyjohn/Gossip.htm
Added to blog site: 7/28/09
Labels: Movie review, ReviewsbyJohn
posted by John at 4/26/2000 01:23:00 PM
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