Michelle Pfeiffer Movie:

				Salesrank: 237548
		Used Price: $20.84
		MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Media: DVD

Editorial Review:
Here's a classic Hollywood star vehicle. Up Close and Personal--the story of Tally Atwater (Michelle Pfeiffer), an inexperienced but ambitious TV news personality, and her well-weathered journalistic mentor, Warren Justice (Robert Redford)--was carefully tailored to fit its stars. What began as a screenplay based on the biography of troubled TV anchorwoman Jessica Savitch (Golden Girl, by Alanna Nash) took more than eight years to reach the screen, written and rewritten, on and off, over the years by husband-and-wife team John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion, mainly because they needed the work to qualify for the splendid Writers' Guild health-insurance plan. Although the considerable charisma of Pfeiffer and Redford go a long way, in many respects Nash's original nonfiction book (and even Dunne's peculiarly disingenuous "insider" account of the writing of the screenplay, Monster: Living Off the Big Screen) offers tales more compelling than the one that eventually made it to the screen. But, all things considered, that's a little like comparing apples and oranges, since the slick Up Close and Personal bears about as much resemblance to its gritty original source material as...well, an apple does to an orange. Critic Roger Ebert, who awarded the movie three stars, nevertheless said he was reminded of the time producer Samuel Goldwyn commissioned a screenplay about the Lindbergh kidnapping. Only, to quote Goldwyn, "it can't be about kidnapping, which is against the Code. For legal reasons, we have to change the name from Lindbergh. And the kid's father shouldn't fly." Read the book, see the movie, read the book about writing the movie. Anyone interested in how movies are made will learn an entertaining lesson about the studio system by devouring all three. --Jim Emerson

Up Close & Personal [Region 2] Reviews:
Fantastic movie!!!
2008-08-31 - This movie is an inspiring tale of life and love. Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert Redford do an absolutely fantastic job of playing their characters in such a way that you forget that they are just acting. Their chemistry and romance are very believable. The timing of the film (from present to past, etc.) is flawless and doesn't get confusing as it can in some movies. The story teaches the old saying of "It's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all". I've watched this movie time and time again and I don't get tired of it.

Get ready to burst into tears
2008-06-06 - Two of the greatest and sexiest movie stars of all time team up in this emotional drama that will drive you to tears. Redford, as always, is impossibly intelligent and indescribably admirable. Pfeiffer steals the show with her beauty and charm and the unforgettable performance of "The Impossible Dream". And the incredible acting of both plus Celine Dion's "Because you love me" make the film a movie classic. It's the story of two people - a young woman in search of a career in television industry, her rise from secretary to weather person and finally a true TV star, and an experienced newsman, who believes in her, helps her rise and falls for her. You'll be shocked in the end.... Don't miss it.

Hearts will be beating.
2008-05-09 - Up Close & Personal is frothy romantic comedy/drama. The best thing about this film is Michelle Pfeiffer, I think she is a talented actress, she can play any type of role. Robert Redford is also good in this, the only problem I have with this film is the weepy ending. The premise of the film is good but poorly directed. This is definitely a chick flick, nice movie to watch with best friends, enjoy!

Great Story
2007-10-17 - Definitely a masterpiece in both romance and humor, as well as, personality detail. Michelle looks fantastic, as usual, and Robert plays the strong, stable role he is famous for.

Sappy & No Relationship With Reality
2007-08-14 - I see from some of these reviews that some people saw a wonderful love story in this film - I wish I did. I saw it as very sappy with a storyline so old and overused that the mold could no longer grow on it. Mentor gives a break to hungry ingenue outsider and falls in love with his creation. This is the story. And the pretty blonds that tell the story are R. Redford and Michelle Pfieffer. End of story.

I was reading that this film is used in journalism ethics teaching because of the extremely false and questionable journalism ethics portrayed in it, in other words, giving journalism a bad name. It distresses me that it was given even that much import, negative as it is. When you sit down and watch this film, within the first five minutes you know that it's not going to have anything to do with reality and you either relax and accept that and watch the film, or you retch like I did. I retched because on top of its' lack of grounding, there is a cutesiness to it that got on my nerves. I'm not into cutesiness, which ruins a lot of cinema for me because these are the type of films that sell in the states, along with violent, hyper-macho vehicles. I feel sorry for us people with taste - for us it has to either be the underground or the indies (who've lately been raided by the 'show-biz kids' and are showing signs of the injury) or the imports.

If you are looking for a way to kill 90 minutes and you can stomach this kind of film, go right ahead. But I feel bad for you polluting your mind this way.