Director John Stockwell (distinguished
credits include Breast Men) fumbles
the camera in what could have been a smart
teen flick but instead is a cliché-ridden
Standard Hollywood Product. Kirsten Dunst
stars as Nicole, a promiscuous and neglected
rich brat daughter of a congressman played by
Bruce Davison (the title character in '70s
rat-epic Willard) who is smitten with
Carlos (Jay Hernandez, presumably because
Freddie Prinze Jr. was busy), an East L.A.
barrio kid who is hoping to make good by
attending Pacific Palisades High and getting
a Naval Academy appointment. But Carlos is
drawn to the troubled Nicole like a dog to
its own genitals, and as a result puts his
one shot at transcending poverty in serious
jeopardy. What?s most disappointing about
Crazy/Beautiful is that it might have
been good, given the sizeable appeal of both
Dunst and Hernandez. However, there are too
many overused plot devices (lovers caught
between two worlds, anyone?) and by the end
it degenerates into trite, feel-good
teen-demographic exploitation. And, due to
some last-minute editing, you don?t even get
to see any nude shots of Dunst (or Hernandez,
for that matter). Sadly, this movie doesn?t
even exploit properly.