Stardom (2000)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Denys Arcand

Writers:

Denys Arcand (written by) and
Jacob Potashnik (written by)

Release Date:

13 October 2000 (Canada)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Plot:

A young girl is plucked from small-town obscurity and thrust into the spotlight of the glamorous world of super-models.

Plot Keywords:

Montréal | Paris | Fashion | Photographer | Fame

Awards:

2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Jessica Paré	...	Tina Menzhal
Victoria Snow	...	Ann Menzhal, Tina's Mother
Jessica Mackenzie	...	Tina's Sister
Macha Grenon	...	Model Agency Owner
Joanne Vannicola	...	Rosie
Charles Berling	...	Philippe Gascon
Sophie Lorain	...	Italasia Reporter
Dan Aykroyd	...	Barry Levine
Gregory Calpakis	...	Steve Bourque
Patrick Huard	...	Montreal Talkshow Host
Maggie Steed	...	British Fashion Reporter
Paul Reynolds	...	Nigel Pope
Camilla Rutherford	...	Toni Steward
Patrick Poivre d'Arvor	...	French TV Anchorman
Robert Lepage	...	Bruce Taylor

Also Known As:

15 Moments (Canada: English title)
Stardom (France)
Stardom - Le culte de la célébrité (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexual content.

Runtime:

100 min | Argentina:105 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

France | Canada

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Canada:14A | Iceland:12 | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Argentina:16 | France:U | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Cornwall, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Alliance Atlantis Communications

Goofs:

Continuity: When Tina leaves the hospital, her left arm is in a sling. In subsequent scenes, her right arm is in the sling.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Best! Movies! Ever!: Fashion (#1.22)" (2007)

superficial study of a superficial world

I was very surprised by this movie. I knew nothing about it except for Monsieur Arcand, and his oeuvre, so, needless to say, I was surprised at this "effort".

In an movie with nods to "Waiting for Guffman" (and movies of that ilk, which I love) but without the humour. The characterizations where over-the-top and annoying, the characters were mostly (including the lead, who was indeed gorgeous) cardboard, two-dimensional characters; completely unsympathetic and without any redeeming qualities whatsoever. So much of this movie felt so cliché, and I realize Arcand was probably going for a sort of over-the-top spoof of the fashion world, lampooning everyone involved in the business and that whole universe, wrought with superficiality and glossiness, but his strokes were too broad; the characters too transparent. Not to mention that we've seen it all before. Think of Altman's Ready To Wear. It just seems like an easy target. If you're not going to say anything new or enlightening about a subject, why say anything at all? For a movie to succeed, at the heart of it there needs to beat a soul, and this movie seemed to have none, whatsoever. Even a movie with a broad, exaggerated form of humour needs to have, deep in its core, a heart that beats real blood; something the audience can identify with and understand.

This is a surprising turn for Arcand, who has made a career making movies that are so full of human truths and insights. I found myself longing for "Le Declin de L'Empire Americain" or "Jesus de Montreal", in which the characters were authentic and sympathetic, and the stories fascinating.

Spoofs are fine. Broad comedies are fine. But as movies such as "Waiting for Guffman" and "Best in Show" will attest to; you need to care about the characters on screen, even if things they do are ridiculous.

Just because the universe of fashion reeks of superficiality, doesn't mean a movie spoofing it should be just as if not more superficial than the world it's attacking.