Kirsten Dunst lights up the screen in this romantic dramedy Crazy/Beautiful. Will this film be better than the similar themed Mad Love? We shall see. Spoiler alert: it’s much better than Mad Love.
The Plot
Carlos hopes for a better life. In a family that is scraping by, Carlos is counting on his exceptional grades at a prestigious high school to help achieve his dream of attending the US Naval Academy.
Nicole is not as eager nor is she inclined to be successful in school. From a wealthy family, but with little regard for her stepmother and father, Nicole is always getting in trouble. When Carlos and Nicole meet at the beach, the two become inseparable.
The more time they spend together, Carlos’ grades start to fall, and soon he learns the real past that Nicole is contending with. Her father Tom remarried after her mother committed suicide, and she has never got over the loss of her mom.
Carlos is in love, and though their relationship deepens, everyone, including Nicole’s father Tom tries to keep him apart because she will bring him trouble. They run away, but ultimately come home, and Nicole and Tom make a connection that will help heal the wounds and build a better relationship between father and daughter.
The Good
I like the story. This story has been seen before in multiple different movies, including Mad Love, but the performances of Hernandez and Dunst is what makes this movie stand above similar titles.
Dunst plays the damaged Nicole with a grace and depth that a film like Crazy/Beautiful may not have been given the time for. Kirsten Dunst has a difficult job with her character. Nicole needs to be damaged but not out of control, so the audience empathizes with her situation. I felt for Nicole, understood why she did what she did and wanted her to be successful because of the talented work of Dunst.
Jay Hernandez is excellent as Carlos. He not only plays the good kid trying to do right by his family, but his care and love for Nicole is admirable. The connection between the two seems genuine, and that’s what makes the film so enjoyable.
The Bad and the Ugly
After watching the movie for twenty minutes, you can tell where they got the title for the movie. before Nicole names the title herself.
This is a story that has been told and retold many times. On the big screen and the small screen there are dozens of examples of this storyline played out. If you are tired of watching the stereotypical disturbed girl helped by trusting honest guy storyline, you might want to skip this movie.
Beyond the Film Facts
- The film was nominated for an award from the Casting Society of America for Best Casting.
- There is a scene in the hotel, where Nicole’s hair is red. That is because Kirsten Dunst had started filming Spider Man.
- Though Jay Hernandez speaks Spanish in the film, he had to read the lines phonetically because he is not fluent in Spanish.
- The extras in the school scenes are real high school students with no acting experience.
- The movie was inspired by a book of photos by Lauren Greenfield titled Fast Forward.
- The film was originally going to be R rated. Multiple obscenities, a nude scene, and a character’s drug use were dropped to achieve the PG-13 rating.
- It would take five submissions to the MPAA to achieve a PG-13 rating.
- There are four deleted scenes on the DVD.
- The film opened at the number 9 spot at the box office.
- Roger Ebert gave the film a 3 Star review and praised Dunst and Hernandez for their work in the film.
The Streamy Award
{The following four categories are based on a Film Reel scale.
1 Reel-Bored and Killing Time, 2 Reels-When You Have Some Time, 3 Reels-Make Some Time, 4 Reels-Big Screen Event}
Crazy/Beautiful is not a must-see film, but it is highly enjoyable. Kirsten Dunst proves early with her work in this movie that she has incredible talent and is a fantastic actor. I was pleasantly surprised by the movie, it’s a film that once you start, you will want to see through.
Crazy/Beautiful gets a 2 Reels rating. If you have some time and are interested in diving into Kirsten Dunst’s early work, then check this film out.
Cast and Crew
- Kirsten Dunst as Nicole
- Jay Hernandez and Carlos
- Bruce Davison and Tom
Directed by John Stockwell
Produced by Touchstone Pictures / Ufland Productions
Release Date: June 29, 2001
Budget: $13 million
Box Office Gross
Domestic: $16,937,988
Worldwide Total: $19,937,988
Coming Soon
Next week, Reese Witherspoon in Sweet Home Alabama.