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Starring Sally Field, Robert Downey Jr., Kevin Kline. I would venture to say that the entire purpose of this film is to show that in certain circumstances the truth can be stranger than fiction. Of course, since this is a movie, one must bear in mind that this cliché sort of transforms into "fictional truth can be stranger than fictional fiction."Whatever the case, this movie is funny. Soapdish is the behind the scenes story of a soap opera called The Sun Also Sets. The humor in this movie comes with the notion that the lives of the soap opera actors, actresses, producers, and writers are actually more confusing and naturally twisted than anything they can create for the characters of The Sun Also Sets. For instance, The Sun Also Sets' producer, Robert "whose living room is this?" Downey Jr., wants to sleep with one of the shows lesser known actresses who will grant him this favor, providing that he get rid of the soap's lead actress, Sally Field. They scheme to do this, by bringing Field's old actor flame, Kevin Kline, back to the show, ignoring the fact that Kline's character on the show was decapitated in the '70's. Their hope is that Kline will annoy Field to the point where she quits, something that her best friend and head writer, Whoopi Goldberg, won't allow to happen. When Whoopi gets wise to the plan she tries to write the soap in a new direction, away from Kline's character, and focuses the show on Field's character who is handing out soup in a Caribbean soup kitchen. I'll pause for a moment to let you catch your breath. Soapdish has got an absolutely manic energy to it that makes it very appealing. The characters of Soapdish are all despicable, both on and off the sound stages of The Sun Also Sets, operating on a set of completely non-existent morals, forever spiraling downward, until we reach the film's climax, which comes in the form of a live broadcast that is being made up by the Sun Also Sets' actors as they go along. Field plays the lead well, portraying a soap opera actress with such a feeble grasp on her life and emotions that she makes Jell-O look the rock of Gibraltar. Combined with solid performances by Downey Jr., Kline, Elizabeth Shue and Cathy Moriarty, Soapdish is fantastically enjoyable. Downey Jr. and Moriarty are two of the film's more lecherous, and entertaining, characters, whose only goals are to have sex and gain fame respectively. With characters as shallow, and as driven as these, we are able to view a lot of scenes that, in any other context, would appear to be both in poor taste and stupid, but are genuinely humorous in their present position. Soapdish is surprisingly fresh because its goal isn't to be calm and collected, but to be as absurd and far fetched as possible, and at this it succeeds wonderfully. If you haven't seen this one, take a chance on something straight out of left field, Soapdish is a treat.
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