ISN'T SHE GREAT-- **1/2 -- Bette Midler, Nathan Lane, Stockard Channing, David Hyde Pierce, John Cleese, Amanda Peet; rated R (profanity, vulgarity); Carmike Ritz 15 Theaters; Century Theatres 16; Cinemark Jordan Landing Theaters; Loews Cineplex Holladay Center, South Towne Center and Trolley Corners Cinemas.
"Isn't She Great" isn't great, but it is colorful and fun and has some good laughs.The film tells the story of Jacqueline Susann, author of "Valley of the Dolls," the controversial 1966 novel about promiscuous, pill-popping actresses. All she ever wanted was to be famous, and after several failures on stage, radio and television, Susann finally finds her place in the spotlight with this racy book.
Bette Midler plays Jackie and is the perfect choice to portray the author's outrageous life. All big hair and wild clothing and snappy one-liners, Midler, like Jackie, is larger than life.
Nathan Lane plays Irving Mansfield, Jackie's manager and husband, whose constant exclamations of "Isn't she great?" inspired the title. He sees a talent in Jackie that no one else sees, and each is the other's most loyal fan.
The film follows Jackie as she struggles for stardom, then writes "Valley of the Dolls" and goes on a cross-country book-selling tour with Irving, her poodle and her publicist in tow. It also shows her battle with breast cancer, of which she died in 1974, and her efforts to hide her affliction from the public.
The screenplay from Paul Rudnick ("In & Out") is based on an article Michael Korda wrote about Jacqueline Susann for "The New Yorker." Andrew Bergman, who directed "The Freshman" and "Honeymoon in Vegas" and wrote "Fletch" and "Soapdish," is the director. Like their previous films, "Isn't She Great" has a sort of wacky energy and several good jokes.
When Irving and Jackie first meet and are trying to impress each other, he tells her, "Do you know Perry Como? I handle his brother."
Later, when Jackie seeks feedback on her first draft of "Valley of the Dolls," Irving exclaims, "It's like 'Madame Bovary.' "
"Name a real book," she responds.
"It's like 'Gone With the Wind,' only filthy," Irving says.
Midler and Lane bounce off each other beautifully, and the script highlights both actors' superb comedic timing.
Stockard Channing gets some of the best lines of all as Jackie's close friend, Florence.
Unfortunately, the script is little more than a series of one-liners. We don't learn much about Jackie beyond her yearnings for fame, her expensive tastes and her love for Irving.
Most of the time, there is no sense that we are watching real people. They seem self-consciously on display.