Starring: Madonna, Rupert Everett, Benjamin Bratt
Year: 200
Running Time: 110 minutes
I know I'm a little (a lot) biased when it comes to Madonna but I do not subscribe to the commonly thrown around argument that she can't act. There are some unfortunate choices in her filmography (Shanghai Surprise, Body of Evidence, Swept Away) but there have also been some fantastic and iconic performances (Desperately Seeking Susan, A League of Their Own, Evita). The Next Best Thing is by no means in the latter category and I'm hardly about to argue that it should have been nominated for an Oscar. But, 20 years after its release, I still find it entertaining, with some amusing moments and boasting one of my favourite soundtracks of all time. The film was also nominated for Outstanding Film at the 2001 GLAAD Media Awards. But Madonna won a Razzie for Worst Actress for her role of Abbie, a yoga instructor with an unidentifiable accent who sleeps with her gay best friend, Robert, after too many cocktails on July 4th and then raises the child that results from their drunken hookup with him. I recently rewatched the romantic drama so herewith, the good, the bad and the ugly of the film.
The Good
Both Madonna and Rupert Everett look amazing in the movie. Madonna shows off her yoga-sculpted body while a young and dashing Rupert doesn't hesitate to appear shirtless in several scenes.
Robert's OTT revenge on the vile Kevin when he collects Abbie's house keys for her.
Some of Robert's one-liners ("Pull yourself up by your chakras").
Neil Patrick Harris.
Robert's cardiologist (aka the replacement Jack on Days of Our Lives).
Sam. Typically I find child actors incredibly tiresome but the actor playing Sam (Malcolm Stumpf - who is now 29 years old!) manages to avoid being annoying.
The soundtrack. As I mentioned before, the soundtrack is definitely a redeeming aspect of the film, featuring songs such as Boom Boom Ba by Matisse, If Everybody Looked the Same by Groove Armada, Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? by Moby, Stars All Seem to Weep by Beth Orton and Don't Make Me Love Your ('Til I'm Ready) by Christina Aguilera. Of course, the soundtrack includes two of my favourite Madonna tracks, her abridged cover of Don McLean's American Pie (with backup vocals by Rupert Everett) and the highly underrated and largely ignored Time Stood Still, one of her her best ballads in my opinion.
The Bad
The weird soft, halo-like lighting that appears across Madonna's face from time to time.
Robert's unfortunate swimsuit.
Robert and Abbie getting trashed and proceeding to trash someone else's house.
Her outfit for her date with Ben.
Abbie's waspish behaviour the morning after they sleep together. Then Robert's petulance when Abbie announces she and Ben are planning to get married and move to NYC.
Despite being friends in real life at the time, there is little on-screen chemistry between Madonna and Rupert throughout the film; it feels forced in many of the scenes.
The Ugly
Madonna's strange hybrid accent that seems to come and go throughout the film (a criticism she faced in the early 2000s as she was trying to become an English lady).
The not-so-subtle homophobia in certain scenes (Robert's confrontation of Kevin at the recording studio, Abbie discussing Robert with her girlfriends at brunch and one of them describing him as "a waste").
NPH using cringe-worthy vocabulary like "shagged", "nailed" and "bang".
Madonna's forced tears in the emotionally-charged scenes.
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