SOAPDISH. Directed by Michael Hoffman; written by Robert Harling and Andrew Bergman; produced by Aaron Spelling and Alan Greisnan for Paramount. Starring Sally Field, Kevin Kline, Robert Downey, Jr., Cathy Moriarty, Elisabeth Shue and Whoopi Goldberg. Rated PG-13.
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Soapdish takes a while to get going. Too long, maybe, for some moviegoers. But once it gets lathered up, its satire of "daytime drama" is funny enough to be worth the wait.
The disjointed and somewhat unevenly paced first half or so sets up the ensemble cast of characters. Field plays the plot's focal point, "The Sun Also Sets" sweetheart Celeste, who, though well past the ingenue age, is hardly decrepit.
Some of her co-stars would love to push her over that hill, however. Notably Moriarty (as the wonderfully named Montana Moorehead). Montana enlists the help of David (Downey, the show's producer) in a series of funny almost-seduction scenes.
Kline steals the show, though, as Jeffrey, the down-and-out former soap star recalled by David and Montana simply to irk Celeste. Jeffrey continually gets the best lines in the movie, so the success of his character isn't due entirely to Kline's talents. But he still should get most of the credit.
In one stroke, Kline saves Soapdish from being just another so-so funny farce and also redeems Kline's comic reputation, which was somewhat trashed after his last effort, the horrible I Love You to Death.
Goldberg, who herself has been responsible for some of the funniest scenes, if not funniest movies, of recent years, has very little to do here. She's the TV show's writer and although she does a good job as Field's straight man, she's certainly more fun to watch on the other side of the comic fence.
Shue gives it a good try as the aspiring actress who turns everything topsy-turvy on the soap set. But she's pretty clearly outclassed by her co-stars when it comes to comedy.
All in all, though, if you have the patience to wait it out, you'll be rewarded by some real belly laughs by the end of Soapdish.
June 12, 1991