|
|
|
|
A Slice of Life
by Francine Brokaw
Heartbreak Hospital
We all know soap operas have a large fan base, and those fans are loyal to the core. If you've ever been addicted to a soap opera or know someone who was/is, you know that the characters take on a life of their own with fans. If you recall, the wedding of General Hospital's Luke and Laura was one of the highest rated shows of the time. People love their soaps and soap stars.
In this film, "Heartbreak Hospital" is one of daytime's most popular soap operas, and Dr. Jonathan is one of the most popular characters. When Neely (Chelsea Altman), an out-of-work and down-on-her-luck actress finally lands a role, it is on the soap opera and playing the love interest of Dr.Jonathan. How lucky can she get?
Neely's fiancé Tonio (Demian Bichir) has mixed feelings about her new job. But considering it is only for a short time, he decides it'll be all right. However, her contract is picked up and Neely is quickly becoming a popular actress. The diva of the show, Sunday (Diane Vendora) is jealous of Neely's success. Sunday is an aging star who has control over which directions the storylines go. And she always points them in the right direction to show off her own character. Sunday is getting up there in age, and has been carrying the show for a long time, and doesn't feel comfortable with a young upstart upstaging her.
Neely's neighbor Lottie (Patricia Clarkson) is a "Heartbreak Hospital" addict. And she is in love with Dr. Jonathan. Lottie is missing a few screws and does not understand that the character she sees on TV is only fictional. She believes there is a real Heartbreak Hospital and a real Dr. Jonathan. When she meets Milo (John Shea) who plays Dr. Jonathan on the show, she doesn't distinguish between the actor and the character. To him, he IS Dr. Jonathan. And his ego goes along with the ruse with this all adoring fan.
This film is just like a soap opera in that it has a little bit of everything - love, comedy, romance, and murder. It also has jealousy, treachery, and insanity. With a running time of 91 minutes, Heartbreak Hospital is a cute look at the lives of soap opera stars in both on and off screen.
© 2002 Francine Brokaw
Let's Talk About It!
Issues newsgroup
Join us to talk about this article!
|
|
|
