It wants, as Kate says about her documentary, to be a 'seminal work on beauty and aging.' But it wears like a gauzy romantic comedy.
Made-Up (2004)
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Reviews Counted:32
Fresh:13
Rotten:19
Average Rating:5.3/10
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: When Elizabeth gave up her acting career to become a wife and mother, it was a liberating choice. She let her hair go gray, stopped worrying about every extra pound, and laughed when her teenage... When Elizabeth gave up her acting career to become a wife and mother, it was a liberating choice. She let her hair go gray, stopped worrying about every extra pound, and laughed when her teenage daughter Sara nagged her about her appearance. But then Duncan, the husband she thought adored her, leaves her for a beautiful and much younger woman. At the same time, Sara becomes obsessed with appearance and threatens to drop out of school and become a beautician, a career choice that horrifies Elizabeth. Kate, Elizabeth's older sister, is searching for a subject for her documentary video class, and sees the perfect opportunity. She persuades Elizabeth to let Sara do an elaborate makeover on her. With a tape-on face-lift, eye-tucks, girdle, and wig, Elizabeth is transformed - at least fifteen years younger, very glamorous, with a new zest and self-confidence. Sara arranges a meeting at a restaurant between her mother and father to show off her creation, but the focus of Elizabeth's attention wanders to Max, the restaurant's owner. In an effort to spice up her video with a little romance, Kate sets up a date for Max and Elizabeth. Elizabeth, believing Max is only interested in her "made-up" self, transforms herself again for their date. Despite a host of glitches and a near disaster, Elizabeth likes Max, and she loves feeling sexy again. When a production company considers developing the video project into a romantic comedy, Kate's obsession soars. She is certain she has a seminal work on beauty and aging and believes she can turn her video documentary - and her sister's life - into a comedy. When company executives complain that her sister is boring, Kate goes overboard to make Elizabeth interesting. Does Kate go too far? Perhaps. But that's where the comedy begins. What starts as a mother-daughter documentary turns into a Sister Film about beauty and aging, passion and creativity, seeing and being seen - a coming of middle age comedy. -- © 2002 Sister Films [More]
Starring: Brooke Adams, Lynne Adams, Gary Sinise, Eva Amurri
Starring: Brooke Adams, Lynne Adams, Gary Sinise, Eva Amurri
Director: Tony Shalhoub
Director: Tony Shalhoub
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Reviews for Made-Up
This tiresome movie feels too flimsy for the waters beyond the film festival circuit.
Made-Up lampoons the moviemaking process itself, while shining a not particularly flattering spotlight on America's skin-deep notions of pulchritude.
While it doesn't expose any new truths about the problems posed by reaching middle age, it reflects wisely on the truths that already exist.
A lot like Tammy Faye Bakker; you just know it has good intentions, but it ends up as a smeary facsimile of what it wants to be.
If Made-Up sounds all over the place, it is. And we don't suggest you follow.
Droll... but too psychologically fuzzy to engender more than of-the-moment laughs, Made-Up ping-pongs from cultural satire to wan proclamations of 'sisterhood.'
Salvaged by one meta-read that carries some weight as Shalhoub, an Arab-American of Lebanese descent, directs a film about the ills of stereotyping based on appearance.
The few meaningful moments occasionally generated are all but engulfed by fussy, meaningless distraction and wandering trivialities
Mockumentaries aren’t hard to come by, of course, but none of them have ever turned back on themselves like this one does.
It appears that something has been lost in the translation to the screen.
Voice-overs and commentaries are piled on top of contrived intimate moments until, despite some easygoing performances, the movie -- the actual movie -- is a blur of undercooked motivations and halfhearted improv.
The film wants to satirize both our fixation on appearances and reality filmmaking, but its strained humor and litany of cliches add little to either topic.
A comedy with lots going on and with considerable depth and complexity.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
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| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
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