# Nurse Betty (2000)

### reviewed by
Shannon Patrick Sullivan

    NURSE BETTY (2000) / *** 1/2

Directed by Neil LaBute. Screenplay by John Richards, from a story by Richards and James Flamberg. Starring Renee Zellweger, Morgan Freeman, Chris Rock. Running time: 110 minutes. Rated AA for offensive language by the MFCB. Reviewed on September 17th, 2000.

    By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN

The Summer 2000 movie season was characterised by a startling absence of creativity. Film after film -- from "Gone In 60 Seconds" to "Hollow Man" -- revealed themselves as tired retreads of timeworn formulas. Some were at least made watchable by a nice performance, or good direction. Too many, however, were entirely undistinguished, resulting in one of the most disappointing theatrical summers I've ever endured.

Now, though, it's autumn (in the cinema world, if not the calendar), a time when the industry traditionally moves away from big-budget, mass-appeal movies to quieter, often more ambitious fare. Leading the way this year is "Nurse Betty", which in some respects bridges the gap between the summer and fall, inasmuch as it closely adheres to one of the most popular cinematic traditions: the road movie.

All the usual plot points are here. The lead character is inspired to set out on an unusual journey; has encounters en route which help to redefine her purpose; and finally reaches her goal, only to discover that the road she set out on is not the one she still travels. What makes "Nurse Betty" so different from other pictures of its ilk, however, is the sheer cleverness exhibited by the John Richards and James Flamberg's screenplay -- aided and abetted by terrific casting and solid direction by Neil LaBute. "Nurse Betty" does not settle for being just a road movie. It uses the familiar set-up to tell a story that is laudably different, yet undeniably appealing.

Betty Sizemore (Renee Zellweger) is a good person trapped in a lousy life. She is married to the sleazy Del (Aaron Eckhart), a car salesman who is having an affair and trafficking drugs behind her back. Betty's only happiness comes from a soap opera, "A Reason To Love", and especially its main character, Dr David Ravell (Greg Kinnear). One night, Del's sordid misdeeds finally catch up to him when a pair of enforcers named Charlie and Wesley come calling. Charlie (Morgan Freeman) is a sagacious veteran of the trade; Wesley (Chris Rock) is a hothead up-and-comer.

Del ends up being scalped and killed by Charlie and Wesley. Unbeknownst to them, Betty watches from another room. The event is so traumatic that, as a defense mechanism, she blocks out her husband's death and comes to believe that she is the ex-fiancee of "David Ravell". Determined to "win him back", Betty sets out for California, not realising that Del has hidden his stash in the car she's driving. Soon Charlie and Wesley are in hot pursuit.

What is most interesting about "Nurse Betty" is that it is really two conventional road movies put together, one mirroring the other. Obviously, there is Betty and her search for "David Ravell" (actually an actor named George McCord). In her delusion, Betty has conceived a mental image of the man as her perfect paramour. By the same token, Charlie begins to develop a crush on Betty. He envisions her as a symbol of all the loveliness he forsook when he became a killer for hire. "Betty wouldn't come to a place like this," he tells Wesley when they arrive at a roadside tavern. Nonetheless, Betty had been there, and this is indicative of how Charlie's fantasies about Betty are as imprecise as Betty's fantasies about "David".

Both Betty and Charlie are seeking deliverance from their undesirable regular lives through an imaginary ideal love. They even begin to fantasise in parallel: Betty imagines that "David" proposed to her at the Grand Canyon and later, Charlie envisions Betty and he dancing at the same spot. It is a dual reflection of how we, as a society, seek escape both through entertainment and through those we love. The reality is that, although these are helpful vehicles, neither is a perfect solution. We have to make our own happiness, not rely on other people (or other things) to deliver it to us.

Offsetting the more reflective tone of "Nurse Betty", Richards and Flamberg have gifted their screenplay with a great deal of humor. Some of it will appeal to anyone; some of it is specifically targetted at those familiar with Hollywood. For example, when Betty finally meets George McCord and the producers of "A Reason To Love", they think she's method acting, not deranged, and offer her a role in the soap opera.

Great acting abounds in "Nurse Betty". Zellweger delivers a performance that should establish her as more than capable of headlining a film. Her Betty is sweet but not saccharine, deluded without being crazy. Also splendid is Freeman, who continues to quietly demonstrate why he is one of the best actors of the past quarter-century. He brings a gentle dignity and wisdom to his role, but does not forget that Charlie is, above all, a hardened criminal. Charlie is a character tinged with sadness; he is a man who clearly could have done much with his life, but has long since gone down the wrong path.

Rock has a less substantial role, but is very funny and for the most part manages to rein in the excesses he sometimes demonstrates in his stand-up act. Between "Nurse Betty" and "Lethal Weapon 4", Rock has shown that he is an actor as well as a comedian, and I look forward to seeing him take on meatier roles in the future. Kinnear, meanwhile, is left in the rather uncomfortable position of effectively playing two roles, neither of them much more than caricatures. Excellent in supporting roles are Allison Janney ("The West Wing) as McCord's self-assured producer, and Crispin Glover, who plays Betty's nerdy reporter friend and, maybe, potential love interest.

"Nurse Betty" hits all the right notes. It's well-made from any perspective and appeals on two important levels: as a hilarious dark comedy for those in search of mere levity, and as a thoughtful parable about the nature of perception and happiness for those wanting something a little deeper. "Nurse Betty" gets the Fall 2000 movie season off to a promising start.

Copyright © 2000 Shannon Patrick Sullivan. Archived at The Popcorn Gallery, http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies/NurseBetty.html

_______________________________________________________________________ / Shannon Patrick Sullivan | "We are all in the gutter, but some of us \ | shannon@mun.ca | are looking at the stars." - Oscar Wilde | \___________________________|__________________________________________/ | Popcorn Gallery Movie Reviews www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html | | Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) /drwho.html |

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