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February 2, 2001
By Veronica Mixon
After all, Amanda knows that she has such a poor track
record with men that something must be wrong with Jim.
Head Over Heels is a delightful romantic comedy
starring Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Monica Potter. However,
the real treat is the hysterical way the filmmakers
poke fun at fashion models and our current obsession
with their lifestyle.
Amanda (Potter) meets Jim (Prinze) while looking for
a new apartment. The big dog that he's walking jumps
on her. "That's the horniest dog I've ever seen," remarks
the stunned doorman. Indeed, everyone's sexual appetite
is a running joke in this film. Men line up in the hallways
outside Amanda's new apartment because her four roommates
are beautiful, spoiled models. Her best friend, Lisa
(China Chow) is openly lesbian and always on the prowl.
And, her elderly female co-works, who restore Renaissance
paintings at the museum, encourage her not to let time
slip away. However, Amanda is certain there's something
wrong with Jim. So, her roommates decide to erase her
fears.
First, they crash Jim's party after giving Amanda
a supermodel makeover. But, she only gets his attention
by taking a noise dive down the stairs. Then after witnessing
a bizarre event that looks like a murder, they break
into his apartment searching for clues. While Amana
hides under a desk, the models hide in the bathroom.
Big mistake! Jim is sick from lunch. The bathroom humor
is laugh-out-loud funny and crude - but it works!
In fact, the models steal many of the scenes that they're
in. Their self-absorption is utilized for comic effect.
Candi (O'Hare), an Australian who tells rude tales about
her randy uncle, spends most of her time in the apartment
recovering from cosmetic surgery. She's so clumsy that
she crashes into furniture even when her eyes are wide
open. Audiences may remember dark beauty, Shalom Harlow
as the dumb model who didn't know who to use a rotary
telephone in "In and Out." Add Ivana Milicevic's deadpan
delivery and Tomiko Fraser's elegant air-head attitude
and you have four women, who not only tower over Monica
Potter, but who also match her slapstick comic antics.
At the heart of Head Over Heels is a tender
love story between a frustrated romantic and a dashing
young man. Freddie Prinze, Jr. has become the most sought-after
leading man of his generation because of his sultry
dark handsomeness and clean-cut image. His films include
She's All That, Down to You and I Know
What You Did Last Summer. He's the reign king of
youthful romantic comedy and seems to have chemistry
with all of his leading ladies including Monica Potter.
She's best known as the beautiful wife of ex-con, Nicholas
Cage in Con Air and Steve Prefontaine's girlfriend
in Without Limits, Potter is wonderful
in this lighter, comic romp. Together, they exude boundless
energy and a kinetic sensuality. I think the secondary
suspenseful plot was unnecessary because the romantic
and the zany antics of the models capture the heart
of the audience.
Head Over Heels is a howling good time.
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