DVD Review - Picture Perfect

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Site created 12/15/97.

review added: 3/1/00

Picture Perfect
1997 (2000) - 20th Century Fox

review by Todd Doogan of The Digital Bits

Film Rating: B-

Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras): B-/B+/C

Specs and Features

100 mins, PG-13, letterboxed widescreen (1.85:1), single-sided, single-layered, Amaray keep case packaging, theatrical trailers for Picture Perfect, Great Expectations, One Fine Day, French Kiss, Ever After, Cousin Bette and Never Been Kissed, film-themed menu screens, scene access (22 chapters), languages: English (DD 5.1 and DD 2.0) & French (DD 2.0), subtitles: English and Spanish, Closed Captioned

"Boy you're in the wrong profession. We're in advertising Kate -- I didn't lie, I sold."

Liar, liar pants on fire. Jennifer Aniston, our favorite Friend (who always looks like she's stepped out of a walk-in freezer) stars as an upwardly mobile advertising exec, who has to twist and turn the facts about her life inside and out in order to make it up the corporate ladder. Sometimes she comes off as adorably cute, sometimes she comes off like a self-centered brat. But I guess that's life. It's pretty daring for Aniston to play a role this likeably unlikable. If she weren't careful, she'd end up looking really bad. But surprise, surprise -- she actually pulls it off and turns in a pretty quirky comedy. Also starring (and all really good support) are: Illeana Douglas as her enabling best friend, Jay Mohr as this film's Mr. Goodbar, Olympia Dukakis playing the "I want a grandson soon" type mother and Kevin Bacon in an extended cameo as a co-worker she's secretly in love with.

On DVD, this is an fair looking film. Again, it's a Fox standard non-anamorphic transfer without the benefit of dual layering, but it still looks pretty nice with only a few spots of heavy grain, shimmer or artifacting. The colors are crisp and the overall picture is sharp. The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio sounds a bit on the tinny side, but the 2.0 track is really good and I would suggest listening to that channel instead. For the trailer lover, there's a collection of trailers featuring "romantic" Fox films now available on DVD (although I don't think Cousin Bette exactly falls into that genre). All in all, this is a clean standard edition for an okay comedy.

Picture Perfect is worth checking out if you like small romantic comedies about the darker side of human nature. Rent 'em if you got 'em.

Todd Doogan
todddoogan@thedigitalbits.com