It wasn't as bad as I thought (of course it may just be the hormones talking)

Rating: 6/10 (4 August 2000)

Coyote Ugly: Coyote Ugly: Rather than follow the classic script - marry your high school sweetheart, settle down in a house with a white picket fence, 2.5 kids and a dog named spot, Violet sets off (against her father's wishes) for New York to fulfill her dreams as a songwriter. Our heroine soon discovers that life in the big city isn't easy, and getting noticed in the music business is even worse. In order to make ends meet she gets a job as a bartender at a local bar. Let the games begin.
I've always found it interesting that women (at least the ones I know) will go to a movie, no matter how bad it looks, as long as their favorite star (Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia, etc) is in it. I can't stand the thought of an actor I enjoy being in a lousy movie, and tend to avoid them like the plague. But all that came to a crashing halt when I saw the trailer for "Coyote Ugly" - I didn't think "Hey, this is the movie based on the GQ article" or "This looks like an interesting story". The only thought that came to mind was "Wow!" So much for my credibility
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, known for such testosterone laden dramas as "Con Air" and "The Rock", has dropped the guns and explosions in favor of bars and bombshells (the non-exploding kind) in this homage to "Flashdance". The first half-hour of the movie is like a trip to a strip bar with several notable exceptions: the girls look better, they keep their clothes (what little they happen to be wearing) on, they can actually dance, the crowd is mixed and everyone is having a great time. Furthermore, you don't have to worry about a cover charge, choking on smoke, or paying $6 for a watered down beer. Unfortunately, they choose to spoil the fun with a "plot"- it seems that our little Violet has performance anxiety and gets involved with a cute do-gooder boytoy. Will she triumph over her fears, become a success, and marry her Prince Charming? Honest, it's not predictable (note: heavy sarcasm alert!). They should have spent more time in the bar and less time in reflection. Story aside, there actually are some good performances.
The casting call for the part of Violet involved hundreds of girls and I can say without fear of reprisal or recrimination that they found exactly what they were looking for in Piper Perabo - she is cute, dynamic and possessed of a wide-eyed innocence that is genuine. Not only does she have to look adorable, but she had to take piano, guitar, and singing and dancing lessons for the role (doing quite well at each I might add). It was also a pleasure to see Maria Bello once a again - she was the no-nonsense-tough-as-nails doctor on ER who quit to pursue other interests and whom I feared would join David Caruso at the "Home for Abandoned Actors". If your script calls for a "Gutsy Broad" she's your woman. The one piece of casting that sticks out worse than sunflower in a field of tulips is Tyra Banks - her character retires from the bar to go to law school. Please, the only way I'm going to buy that one is if I've had one too many drinks beforehand - I would try to diminish her successes in any way, she is a beautiful, successful, vibrant woman, but by her own admission, if you're looking for brains from her, you had best look elsewhere.
In summary, if you are searching for a tightly written cohesive plot, beautiful cinematography, suspense, or deep characters, this is not the movie for you. If however you want to watch the beautiful people have some fun and don't feel like thinking for awhile, this may make for an entertaining matinee.