Overblown, overheated, overrated

Rating: 3/10 (7 August 2004)

Annoyingly stupid movie, meant to launch Whitney Houston's acting career and, apparently, Kevin Costner's fallback career as a model for terrible haircuts. Houston is, of course, gorgeous and sings like an angel, but her acting "talent" is nowhere to be seen, and her ineptness brings down the whole movie--not that it had a lot going for it in the first place. After Houston, playing a pop diva, starts getting death threats from an obsessed and obviously crazed fan, Costner--a former Secret Service agent--is hired to protect her. Instead of showing appreciation for his efforts to save the lives of her and her family, however, Houston proceeds to fight him at every turn, insulting him, mocking his attempts to turn her house into a secure area and generally making a complete ass of herself, and her attitude spreads to her entourage and hangers-on, all of whom turn on Costner. In the real world Costner's character would have told her to screw off after the first day and dumped her, but--in a plot "twist" you can see coming a mile away--they proceed to fall in love. Yeah, right.
Anyway, like I said, Houston is great to look at, her voice is divine, and Costner tries hard, but overall this movie is not much more than an extended episode of "General Hospital" or some other equally brainless soap opera, and is just as predictable and badly acted. Houston's fans will like it, Costner's fans might like it, but anyone else is strongly advised to avoid it.