RHINESTONE
US, 1983, 106 minutes, Colour.
Sylvester Stallone, Dolly Parton, Ron Leibman, Richard Farnsworth, Tim Thomerson.
Directed by Bob Clark.
Rhinestone is a pleasing bit of nonsense - perhaps a bit too American in taste for non-Americans. The Monthly Film Bulletin reviewer remarked that it was too amiable a film to be labelled as bad. However, it is not a particularly good film. Allegedly based on the song 'Rhinestone Cowboy', it has the old story (as far back as Pygmalion) of somebody trying to shape another into something better. This time it is country & western singer in New York, Dolly Parton, training Sylvester Stallone, a New York taxi-driver, to be a country & western singer. While it works according to the plot, it doesn't exactly work in fact.
The film is enjoyable when Dolly Parton is on-screen with her easygoing style and her singing. Stallone almost does a send-up of his mumbling tough. Ron Liebmann is there to screech and scream (as he did in Zorro Swings Again). On the other hand Richard Farnsworth is amiable as Dolly's father and Tim Thomerson is very good as the backwoods singer. It is all colourful, far-fetched, with some lazy American backwoods humour - directed by Bob Clarke whose credits range from. Black Christmas to Tribute to Murder by Death and the Porky's films.
1. A popular piece of American entertainment? A star vehicle for Dolly Parton and Sylvester Stallone? How well do they work together? Do thew communicate their enjoyment to the audience?
2. Panavision photography, the world of New York nightclubs, city streets contrasting with the backwoods and the country & western town, bars, atmosphere? The importance of the musical score - Dolly Parton's work? Songs, lyrics, humour? Country & western style - as performed by Dolly Parton? As performed by Stallone? The send-up of country & western via rock music?
3. The title and the reference to the Rhinestone Cowboy? The glamour of the city and the clubs? The humour about American cowboys? Urban cowboys? Indication of themes?
4. The focus on Jake: Dolly Parton's personality and presence, cheerfulness, her contract and her wanting to get out of it, her singing in the club, the approaches of Freddie, her trying to ward him off, the decision about the bet, the choice of Nick, the set-up of the bet, her visit to his Italian household and their reaction? Her taking him south, the introduction to her father, his encounter with Barnett and the rivalry, the drinking? The city man at loose in the country - with jokes at the city slicker's expense? Jake training Nick? The rehearsals, the final performance, success? Back to New York, her almost losing the bet? Her falling in love with Nick, the clash between the two, Freddie's intervention? Nick riding out on the horse and rescuing her from Freddie? Jake joining him, for the final song? An American heroine?
5. Sylvester Stallone's style as Nick - real, spoof? His reckless taxi-driving with the Japanese passengers? The encounter with Jake, with Freddie? The bet? Going home to his family - and the humour about his playing the organ, the funeral parlour? The Italian ethos? His going south, his not being used to the country, friendship with Jake's father, the friendship with Barnett and then the clash, the farmyard scenes, his training, learning the backwoods humour, country & western jokes and trying them out, his singing, back to New York, the hooting and the catcalls, his rescuing Jake from, Freddie? A happy ending or not?
6. Freddie and the frenetic style of Ron Liebmann for the go-getting womaniser, his treatment of the women in the club, the auditions, his lecherous attitude towards Jake, his affluent bad style? The bet? His wanting to win the bet and his hold over Jake? The send-up of the conman with money?
7. Jake's father and the pleasant presentation of country & western? His country wisdom? The contrast with Barnett and his singing with Jake, in the bar, friendship, fight?
8. The New York clubs, the auditions, the various acts, the restless and hooting audience? The contrast with the pleasant sing-songs in the South?
9. Themes of show business, Pygmalion? Men and women and their roles in American society? Humour on the American scene?
