COYOTE UGLY (2000)

Directed By: David McNally
Written By: Gina Wendkos
Cinematography By: Amir Mokri
Editor: William Goldenberg

Cast: Piper Perabo, Maria Bello, Izabella Miko, Tyra Banks, Melanie Lynskey, Adam Garcia, John Goodman, Bridget Moynahan, Bud Cort, Ellen Cleghorne, Victor Argo, Michael Weston

Sexy, romantic comedy about a girl in her early 20s named Violet Sanford going to NYC to pursue a dream of becoming a songwriter. Violet gets a "day" job as a bar maid at a nightclub called Coyote Ugly. Coyote Ugly is the city's newest hot spot where the employees are a team of sexy, resourceful women that provoke the clientele and press with their mischief.

Inspired by the GQ magazine article "The Muse of the Coyote Ugly Saloon" by now famous author Elizabeth Gilbert where she describes her experiences as a former Coyote bartender

"Coyote ugly" refers to waking up after a one-night stand and discovering that the person beside you is so ugly that you would gladly gnaw off any limb they are sleeping on, just to get away without being discovered.

Yes another Guilty Pleasure for me. About a small town girl who goes to the big city to follow her dreams and make it big. The film has a universal plot we have seen many times, but it is tweaked a little this time as the main character doesn’t want to be an actress or a singer. She just wants to be a songwriter and this time her only danger is getting distracted and letting her job, which is fun overtake her dream. Even though she has a formed a little family at the bar where she dances in skimpy (Though not skimpy enough)tight clothes and is a bartender. She has to learn not to let the job be her crutch and overcome her performance fear to follow through on her dream.

Jessica Simpson went through many auditions for the lead character, but dropped out when filmmakers refused to take out the sex scene. Most of the sex scene was cut from the finished film anyway.

She also finds love along the way with the charming Adam Garcia who unfortunately didn’t appear in too many films after this one. Which is a shame as he really brings life to the film and the character and definitely had the talent and looks to be a leading man.

You know exactly what is going to happen as you watch the film. It isn’t a great mystery. The film is cute it doesn’t try to represent itself falsely. You know exactly what you are going to get. The film had broad enough appeal with scantily clad ladies for the men. A inspiring story of independence having beauty and brains knowing how to use both for women.

After test screening, the filmmakers discovered from the audience that they wanted to see more of John Goodman. New scenes with him were filmed and added in to the final cut.

The films mild success shows at the time how audiences were starved for sex or titillation (Before the internet) instead of naked girls who never get nude, but talk about sex a lot. It’s a movie that seems targeted for teenage boys. Promising but never delivering what they thought they were going to get. Almost like the teen sex comedies of the 80’sonly those delivered exactly what you were looking for, for the most part. Here though it was advertised as PG-13 the film seems to more about marketing to the male audience then actually making a good film. It is almost like a 90 minute beer commercial only it’s not selling beer. At least not to the audience.

So while the film tries to be an uplifting film with a positive message for young women. It still delivers a backwards message of it’s what is on the inside that counts, hold onto your dream and use your looks and body to help you get there. Hey it never hurt.

Tyra banks is top billed and on the poster even though her role is more of a cameo.

Every time Violet passes the bouncer, he is reading a book about college.

It’s the acting, not the filmmaking that works and wins you over. It’s a feel good movie even when it goes downhill and bad it never goes dark. The film stays positive.

I’m not going to lie. I worked at a movie theater and watched this movie quite a few times. I even own the DVD, but not for nothing this film helped me discover the actress Piper Perabo. One of the actresses I always wonder why she isn’t a star at this point. I have followed her career since this film and at this point she has carved herself a nice resume. She is more of a character actress now. It’s not hard to believe that to get this role she won it over a large number of actresses. The filmmakers were going on a nation wide casting search. Courtney Love almost Got the Maria Bello role allegedly.

LeAnn Rimes did all of the singing for Piper Perabo.

Writer Gina Wendkos said she was actually surprised that action producer Jerry Bruckheimer wanted to produce the movie. She did not think the film was his style at all. I can’t lie and say this film is actually good. The director’s next film was Kangaroo Jack! I don’t know I have a weakness for this film even though I know it plays more like a commercial then a movie. I guess I just liked it’s simplicity and I really never had to pay to watch it as the film seems to include every cliché you can think of.

This film which was produced by jerry Bruckheimer who with his old producing partner. Produced FLASHDANCE which this film seems heavily influenced by, Though FLASHDANCE was a better made film that was more risqué and definitely deeper then this film ever approaches

GRADE: C+