Kevin Kline: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked
4. Jeffrey Andersen/Dr. Rod Randall - Soapdish (1991)
Soapdish is apparently meant to be a satirical take on the world of daytime soap operas. Starring Sally Field as an aging soap queen, Whoopi Goldberg as her agent, and Robert Downey Jr. as the scheming show runner, this comedy from director Michael Hoffman takes a peek behind the scenes of these daily dramas. I understand that Soapdish is supposed to be a self-indulgent parody of the soap world, but it fails to do anything meaningful with that intention and isn't really funny enough to be propped up by humor alone. Did I forget to mention anyone named Kevin Kline in that summary? Perhaps that's because his character is instantly, utterly, truly forgettable. As washed-up actor Jeffrey Andersen, Kline hardly appears in the first half of the film outside a few brief glimpses, and by the time his connection to the rest of the action is revealed, the charm of the "real life is just like a soap opera!" gimmick has all but worn off (perhaps there's a reason actual soaps last no longer than a half-hour). When Andersen plays Willy Loman in a dinner-theatre production of Death of a Salesman, the geriatric audience probably pays about as much attention as the Soapdish audience. He's supposed to look out of place hereĀbut not like this. It's a mystery to me why Kline would take a thankless role like this, especially coming off some strong comedic performances in the previous years. Soapdish is one you can skip.
