To me, this movie is perfection.

The Age of Commercialism

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Nurse Betty is one of the more unique movies that has ever existed, as it refuses to fit into any conventional genre or archetype. Part fantasy, black comedy, romance, the movie is about people who live in a fantasy world because the reality of life is too bleak and hard for them. In an early scene in the movie, Betty witnesses an intense traumatic experience in her small Kansas town, which causes her to go on the run to meet her fantasy man on her favorite television soap (Greg Kinnear) and the two hitmen follow her, one after the payload in her car and one after Betty herself. It sounds like a conventional movie plot, but it is suspended in disbelief just like the audience is suspending by watching a movie. Betty's best friend in the movie stats of her to the police that, "She just wanted something out of life.....anything". This is Renne Zellweger's breakout role, before she went on to do the Bridget Jones movies and the Oscar winning Chicago (2002). Her character of Betty is perfectly casted, as she has to act an act of a person so naïve and delusional she is completely unaware of the reality around her. When she is on the set of the soap opera, she constantly asks her co-stars "what they are doing" when they read cue cards and try to dress her in nurse uniforms. The two hitman (Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock) are a great match, on one level because of a hidden connection between them and level two lot because Rock plays the character as a rock hard stone cold killer, and Freeman has more of an experience and no-how to him that leaves him open to new things. In a world full of violence and evil natures, Freeman see's Betty as an innocent that must be put up upon a pedestal and cherished, while Rock just wants his payday. This might be both Chris Rock and Greg Kinnear's best performances, as Rock embodies a true psychopath that only shows humor in his obsession with tv soap opera's towards the end of the movie (spoilers, sorry it's still funny though!). His speech upon interviewing Betty's parents about how "God kills people so it must be natural" is bone chilling, reminiscent of the character of Pluto from Carl Franklin's underrated masterwork One False Move (1992). Kinnear plays a hilarious, over the top version of his actual personality in TV star David, and enjoys every minute of it. The movie is directed by Neil Lebute, master of movies that speak harsh truths about reality. The film has a lot of plot, so it never gets boring, along with a seamless pace that keeps throwing curveballs at the viewer. You think the movie is heading in a certain direction, and it quickly goes into another. People in the movie walk the fine line of feeling sorry for Betty's trauma, getting mad about her unwillingness to accept reality (her eventual roommate Rosa played by Tia Texada), and seeing a lost soul that they can shape to their selfish desires. Most people take advantage of Betty's confused state to make their own desires come true, the movie taking a pretty dark turn as David and the soap-opera producers invite Betty on the set and use her image and dedication of the show (deftly titled "A Reason to Love") as a breath of fresh air for their show (and we all know David has other things on his mind as well). The cinematography is by Jean Yves Escoffier, who brings a gritty quality to such a mainstream feature, the same on he used on Gummo (1997) and his music video for Johnny Cash's "Hurt". In a lot of ways, Nurse Betty has mainstream movie stars and production values with an Indie movie flair and idealism. Labute walks a fine line in this movie of his usual contempt for human nature and his comedic charm, for the former see his directorial debut, the uncompromising 1997 film In the Company of Men and his Samuel Jackson corrupt cop thriller Lakeview Terrace (2008). He also has a light-hearted side though, epitomized by the great scene where the two hitman go to the grand canyon, and Rock watches in disbelief as Freeman dances with an apparition he thinks his real. These kind of comedic charms and whimsical dialogue are later seen in his classic black comedy remake, Death at a Funeral (2010). The screenplay was not written by LeBute this time around, but by two authors: John Richards and James Flamberg. Flamburg is mainly known for musical scores on films, while John C. Richards has only two other credits to his same, the light hearted big budget flop Sahara (2005) and the newer HBO series Paterno (2018) starring Al Pacino. John C. Richards has a knack for tackling controversial topics with a lighthearted attitude. Upon scalping Betty's husband (played by a rednecked-out Aaron Eckhart) and first chasing Betty from Kansas to Los Angeles, Freeman's charter remarks: "I think most women would have screamed when they saw that, don't you?", which is a good example of dialogue that is humorous and horrifying at the same time. In all, Nurse Betty is movie about how we all have expectations of how other people should act. When betty got married, she imagined her husband would be a perfect man, but he constantly cheats on her and makes drug deals. She later holds up David as the perfect man he plays on tv, but he turns out to be a pretentious asshole. Freeman expects Betty to be the answer to all of his problems, but has to come to accept that she is just a confused witness to a crime she had nothing to do with. Just like in reality, it is human nature to expect the best out of other people, only as we get older do we discover that "best" is a relative term. One of Betty's friends in the movie states: "I went to Rome once, and no one can ever take that away from me." Funny how people think experiences like traveling and divorces/relationships make life matter. What this movie wants to ask us is what actually does make life matter, is it how many countries you have travelled to? Is it how many relationships you have had, and how long they lasted? What is the difference between being ignorant of something and being stupid? I guess in the end, we create our own reality, and we are exactly how happy as we let ourselves be.

Nurse Betty (2000): Dir: Neil LaBute / Cast: Renee Zellweger, Morgan Freeman, Chris Rock, Greg Kinnear, Aaron Eckhart: Very unique black comedy about fixation or excessive imagination resulting from being desensitized. Renee Zellweger plays Betty Sizemore who works at a diner and obsesses over a soap opera called A Reason to Love. She believes that soap star David Revell speaks directly at her. After her husband is savagely scalped to death, due to a situation involving stolen drugs, Betty gleefully sets out to meet the man of her dreams. Too disturbing for laughs but interesting and detailed. Director Neil LaBute presents the fantasy dysfunctional elements mixed with warped reality. Zellweger is radiant poising as a nurse believing a false lifestyle. When she finally does snapped back into reality, the film makes some interesting implications especially with Betty. Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock are excellent as her husband's killers out to find drugs hidden in the trunk of her car, unknown to her. Freeman draws laughs through a sudden infatuation with her, while Rock is violent and excessive. With that said, the violence presented is too graphic for the film's tone. Greg Kinnear plays Revell who sees Betty as an act until the tables are turned. Aaron Eckhart plays Betty's husband who gets in too deep with our two assassins. Bizarre portrait of reality and fantasy collision. Score: 9 / 10

A simple, plain, straightforward story that can surprise anybody like it did to me. Frankly to say I thought it was some pure chick comedy and yes it was but little more than that. I can say that where a fun filled 'chick movie' meets the ruthless 'hit man'. The movie was kinda similar to Alfred Hitchcock's last movie 'Family Plot'. The story centers around a Kansas waitress Betty who married to a car salesman. When Betty witness her husband's murder she suffers from a post trauma shock. She forgets everything and becomes a new of her who begins to pursue her favourite soap actor.Impressive performance by Renee Zellweger, I totally fell for her character and tell me who can't. For that she also won the Golden globe trophy, well deserved. Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock were others two with a solid supporting roles who comes in darker shades. It was little cleverly written script than I thought, like I said it was kinda Alfred Hitchcock style theme and presentation. In a couple of scenes I came to know the secrets only when they reveal it themselves. Those were the awesome tiny-tiny twists throughout the movie. This was a pure entertainment for those who seek a movie for relaxation. One of the rare product and a tiny bit underrated movie.8/10

Betty Sizemore (Renee Zellweger) is a waitress in a small city in Kansas. Her ogre husband, Del (Aaron Eckhart), a car dealer, keeps her under his thumb at all times, to the point of relentless verbal abuse. Her only escape is the beloved soap opera, A Reason to Love, which features her idol, the saintly and handsome Dr. David (Greg Kinnear). Betty can even pour refills of coffee without taking her eyes from the television screen! Because of her admiration for the show, Betty secretly longs to become a nurse. On the day that her loathsome husband forgets her birthday and her close friend has to cancel plans to take Betty "out on the town" to celebrate, the young waitress returns home to cook dinner, as usual, and then watch her stash of videos from the daytime drama. But, two bad guys show up, Charlie (Morgan Freeman) and his son, Wesley (Chris Rock). It seems Del has dabbled in drugs and double-crossed his connections and now it is time to pay the piper. Unfortunately, Betty witnesses Del's horrific murder (and it is horrific, indeed) and, as a result, she loses her grip on reality. All of a sudden, Betty believes that she IS a nurse and she must travel to California to find Dr. David, so that she can rekindle a love relationship with him. She takes off. But, since she is a material witness in her husband's death and she may have a sack of drugs hidden in her car, too, Charlie and Wesley begin a hot pursuit of our dear Betty. Will they succeed in bumping her off, also? This is a clever film with great performances but it is very violent from time to time. Yes, it was necessary to provide a reason for Betty's dive off the deep end, but for those viewers who detest violence, keep your finger on the fast-forward button of your remote. Zellweger gives a wonderful performance as the kind-hearted Betty while Eckhart loses himself in a smaller role that spells repugnance in capital letters. Freeman, who has played both God and the president, surprises the audience with his role as an aging killer. As for Rock, his turn as an evil, foul-mouthed assassin is revolting, as it should be, I suppose. The scenery is quite nice, as Betty goes through every state from Kansas to California. Costumes, also, are fine and the production looks great. Writer-director Neil LaBute displays a remarkable creativity and pacing as he tells his twisted tale, with the story going out on a high note. In short, if you are a fan of the stars, clever film-making, or offbeat movies, you will admire Nurse Betty. Just be certain you can handle the rough scenes, as they are powerfully stomach-turning.