America's Sweethearts

Veteran publicist Lee Phillips has recently been fired from his position at a major film studio. He is invited by studio head Dave Kingman, with whom he has a contentious relationship, to a private screening of Time Over Time, a new time travel thriller starring Gwen Harrison and Eddie Thomas. Eddie and Gwen were a beloved husband-and-wife team dubbed “America’s Sweethearts” whose marriage fell apart when Gwen had an affair with her foppish co-star Hector, after which Eddie suffered a mental breakdown and checked into a remote New Age wellness retreat.

When Lee arrives, Kingman reveals he has nothing to screen: the movie’s eccentric director, Hal Weidmann, is refusing to release the completed film, insisting on premiering it himself at the upcoming press junket. Kingman is desperate to get hold of the film, as the studio has recently suffered a string of flops, and Time Over Time is potentially the last Eddie and Gwen vehicle ever made. Unsure when, or even if, the film will arrive, Kingman begs Lee to promote the movie at the junket by convincing the press that Eddie and Gwen are back together, reluctantly promising to restore Lee’s job if he succeeds. Lee recruits naive rookie publicist Danny to assist him.

Lee visits Gwen, who now resides with Hector, to persuade her to attend the junket. Gwen is revealed to be spoiled and self-absorbed, nothing like the lovable “girl next door” characters she portrays on-screen. Kiki, Gwen’s sister and long-suffering personal assistant, convinces Gwen that appearing at the junket will help her floundering acting career and public image. Later, at the wellness retreat, Lee secretly bribes the retreat’s spiritual guru with a luxury car to convince a reluctant Eddie that he is ready to face Gwen again.

At the junket, Gwen cozies up to Eddie in front of reporters, while behind the scenes the couple's relationship remains tense. Eddie pines for Gwen at first but finds himself becoming less tolerant of her duplicitous nature. Gwen enlists Kiki to act as her go-between with Eddie, unaware that she harbors feelings for him. To distract the press until the film arrives, Lee and Danny plant clues that Eddie and Gwen have reconciled. After Lee leaks a misleading photo of the couple to the media, Hector (who was not invited to the junket) shows up at the hotel and confronts Eddie, leading to a fist fight that ends when Hector knocks Eddie out with a serving tray. Kingman is thrilled with the publicity, but a guilt-ridden Lee starts to question his tactics.

Kiki helps Eddie to his room, where they give into their growing attraction and spend the night together. However, at Gwen’s cottage the next morning, Eddie sheepishly tells Gwen he is "not technically” seeing anyone, causing Kiki to storm off in disgust. Eddie goes after her, but Kiki lambastes him for his inability to move on from Gwen. Kiki later laments to Lee about a lifetime of coming second to Gwen, while Eddie has an epiphany on the hotel roof and realizes Kiki is the sister he truly wants. Lee, deducing that Eddie and Kiki are in love, encourages him not to give up, but just then, Weidmann arrives in a helicopter to deliver the film.

As the screening begins, Weidmann shocks everyone by revealing that he abandoned the original script and used hidden camera footage, shot without the actors' knowledge, to create a “reality movie” instead. The new film follows Gwen's unrepentant affair with Hector and the resulting decline in Eddie’s mental health; highlights include Gwen’s demanding behavior on set, Kingman being insulted by his assistant, and Gwen mocking Hector’s small penis size. Gwen and Kingman angrily confront Weidmann, who defends his artistic vision, while Hector frantically assures the crowd that he is very well-endowed (which Weidmann’s daughter is happy to confirm). Out of desperation, Gwen announces that she and Eddie are getting back together, but Eddie rebuffs her and publicly declares his love for Kiki. Kiki decides to stop putting her sister's desires ahead of her own; humiliated, Gwen fires Kiki and flounces off. Kiki and Eddie then share a kiss as the audience applauds.

In the aftermath, Weidmann’s movie becomes a surprise hit, and Lee resumes his studio job to promote it. Gwen admits to the press that the reconciliation was a lie, blaming her erratic behavior on pain medication before departing with Hector. Finally, Eddie and Kiki decide to pursue a relationship, and with Lee's blessing, they leave together to travel and enjoy each other’s company.

Julia Roberts' niece, Emma Roberts, makes an uncredited appearance as the young girl in the purple T-shirt.

• America's Sweethearts at IMDb
• America's Sweethearts at Box Office Mojo
• America's Sweethearts at Rotten Tomatoes
• America's Sweethearts at Metacritic