When Joe (Billy Connolly), an Irish-American florist, decides to leave his quiet life behind and hit the road in search of adventure, he soon runs into Hush (Sharon Stone), a beautiful ex-stripper with a passion for gambling. After getting into trouble with local crimelord George (Ian Holm), the pair flee to Las Vegas – but with George’s henchman following hot on their heels, this might be more adventure than Joe had bargained for!
Beautiful Joe is a well-intentioned film. The problem is that it tries for both comedy and drama, and succeeds in neither. Amiable Irishman Joe (Billy Connolly), after one of the worst days imaginable, decides to leave his adopted New York home and seek adventure. Unfortunately, he runs into Hush (Sharon Stone) and gets “Far More Adventure than He Bargained For”. Stone’s character is the standard beautiful-but-messed-up-woman-who-needs-rescuing that is for some mystifying reason supposed to be appealing. And yes, of course she has a mute son who just might speak if only he had the right reason. Stone is “stretching” herself here, and is clearly eager to play a character: she mugs, she drawls, she wiggles and she cries. Not a scrap of scenery escapes her gullet; at times her attempts at comedy actually become sort of upsetting. Ally McBeal’s Gil Bellows turns in a similarly inept and cartoonish “comic” performance. Beautiful Joe’s one saving grace is Connolly, who manages to rise above his fellow cast members and the bizarre editing to turn in a charming, dignified performance. –Ali Davis, store
