Heretofore known for his viciously incisive, very black socio-sexual satires, director Neil LaBute's Nurse Betty takes a joyride in antic comedy territory with its charming tale of a gentle, bouncy Kansas waitress (Renée Zellweger in her best performance yet) who witnesses the murder of her abusive redneck husband and goes into a very strange shock. To wit: she becomes convinced she's the long-lost fiancée of her favorite soap opera character (Greg Kinnear), fleeing to L.A. to be "reunited" with him. Meanwhile, her husband's killers (a bickering Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock) are hot on her trail. LaBute's black humor sensibilities give a bit of bite to the movie's chirpy Coen Brothers-like atmosphere, but it's Zellweger's sincere and winsome, 100-percent sugar performance that ties the movie together beautifully. Recommended. (R. Blackwelder)
Nurse Betty
USA, 110 min., R, VHS: $107.99 (avail. now), DVD: $26.98, Apr. 3 Vol. 16, Issue 2
Nurse Betty
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