Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre film........
Review: I'm a huge fan of Madonna and in the past two years I've become a big fan of Rupert Everett, that's mainly why I bought this video. I wasn't sure what to expect going into the film, mainly because of the bad reviews the movie received after it's release. I give it three stars, solely because I like the two main actors. The script itself has some problems and like the review above mentions, it seems at times it was rushed and almost like a rough draft of a script. I just wasn't buying what some of the characters were saying to each other. It seemed trite, and the language seemed like something straight out of a bad 80's movie. I also disagree with the review above when it states that Madonna is the most relaxed she's ever been in a film! That's so not true, if anything she seemed more tense to me. And what the heck is going on with that accent? Sometimes it was painfully obvious and at other times it seemed to fade. I like her a lot, but she really needs to loosen up, especially in this film. She seemed extremely uptight, not to mention her character becomes downright unlikeable about 2/3 into the movie. As for Rupert (Robert), I liked him and I shared his pain in the movie. This character was very well defined and if anything at all, he makes this movie worth seeing. The plot twist towards the end of the movie threw me a bit and I don't understand where the twist came from, this should have been made more apparent to the audience earlier in the film. Overall, it's a mediocre film, not bad, but not real good either. If you're a fan of either of the main actors, then buy this film. If you're not a big fan, you're better off renting it.
Rating: 
Summary: Definitely The Next Best Thing
Review: If you can't get enough of Madonna from her music, this movie is definitely the next best thing. I honestly never imagined Madonna as an actress but watching this movie made me re-evaluate her as an actress. She shines in this heart-warming movie with Rupert Everett. Its not the kind of movie you would expect someone as wild as Madonna to do. This movie has a proper plot and story line and has a proper ending. The ending is actually quite touching and made me want to go out and grab my tissues. Whether you are a Madonna fan or not, you might want to try watching this movie. Whether you like the movie or not, I don't know but you'll definitely start to re-evaluate Madonna.
Rating: 
Summary: Utterly charmless.
Review: Surely this marks the end of Madonna's movie "career".
To be quite honest it's not entirely her fault.
The Next Best Thing is victim to flat direction and an awful script.
Is this really the same John Schlesinger who made a film called Midnight Cowboy over thirty years ago?
...
Rating:
Summary: This Movie Is The Best!
Review: Madonna is my favorate actress.She is the only one who could have done this movie.No other actress can look as beautiful as Madonna does in this movie.I recommend everyone watch this at least once."Thumbs Up!"
Rating:
Summary: Best of 2000
Review: Having seen allot of films try to "stradle the fence" The Next Best thing pulls it off. It's a true to life look at how unconventional families in todays world exist and survive.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie!
Review: I would just like to say that this movie with Madonna, Rupert Everett, and Benjamin Bratt is one great movie. Sure it is not your traditional movie, it's a movia about familes that are different. I just wanted to say that this movie is a really good one.
Rating:
Summary: One of the BEST Movies Ever made!
Review: I just want to say i really enjoyed THE NEXT BEST THING. Many of the other reviews focus on MADONNA's accents, her hair, the lighting anything but the movie. I think she is an AMAZING actress. When she is in music videos shes acting so when someone puts a Film crew in front of you whats the differece there both performances. I just think this is a Great movie that touches your heart. I am sorry so many people focus on MADONNA and think she is a bad actress as if they know who she is in real life. Anyway ignore all those reviews that focus on everything but the actual film and there prejudice toward MADONNA. Check THE NEXT BEST THING out its a GREAT flick and MADONNA does a good job, come on she is MADONNA she can do what she wants!
Rating:
Summary: Quite possibly the worst movie I have ever seen
Review: I had heard bad reviews about this movie. However, I tossed them aside as I seem to generally enjoy movies that get panned by critics. I don't necessarily think a movie always should be "deep", if it's entertaining, then that's enough for me. So I went into this with an open mind. For once, I think I should have listened to the critics. This movie was just awful. About ten minutes into watching it, my husband and I debated turning it off, but the frugal side of us won over. I am a Madonna fan. The only movie I have watched with her has been "Desperately Seeking Susan", which I don't think was much of a stretch for her. In "The Next Best Thing", she comes across very stiff and uncomfortable to the camera. She even looks well past her 40 years of age due to harsh light. But that's beside the point. The point is she was not comfortable in this role and it shows. It seems as though she was dubbed as lot as well. And the fake English accent was horrendous. My husband and I agreed that she was awful in the beginning and end, however, she seemed to relax in the middle. Maybe they shot the beginning and ending scenes first? That might explain it. Rupert Everett is typically charming, yet I still had trouble caring about his character. His relationship with Madonna seemed forced, not natural. And his behavior at the end, although some people may find it justified, made me dislike his character even more. Benjamin Bratt seemed to be the only natural actor in this movie - too bad he couldn't save it. I cannot fathom that while making this the director, producer, etc. thought that this movie was worthwhile. Perhaps with another actress it could have been better? We'll never know. All I do know is that I never want to watch this movie again. As my husband so eloquently put, "That's an hour and a half I'll never get back."
Rating: 
Summary: Misses the mark, emotionally and outwardly.
Review: The story and promotional material of "The Next Best Thing" raises many expectations... so many, in fact, that it ruins a good portion of what is supposed to be a heartfelt film of acceptance and the struggle between best friends. The story is somewhat faulty, but the real damper in this film is the acting, which seems flat and lifeless, adding no emotion or heart to a movie that centers around those key feelings. Another ruinous aspect is the lifestyle in which the characters reside, which is much to exorbitant and mismatched for their jobs.... Robert, a homosexual construction worker who is tired of all the sex and "body obsession" that comes along with his lifestyle. Now tell me something: does it not seem a little hypocritical that he complains about body obsession, yet his physique is shown in its glorious form more that its fair share throughout the movie? That's not the end of it; he is best friends with a woman named Abbie, who is a yoga instructor and runs her own classes. This role is played out by Madonna, who seems to be having a lot of trouble in deciding which of her many fake accents to use throughout the film. She never reaches the mark of mediocre acting, much less fine acting, and instead comes across as sounding consigned and drab, adding no life to her character. Even when she cries, you know she's really pushing for tears. The story somewhat picks up when Abbie, upset over her recent breakup with her two-year boyfriend Kevin, and sensible Robert have one too many drinks on the night of the Fourth of July and end up making love, or having sex (we never really know how it turns out; the screen fades black). They wake the next morning, and immediately have an argument about who put the moves on who first the previous evening. This is a waste of scene, especially in the dialogue, where the wit and witticism of Everett is totally wasted of Madonna's unenthused retorts. They go on a hiatus from seeing one another, until Robert makes the ultimate sacrifice of calling her and sending her a plant (original, yet dull). Could the plant be symbolic of events to come? Not even close. If we haven't seen at least one metaphorical meaning yet, we're likely never to encounter one down the road. Abbie discovers that she is pregnant, but never stops to think for one second that the baby is not Robert's (ah, how easy we forget two years of sex). They both agree to give the child a happy and loving home, which will require living together. After Abbie has the baby (which uses one of the most over-used childbirth one-liners ever), the movie skips ahead seven years to the present, even though it seems like we've been in one place the whole time. We see the happy family together among friends, but be forewarned: this is the only real time they ever spend any time together. After this point, the movie spirals into a shameful third act of Robert's jealousy over Abbie's new relationship, and a custody battle that goes nowhere in terms of plot development. What makes this movie work? Nothing, if you sit down and think about it. The movie is supposed to be about family, and the values of a family that is different from you average family. How are we supposed to see how they get along in one house if the only time we get for that is in between the arguments of the adults and the beginning of the second half? Instead, we are left with nothing but a cavalcade of Abbie's relentless whining about the absence of love from her life, Robert's ongoing will to hold onto a child that is not even his own, and occasional intervals that involve a lifeless Neil Patrick Harris as Robert's friend and confidante. He does nothing for the film on any level; he is just simply thrown into the mix, along with such actors as Lynn Redgrave and Benjamin Bratt, whom we never really get to know. There always seems to be a glimmer of hope on the horizon for this movie, and just when it seems like something good is going to happen, it becomes hampered by plot twists and crappy dialogue that add nothing but running time to the movie. The third act, or the courtroom battle, is the most ludicrous of these twists. The whole premise of the movie is supposed to be about best friends working things out together. So why drag us through an entire courtroom sequence that does nothing but make us lose more feeling for the characters? The acting is some of the most flat and dull performances I've seen in a movie in a long time. It makes no sense that Madonna is placed in such a role; this is a huge step down from her character in "Evita," and she plays out Abbie as if she knows this is true. She is never really able to show any true emotion, and while she looks like she is right at home with the role, it makes the rest of the movie suffer and dwindle. Rupert Everett is sometimes emotional and enlightening as Robert, though his wit and humor, while adding a small degree of charm, do virtually nothing to salvage it. Supporting actors are hardly worth mentioning more than they already have been, because we never really get a chance to know them, therefore, we cannot care for them at all. Through the marketing criteria, the movie is made to seem like something so much more than it really is. But, although it looks good on the outside, "The Next Best Thing" is a grab bag of leftover plotlines and flimsy dialogue all thrown together to create something that really doesn't have as great an impact as it aspires to have.
Rating:
Summary: Not Just "Borderline" Terrible--It Is Terrible!
Review: Thank your "Lucky Star" if you miss this one. This movie is so bad I don't know where to start. I don't like Madonna to begin with. It's bad enough that I have to hear her belt out her crappy pop ditties on the radio and see her face plastered on magazine covers, but this so-called "movie" is quite possibly the worst thing she's unleashed on the public. It's even worse than "Body of Evidence" and that's saying something. Maybe I'm prejudiced against Madonna, but I was willing to give this movie a chance...boy, do I regret it. I want my two hours back.
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