Nurse Betty (2001)

Renee Zellweger as "Betty Sizemore"
Morgan Freeman as "Charlie"
Chris Rock as "Wesley"
Greg Kinnear as "George McCord/Dr. David Ravell" 

Directed by Neil LaBute

The strangest thing about people is that they can fall in love at the drop of a hat with anyone for any reason, actual or perceived. It may not even be about that person, but just the idea of the person, or of falling in love to begin with. My mother always tells me that I never fall in love with a person, but rather the idea of love itself, and that I am an incurable romantic. If that is true, then perhaps "Nurse Betty" is a film for the incurable romantic within us all. More likely, however, it is a sick, twisted comedy about an insane person in an even crazier world, and the almost kaleidoscopic journey she undertakes for that kind of "perceived" love.

The film revolves around Betty Sizemore, a Kansas waitress who just so happens to be the nicest, most innocent person one could ever meet. Unfortunately, she is married to a real scumbag of a guy; an auto salesman named Del (Aaron Eckhart). The first time we see Del, he is in the midst of having sex with his secretary when he is interrupted by a phone call from Betty. It's her birthday, you see, and she wants to borrow one of the new red Buick LeSabres for a night out with her friend Sue Ann. Del would rather she take the blue Corsica. We shortly find out why: Del is up to his neck (and out of his league) in a drug deal. He has a lot of cocaine stashed in that red LeSabre, and owes a lot of money to the wrong people. Worse for him, the wrong people sent two hitmen, Charlie and his apprentice Wesley, to speak with him. Even worse for Del, Betty makes off with the LeSabre anyway, but is disappointed to find that Sue Ann can't find a sitter for the night. Well, seeing as Del ate half of Betty's birthday cupcake, I think he deserves whatever he gets.

What he gets is killed, and in a most vicious manner (I won't discuss it here, because to do so would lessen the surprise). As you may expect, Betty spent the night at home watching a tape of her favorite soap, "A Reason to Love." Predictably so, she witnesses the murder, but as she is jolted by the brutal event, she begins to retreat into a shock-induced fantasy world, where she is Nurse Betty, the ex-fiancee of her favorite character, Dr. David Ravell. Having blacked out her memory of the killing, Betty writes Del a goodbye note, and sets out for Los Angeles for a "reunion" with Ravell, who is really actor George McCord (who is really Greg Kinnear). Meanwhile, Charlie and Wesley learn that Betty is not only an eyewitness, but also in possession of the drugs they were sent to recover. Off they go on a two-fold mission: to reclaim the narcotic cargo, and to ice Betty.

This is not as simple as it sounds. As the hitmen pursue Betty across the country, Charlie falls in love with her, or rather the idea of someone like Betty. Betty, however, is completely enraptured with the idea of the dashing and noble Dr. Ravell. This is the film's strongest thread. Rather than a straightforward romance, we have two people hip deep in unrequited love, neither knowing the real person behind their fantasies. Charlie begins to describe Betty in metaphors and superlatives, and he refuses to believe that she would venture across the country for a soap opera. No, this sort of quest is beneath someone like Betty.

Betty, on the other hand, actually stumbles into a nursing job in the pharmacy of a Los Angeles hospital after inadvertently saving a man's life during a shootout. After hearing Betty's story, his sister Rosa (Tia Texada) invites Betty to stay with her, not knowing about the Dr. Ravell character on "A Reason to Love." She finds out through her boss though, and is more than a little upset after spending days trying to locate the fictional Dr. Ravell. Her opportunity to pop Betty's fantasy bubble comes in the form of two tickets to a charity event attended by none other than George McCord, the actor behind the debonair doc. As expected, Betty approaches George in her delusional state, calling him "David" and reciting lines from seven-year-old episodes of the soap. To Rosa's surprise, however, George plays along, intrigued by Betty and believing her to be an aspiring actress. Not surprisingly at this point, though it would have been so before, George starts to fall for Betty as well.

It's funny seeing two other clueless men attracted by one clueless woman. Charlie uses the symbolism of his final hit as a thin excuse for his fascination with Betty, and Wesley grows increasingly tired of it. Meanwhile, George thinks that Betty is an amazing actress and arranges for her to have a small part on "A Reason to Love." Things spin even further out of control as the film spirals closer to its finale. Once there, however, the film seems to deflate a little, content with spreading a message of independence and belief in oneself through Charlie to Betty. Still, it's an entertaining ride throughout, and the cast shines in their respective roles.

Chief among the performers is Zellweger herself, who absolutely sparkles as Betty; radiating a doe-eyed innocence throughout the picture that is both comical and alluring. I don't think she's ever looked better here, and she makes that cuteness work for her. Morgan Freeman has one of his best roles here, but still.he seems like Morgan Freeman. Don't get me wrong, Freeman is a tremendous actor, but with that face and voice, you know you're watching.Morgan Freeman. Nonetheless, he conveys Charlie's world-weariness well, mixing it with a growing gentlemanly fascination with someone he perceives as being hopelessly above him. Chris Rock is adequately volatile as Wesley, and Greg Kinnear...well, what can I say? No one plays an unmitigated S.O.B. like Greg Kinnear. He takes what should be a typical "actor jerk" role and defies convention by actually giving him depth and making him seem almost...nice. This is Kinnear's best role since "As Good As It Gets" (though I liked him a lot as Captain Amazing in "Mystery Men").

Neil LaBute's previous movies are best known for their mean-spirited male characters, and here, Del and Wesley fit that mold, but Charlie actually has a good heart. To him, all of his targets have deserved what they received, and the job is just that: a job. It's not that he especially enjoys killing. It's what he's good at doing. Other male supporting characters include the stereotypical good-for-nothing sheriff and Crispin Glover (George McFly!) as Roy, a nerdy yet intrepid reporter. It's always good to see Crispin Glover in anything (as it reminds me of Back to the Future), and Roy is incredibly reminiscent of George McFly. Guess it's the guy's specialty (though he can play other kinds of characters; see Jim Jarmusch's "Dead Man" for an example).

The film is briskly directed, and each of the leads has their chance to shine. Credit for this goes to director LaBute, an actor's director in this film. He draws the best out of his cast, but with their talent, the job doesn't seem that hard. This is a movie that seems so effortless in its construction and flawless in its darkly comic tone. "Nurse Betty" is good for more than a few laughs, and recommended for a rental at the very least (though worth much more).