Review of Soapdish (1991) by Ryan V — 29 Dec 2011

I've always found soap operas to be rife with the potential for satire. There is so much about that genre of television that I find ridiculous. So having a movie that takes such a broad jab at the entire soap opera industry is great. The comedy in this film is superb. I literally laugh until I cry.

Perhaps the best aspect of the movie is the strange show within a show. I love how the characters' real lives spill over onto their TV show. Normally I hate movies where everything goes wrong for the main character, but Sally Field plays it so whiney it comes off as funny rather than depressing. The cast is star-studded and that makes the movie that much better.

The soap opera of the characters' lives even brings some genuine surprises. So surprising, in fact, that you can go back and watch the film again and see things from a completely different perspective. That's not something you usually expect from a comedy. Soapdish is a perfect satire of the silly world of soap operas and the all-star cast delivers a laugh-out-loud performance that should entertain both fans of soaps and those who've never watched one.