Jimmy Hollywood MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +2 Content: -2

Jimmy Alto (Joe Pesci), a former aluminum siding salesman from New Jersey, hopes to make it big in Hollywood as an actor. He lives with his girlfriend Lorraine (Victoria Abril), spending his days waiting for the phone to ring or roaming Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Stars with his friend, William (Christian Slater). When his car radio is stolen, Jimmy decides to videotape crimes and give the videos to the police. He and William capture a criminal in the act both on video and live. A note left by William with the crook, signed "S.O.S." makes the news and Jimmy becomes known as the shadowy leader of a mysterious vigilante movement. Jimmy sees it as the role of a lifetime. He and William began catching other criminals and helping people feel safe again. When a drug dealer is shot and S.O.S. is blamed, the police now feel a need to stop vigilante violence. The acting world of Jimmy and the reality of life clash in this rather dark comedy-drama, but the collision comes in slow motion, more endurance than entertainment.

Although the vigilante type actions by Jimmy and William are dangerous, they do use prop guns loaded with blanks. They videotape the criminals for evidence before they "arrest" them and turn them over to the police. Violence is minimal for a film dealing with crime. There is a violent fist fight shown in a TV movie Jimmy watches but when dealing with real crimes, it's mostly threats and yelling. One drug dealer does get shot while wrestling with Jimmy, but it's not graphic. In a dream sequence, Jimmy is shot multiple times by the police as he goes out "in a blaze of glory." The film is refreshingly free of nudity or sexual activity although Jimmy and Lorraine are living together. We do see them in bed once, but Lorraine is asleep while Jimmy watches old movies. There is also a flash of Lorraine in her underwear in a bathroom scene. This could have been a recommendable film but, once again, Hollywood thinks we need a liberal dose of obscenities in our entertainment. The humorous surprise ending fails to overcome JIMMY HOLLYWOOD's slow pace and foul language.

Preview Reviewer: Paul R. Bicking
Distributor: Paramount Communications Inc., 5 Columbia Circle, NY, NY 10023