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S.F.W. (1994)
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Movie Review by Zara 
January 24th, 2007
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I'd like to live forever...
Back in 1994, the only reality TV programming out there included The Real World and The People's Court, so watching S.F.W. didn't hit home like it does 12 years after it was originally made. It is in no way a great film, being riddled with flaws and over-simplifications, but the intentions of the director make more sense after spending the last decade plus being inundated with shows detailing how people are willing to do anything to become famous and other people are willing to watch anything, no matter the depth of depravity that it sinks to.
Stephen Dorff and Jack Noseworthy are two directionless punks who stop at a convenience store one night to pick up more beer with which to saturate their already melting cognitive reasoning. Along with a wealthy pretty teen girl played by Witherspoon and two other non-essential actors, they are held hostage for 36 days by a terrorist groups whose motivation for or purpose is unclear. They videotape every minute of the ordeal and "force" the television studios to air the footage. Over time, the three remaining hostages (the young, attractive ones - go figure!) become cult heroes to the nation.
Stephen Dorff is a passable actor who has his moments of minor brilliance. This role is NOT one of them. The more fascinating point to make is that I believe this is what the director was looking for. A young, good-looking male who can pout and preen to the camera much like his character pouts and preens for the terrorists' camera. Witherspoon is completely wasted here, but this was when she was still playing to her good girl look and hadn't yet discovered that she could make more of an impact delivering performances which her appearance belied. S.F.W. is a greater movie to watch in retrospect than it was when it was released in 1994. If you've watched as much reality television as I have, it will speak to you in a way that sends that creepy chill down your spine.
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