View from the Top

Reviewed by Peter Veugelaers © 2003
- Television is not that bad, ah?

 There comes a point in View from the Top that you understand just how stupid you look when you come under the spell of motivational ideas. The scene where Candice Bergen as self-made success story Sally Weston is on the telephone encouraging her disillusioned listener that the only way is up while she is getting pampered on a masseuse’s bench hits home the reality of what pop psychology mantras do to us out here in the real world. It is a reminder how pathetic some of our attempts at rising above our circumstances really are, and the unfolding of this film’s nevertheless clearly told story reiterates this rather annoying platitude.

The irony is that the constantly used word in this film – destiny – that is used as a kind of mantra in its own right is a real word with real connotations. View from the Top is coated in sentimental and romantic fluffy feeling (it’s a nice illusion). It does want to say something serious about "dreams" people have, but is piecemeal in doing so. It is bogged down with emphasising its little mantra - the word destiny is used numerous times - to the point that the whole film is just an encapsulation of the main idea, from the film’s title to unsubtle allusions in the dialogue about "riding high". Do all dreams have to end up at the royal palace – only at the movies, they do. It seems these are the desirable dreams, and ones that satisfy our egos and quest for success.

Donna (Paltrow) is from a small country town where she was brought up with an alcoholic father and a mother with a tendency to exchange husbands intermittently throughout her child’s lifetime. As you probably realise, Donna has a dream. Her dream is to be an international air flight hostess. One day, while watching Sally Weston on television promoting her book on her rise to success, Donna takes Weston’s advice to settle for nothing less but your dream. In little motivational steps Donna is inspired, gets determined, lives on a prayer, meets Sally Weston (with all her guidance), repeats affirmations, and sticks with it when the chips are down. She also meets a guy (who has been looking for her, the girl and fulfilment of his dreams) and girlfriends (Preston and Applegate).

This looks straight forward enough, but either Donna is a fickle women or something went array in the characterisation and storytelling. Let me explain. We, as the audience, know that Donna is seeking her ultimate fantasy, to be an airline hostess for a prestigious organisation. This is her goal, no questions asked. She meets a guy whom she likes and starts a romantic relationship with. Now, we know that she can’t follow the outcome of that path. But what happens if she reaches her destination in life and finds it unfulfilling? What if something is missing in her life? But, hey, I thought being an airline hostess was her raison d’etre? And, I thought, this film was about pursuing your dream uncompromisingly? Something doesn’t make sense here. If her dream is everything then why is it undermined?

To partially explain why this film is just bad is the appearance and disappearing trick of Kelly Preston’s character. In the trailer she is given a lot of screen time. In the movie, she’s a bit player. Putting the voluptuous Ms Preston in the trailer with a revealing outfit is one way of getting bums on seats. And therefore View from the Top is marketed as pure commercial cinema – which can be undoubtedly the worst cinema. Mix in the beautiful Christina Applegate as spunky support (she’s plays the most interesting character, which isn’t saying much) and draw card Mike Myers in a sometimes funny role as the cross-eyed employer, and you have the film’s selling points.

This is dumb, but you can’t deny the inevitable destiny of most people is to dream. It’s natural and healthy, God-given. I would, however, recommend you read a good motivational book than waste less than two hours of your valuable time when you could be fulfilling your destiny. It seems View from the Top doesn’t exist for more than a note of encouragement to us, the audience, who seem to need a film exhorting us to fly high. I know where I can find more intelligent inspiration and more entertaining inspiration at that.