Story Line: Ellie Parker (Watts) is an aspiring actress who's trying to get her professional and personal life under control. As she rushes from one audition to the next, she has little support from her boyfriend (Pellegrino), manager (Chase) and best friend (Rigg).
Bottom Line: In 2001, actor/writer/director Coffey shot a short spoof about Hollywood with his friend, Watts. Since then, Watts has blown up, but she has stayed close to Coffey and helped expand that short into a feature-length film. As the eponymous heroine, Watts is essentially playing a pre-stardom version of herself—living in her car, going to auditions, gathering her emotional energy to play roles ranging from a Civil War-era Southern belle to a modern day crack whore, just hoping to get a break and play an interesting role, such as "a blind lesbian anthropologist." Watts' raw talent is undeniable, and as almost every second of the film focuses on her, viewers are treated to a Watts extravaganza: she gets high, eats ice cream, takes a bubble bath, does a spit take and even vomits. Ellie Parker is filled with the predictable struggling actor dilemmas and insider jibes, but this diamond-in-the-rough best serves to confirm the talents of its leading lady. Keep your eyes open for a cameo by Keanu Reeves and his band, Dogstar.
Color, NR (language, nudity, sexual situations, mature themes), 95 min., DVD only $24.99