The Roommate (2011)

Directed By: Christian E. Christiansen

Starring: Leighton Meester, Minka Kelly, Cam Gigandet, Danneel Harris, & Alyson Michalka

MPAA Rating: PG-13

My Rating: 5 / 10

Is The Roommate a remake of Single White Female? For some reason, that question has become perhaps the most discussed thing about this new thriller. My answer to that question: isn't it obvious? If this wasn't meant to be a remake, then someone should file a lawsuit, because The Roommate is so much like Single White Female, it is practically the same film. So many scenes - the cuddly pet doomed from the minute it arrives, the ex-boyfriend tricked into sex, the girl-on-girl slapdown - are eerily similar, despite The Roommate focusing on younger characters and changing the setting (from an upscale New York apartment to a college dorm room). Now, my problem with this is that Single White Female is only a mildly-entertaining fluff piece anyway...so why would anyone choose to copy it? I can only guess it's because Fatal Attraction has already been covered. The good news is that The Roommate follows Single White Female's formula so closely that it actually manages to be as effective as its predecessor. I'm talking total cheesy trash...but in a completely watchable way.

Country Strong (2010)

Directed By: Shana Feste

Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund, & Leighton Meester

MPAA Rating: PG-13

My Rating: 5 / 10

Writer and director Shana Feste reportedly said that she was inspired by Britney Spears when writing the screenplay for Country Strong. No, she didn't rock out to "Toxic" in between scenes...she used Britney's now-legendary career as a basis for this film's heroine, Kelly Canter (Gwyneth Paltrow). Kelly is a Grammy-winning, record-breaking solo artist whose career and life fall apart when she gets drunk while five months pregnant, falls off the stage, and sadly loses the baby. Her husband, James (Tim McGraw), forces her into rehab, partly because he loves his wife, but mostly because she needs good PR. When the film opens, Kelly hasn't conquered any of her demons. She's still an alcoholic, still pops pills, and is still suffering from depression. Are you seeing the connection yet? We've seen this story played out in the press countless times before, recently with Lindsay Lohan, but most famously with the aforementioned Britney. Country Strong is rightfully sympathetic towards these stars, painting a portrait of Kelly not as a fame-seeking, irresponsible bimbo...but as a broken soul who can't get her head above water. She wants to get better, but can't.