In ‘Up Close,’ the Fairy Tale Is Professional as Well as Personal

A generation ago, it was Robert Redford who inspired youngsters to want to become journalists through his portrayal of Nixon-hunter Bob Woodward in “All the President’s Men.” Now, it’s Michelle Pfeiffer as Sallyanne Atwater, a ‘90s Cinderella who wins not only the prince and a fabulous wardrobe, but also what is clearly the more enduring prize--a glamorous job.

Teenage girls were smitten by the professional fairy tale as much as the romantic love story.

“They made it look like a love story, but there was much more to it,” said Jo Anne Allen, 14, of Irvine.

Elisha Erickson, 13, of Irvine said, “She was trying to be successful. That’s what I liked about her.”

At first, though, Sallyanne’s ambition is blind. After faking a demo tape, she signs on as a gofer for Warren Justice (Redford), a renegade reporter turned news director at Miami’s WMIA-TV Channel 9, “the news heartbeat of the American Riviera.” She gets his coffee, his dry cleaning and eventually her big break as a weather girl.

When Justice notices that she “eats the lens,” he makes her cut her hair, upgrade her clothing and learn the basics of broadcast journalism: “If it bleeds, it leads” and “Get in there and jam the mike in his face!” He also teaches her how to impart the story’s heart.

The girls said the first half of the movie was too slow, but they felt it picked up speed after the romance finally began between the twice-divorced Justice and the lonely Sally (renamed Tally after a cue-card typo.)

The sex is tame and suggested mostly by the two of them padding about in terry-cloth robes.

Romance-wise, Justice admits he’s been there before and the kids could easily believe it.

As a leading man, Robert Redford can’t compete with, say, Brad Pitt, according to Jacklyn Oakley, 13, of Irvine. “He’s old,” she said. “But he’s still a good actor.”

But instead of age, it’s fate and upper management that conspire to complicate their relationship. As Tally moves to Philadelphia, Warren follows her, doctoring her work, which has suffered without him. But by the time she’s forced to cover a prison riot alone and from the inside, he realizes he can’t teach her any more.

Under each other’s influence and despite pressure of market ratings, they have both, incredibly enough, mellowed and matured--he into a loving husband, she into a respected journalist. But the final plot twist left the girls wishing they had brought substantial amounts of Kleenex.

“I was bawling,” Joanne said.

In the end, it was just what young girls want from a schmaltzy romance. Said Elisha: “It was sad, but it was really good.”