Muse, The MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +2 Content: -1

When Hollywood scriptwriter Steven receives his Humanitarian Award, he understands that it’s the kiss of death, career-wise. Overnight, the studios all reject his latest script. At the urging of his supportive wife, Laura (Andie MacDowell), he turns to his successful best friend, Jack (Jeff Bridges), who arranges a meeting with a mysterious woman named Sarah (Sharon Stone). Sarah claims to be a muse, a Greek goddess who can open the floodgates of creativity in writers. The frantic Steven grasps at any source, no matter how bizarre, for help. Instead of money, the goddess demands a $1700 a day hotel suite, a chauffered limousine, and gourmet food delivered to her hotel, plus her client must be on call 24 hours a day. Also, she periodically expects small gifts from Tiffany’s. Even stranger, Laura meets Sarah, likes her, and the two become such good friends that Laura invites this "goddess" to move in with them. In the words of Li’l Abner, "amusin’ but confusin’," best describes THE MUSE. This film may entertain those looking for a cool place to relax on a hot summer day.

It’s hard to believe that sophisticated Hollywood executives would think Sarah is a Greek goddess, but viewers suspect goddess is just another name for call girl. Surprisingly, however, sex is never even suggested between Sarah and her clients, even though she is gorgeous. Laura suspects Steven is having an affair at first but soon buys into Sarah’s ludicrous hoax along with her husband, although they are spending $10,000 per week keeping the goddess happy. Foul language includes eight obscenities and nine regular profanities. There are three s-words and no f-words. Laura and Steve’s young daughter makes a comparison of an object to male anatomy but Steve chastises her for using that term. The obscenities and profanities, plus one brief scene of Sarah climbing into bed nude with rear and side nudity, account for the film’s PG-13 rating. The nudity, however, has no sexual connotations. Laura and Steve have a very close, supportive marriage not often seen in recent films. But THE MUSE, with its obscenities, regular profanities, and brief nudity, cannot win Preview’s approval.

Preview Reviewer: Mary Draughon
Distributor: October Films, 65 Bleecker St., NY, NY 10112