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Straight Talk

Straight Talk

Comedy · Romance · 1992

Honest and straightforward small-town Shirlee Kenyon chucks her boyfriend and heads for Chicago. Accidentally having to host a radio problem phone-in show, it is clear she is a natural and is hired on the spot. But the station insists she call herself Doctor, and as her popularity grows a local reporter starts digging for the truth. Problem is, the more he is around her the more he fancies her.

Movie details

Straight Talk

“Dreams do come true...sometimes.”

1992 Comedy · Romance 1h 31m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.0 / 10

Community rating

Honest and straightforward small-town Shirlee Kenyon chucks her boyfriend and heads for Chicago. Accidentally having to host a radio problem phone-in show, it is clear she is a natural and is hired on the spot. But the station insists she call herself Doctor, and as her popularity grows a local reporter starts digging for the truth. Problem is, the more he is around her the more he fancies her.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Straight Talk?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Barnet Kellman

Written by

Craig Bolotin · Patricia Resnick

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton

Shirlee Kenyon

James Woods

James Woods

Jack Russell

Griffin Dunne

Griffin Dunne

Alan Riegert

Michael Madsen

Michael Madsen

Steve

Deirdre O'Connell

Deirdre O'Connell

Lily

John Sayles

John Sayles

Guy Girardi

Teri Hatcher

Teri Hatcher

Janice

Court is in session

Put Straight Talk on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.