The Scales Don't Lie

Author(s): Matt
Location: Illinois

“The Scales Don't Lie"

Directed By: Jason Reitman
Written By: Jason Reitman
Produced By: Amy Heckerling and Nancy Meyers

Principal Cast:

Matthew Broderick as Jack McKinley
Mena Suvari as Linda Lavestrom
Renee Zellweger as Rachel Flaherty
Topher Grace as Collin Fredericks
Kathy Bates as LeeAnn Carter
Aaron Eckhardt as Dick Samson
Amanda Peet as Sara Wendling
Fred Willard as Davis Wendling
Catherine Keener as Kate Huntington

Tagline: “The weight of all of Los Angeles is on one man’s shoulders"

Synopsis: Jack McKinley was a nutritionist. He had been for almost 25 years. However, things were about to change. Jack McKinley was a mess-up, a klutz, a loser, and most of all, a lonely man. He always took his job seriously, and put more focus on his career, rather than his personal life. Jack’s main goal was to help other people, his patients, which was why his life was floundering and in desperate need of some attention. He thought that he had found some attention, from a woman named Sara. The budding romance between Jack and Sara brought more attention than Jack could have wanted, though. Sara was the daughter of Davis Wendling, the boss at the nutrition offices, in New Jersey. Obviously, Davis was not happy; in fact he was down right mad, about his daughter being with Jack. As could be expected, Jack McKinley was fired. No longer a nutritionist, he put on a couple pounds, out of depression of course, and struggled to find a new job. Davis made sure to warn all of the nutrition offices along the East coast of his former employee. Tired of going for interview after interview and getting turned down, Jack decided to start over. He moved to the place where dreams come true and where he thought he could find happiness, Los Angeles.

The first place Jack applied hired him on the spot. Jack thought it was the sign of good things to come. Man, was he wrong. With his new nutritionist job, he had new patients. His first client was a young, it girl named Linda Lavestrom. Recently, she was being hounded in the tabloids for her quick weight loss. Jack McKinley set a goal to not only get Linda’s weight to a healthy level, but to remove all of the alcohol and cigarettes from her diet, too. Linda had a reputation of being a party girl. Along with Linda was her boyfriend and actor Collin Fredericks. He was a scrawny young man, who dreamed of more. Collin asked Jack to arrange a diet and exercise plan that could help him beef up to become the next action star. See, Collin was sick of playing the best friend in comedies and romances. A pair of actresses with their own set of weight problems also came to Jack McKinley for help. Rachel Flaherty was tired of binging and purging in order to gain and lose weight for various roles. LeeAnn Carter was a well-known actress that wanted to lose weight more for health reasons. However, LeeAnn was quite lazy and didn’t want to work for her weight loss. She began to ponder plastic surgery and liposuction. One of Jack’s final patients was a chauvinistic, yet charismatic famous actor. Dick Samson was in shape, but he came to Jack to ensure that his body stayed that way. Earlier that year, Dick had been surrounded by press for having said some racist and sexist comments after being arrested for drunk driving. Samson’s physical appearance was all he had left.

After about a half a year of dealing with Los Angeles and his ludicrous patients, Jack McKinley quit his job. It was time for him to focus on his own life. He moved from his nice condominium into an average apartment complex. It was here that he met Kate, a real down to earth and free-thinking woman. She was exactly what Jack needed after working with such shallow people. Jack and Kate began to date, and eventually moved in to one apartment, together. Kate gave Jack all the attention that he ever needed.

What the press would say:

The Scales Don’t Lie is a clever, witty, and utterly hilarious satire. It brings attention to many of the issues that are common in the lives of many actors and actresses, and all Americans, in general. Still, the film is made in a lighthearted and fun way. The Scales Don’t Lie is an amazing movie that deserves an audience, since it truly will help people cope with problems, like weight and physical appearance. The film also has a strong meaning behind it, which says to follow your heart and your head, and to travel your own path. This message and all of the satirical storylines throughout the movie is representative of the amazing screenplay. Jason Reitman does it again. He wrote and directed The Scales Don’t Lie with as much passion as Thank You For Smoking. Matthew Broderick is to The Scales Don’t Lie what Aaron Eckhardt was to Jason Reitman’s first film. His lead role is sympathetic, but still funny. The supporting cast is great, too. Renee Zellweger succeeds in a role that seemed tailor-made for her. Kathy Bates is extremely funny and is responsible for bringing the satirical look at plastic surgery into the film. Jason Reitman and Aaron Eckhardt clearly work well together. The actor gives another outstanding performance in this film. The younger stars stand their ground in scenes with Matthew Broderick and the other older cast members. Topher Grace shows that he can act beyond That 70’s Show, while Mena Suvari makes a comeback; this is her first great film since American Beauty. As the two women in Jack’s life, Amanda Peet and Catherine Keener are sexy and deserve some praise. They reinvent a role that each of them has played some time in the past. All of these remarkable performances prove that actors don’t have to scream and cry to be effective. The Scales Don’t Lie is a comedy, a satire, and a great ensemble piece. No lie, it is a great movie.

Possible Oscar Nominations

Best Picture
Best Director – Jason Reitman
Best Original Screenplay – Jason Reitman
Best Actor – Matthew Broderick
Best Supporting Actor – Aaron Eckhardt
Best Supporting Actor – Topher Grace
Best Supporting Actress – Kathy Bates
Best Supporting Actress – Renee Zellweger