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Review

We meet Kerry Mitchell, an unemployed actor, spending his days auditioning for commercials for products that one doesn't discuss on prime time, and earning money as a Carl the Talking Carrot for kids' birthday parties. Unhappy with this dismal state of affairs, Kerry Mitchell and his Manager decide they must take drastic action if he is ever to reach any semblance of success and avoid total humiliation. At the same time the star of the popular television show, Espionage, Lance Hardcastle has a tragic accident that takes his life and puts his hit show at risk.

With the Espionage producers and network looking for a quick replacement, Kerry Mitchell and his manager grab their opportunity for the big break. Using his sexuality (gay) as an advantage instead of a hindrance; push Kerry Mitchell to the front of the line for the replacement of Lance Hardcastle. Both the Producers and the Network think that using an openly gay actor to portray TV's first gay spy hero would be a daring move, unique enough to create a momentum of publicity to make the tragic accident yesterday's news.

Idol follows Kerry, plucked from obscurity, through his crazy week of preparations before being unveiled to the public as America's number one spy hero. We meet the staff—the flamboyant publicist, the controlling manager, the manipulating producers, hair and make-up people, the co-star who was passed over for the lead, and the head of the brash cable network. And we hear plenty of testimonials from fans on the street and the almost famous in and around Hollywood as to their admiration for the deceased star and their loyalty to the hit show that must go on.

With the successes of Brokeback Mountain and Capote it may seem that the American public has embraced gays in the media. But is America really ready for TV's first openly gay action hero? Or has the network taken a bigger risk than it can pull off even with a massive publicity push? More importantly, Kerry Mitchell has a secret that's going to change everyone's perception of gay and straight, and sorely test the network's ability to control the spin.

Idol is in the same vein as Christopher Guest's Best in Show and Griffin Dunne's Lisa Picard is Famous. The Idol actors improvise their way hilariously through an already absurd scenario, providing ever more fuel and wit. Idol makes the viewer laugh his or her way toward deciding whether the public has really yet left the closet. It's a 90 minute ride that hits hilariously close to home and Hollywood.

 -- Scott Cranin