Fool’s Gold is a Shipwreck of a Movie

The tagline for Fool’s Gold, the new Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson film, is “This February, true love takes a dive.”  Unfortunately for the film, which has received poor reviews, the tagline seems appropriate.  The San Francisco Chronicle pulls no punches in describing the movie:  “Fool’s Gold is a romantic comedy and an adventure story, but in this case that just means it bombs in two distinct ways. It presents us with a photogenic but estranged couple and invites us to want them to get back together. And it shows the two of them collaborating in the search for ancient treasure.” So far seems like standard Hollywood fare.  

Apparently, the SF Chronicle’s film critic was not very impressed, “But from the opening credits to the unsatisfying finish, it remains a matter of profound indifference whether these people ever find love or wealth. Good for them if they do, but it would be no more pleasing than reading about strangers winning the lottery.” Ouch.  

Kate Hudson recently made news headlines by purchasing a 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass for Kurt Russell, longtime partner of Hudson’s mom, Goldie Hawn.  The Oldsmobile was in pristine condition, which excited classic car enthusiasts like the members of DFW Elite Car Club.  

Although we can’t all go out and buy our father a restored V8 classic, there are some other auto-related gift options.  One popular alternative to buying a restored car is to rent an exotic or classic car from businesses like DFW Elite Auto Rental in the Dallas – Fort Worth area or Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car or Precious Metals, an exotic car rental agency in Savannah, GA.   To find an agency that specializes in the rental of exotic or classic cars, check a reputable directory of firms specializing in exotic or classic car rental. I recommend www.rentexoticars.net. Another gift option is a dream tour from DFW Drive Your Dream, where participants can drive five amazing cars in a single day.  

Even Hudson’s generous nature and good acting skills could not save Fool’s Gold from a host of bad reviews.  Variety calls the movie “…a listless romantic comedy that, almost out of desperation, turns a little more violent than necessary near the end.”  Entertainment Weekly, who gave the film a “D,” said, “Fool’s Gold is the sort of knockabout ”romp” in which folks clunk each other over the head with shovels. It’s the dialogue, though, that clunks most painfully.” 

User reviews of Fool’s Gold were more generous than those written by entertainment journalists, however.  On Moviefone, users gave the film four out of five stars, and on Fandango, the movie received 4.5 out of five points from viewers. Perhaps younger viewers saw something in the film that the critics missed. (Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers).

Kate Miller-Wilson is a freelance writer living in the Twin Cities.  Visit her website or email her for information about her freelance writing services.