Sandra Bullock. Is there anyone more apt to be called "America's Sweetheart?" She is Hollywood's sweetheart, if nothing else. And as a resident our blossoming film community here in Austin, Texas, she is just as likely to be targeted for derision as she is for hero worship. Just a few days ago, "Austin-American Statesman" movie reviewer and pop culture columnist Chris Garcia wrote a essay which pretty much said Bullock should stop doing movies and just do a sit-com. To paraphrase a line from Amy Heckerling's new film "Loser," I think for an alleged heterosexual, Garcia is far too pissy.

How can you knock dear sweet Sandy?. She is just perfect. This is the girl next door we all had a secret crush on. This is the girl that wouldn't sleep with us when we were 17 because it would "ruin our friendship." This is the girl that cannot be brought down. Not by Chris Garcia. Not by Hollywood. And certainly, not by me.

And I wouldn't want to. For all it's silly slickness, for all it's easy answers and for all it's typical platitudes about human relationships and drug and alcohol rehabs centers, I still liked the film a lot. Yes. It is not perfect. But, like it's star, it's so sweet and nice and pleasant and it tries so hard, you fall in love with it. I can't really say anything bad about it. It takes what could be typical and, while not making it masterful, does manage to deliver something stronger than we expect. Bullock does fine work here. She doesn't dig into her soul for a Meryl Streep caliber performance of mystifying plausibility. Rather, she relaxes. She becomes the character by using herself to become the character. And she doesn't cop out by trying to be too cute or funny or goofy. She does her best. And damn it, her best is pretty darn good. Give Courtney Cox-Arequette or Gillian Anderson the same script and see what they do with it!

Here's how good it is, or at least an indication of how I feel about the film: There is only one gay character. He's a cute, sweet, silly, little foreign guy at the rehab center. One character calls him a slang name when he first appears on screen. But the worst is when, in one scene, he is forced to wear a sign around his neck. See, in the rehab center, the participants often wear signs that point out their failings. Sandy's says "Confront Me If I Don't Ask for Help." The gay guy's says "No Contact with Males." Now you and I know that this is to indicate that he is having issues with his relationships and this is the area he needs to work on. But why can't he be a drug addict or a alcoholic like everyone else? Why must he be an apparent sex addict? Why must his sexuality be his problem? What kind of message does the sign "No Contact with Males" send to the 16 year olds in the PG-13 audience who don't get the intricacies of the story? It's a pretty stupid mistake on everyone-involved's part here to not see this as questionable. And I forgive the film for it. Why? Because the character is great. The actor who portrays him, Alan Tudyk, is wonderful. And the film's final moment uses him to show that, as a person, he is much more important to Sandy's character than her boyfriend ever could be. Yes, I liked the film. And because of this I will forgive it's blatant and obvious politically incorrect mistake.

Betty Thomas, who is beginning to really make a name for herself as a director of comedies, does a fine job here. Her flashbacks work. Her presentations of Bullock's character going through withdrawal work. Her comedy works. Her humanism works. Bullock spurs on the film and Thomas follows wonderfully, the cohesion between them seems perfect here.

Okay. You can hate the film if you want to. It isn't perfect. "Clean and Sober" with Michael Keaton negates any and everything this film tries to accomplish by doing it better and more perfectly. But, if you love Sandy... and who doesn't, then you'll like this film. You'll be happy you spent your seven bucks. Hey, that's only a quarter a day.

Maybe there should be a rehab for asshole film reviewers. Chris Garcia and I can both go. I can teach him how to enjoy the well-meant platitudes of cheerful Hollywood goop. He can teach me how to get paid for being snooty.

Note:

Also with Viggo Mortensen, Dominic West, Diane Ladd, Elizabeth Perkins, Azura Skye, Steve Buscemi, Marrianne Jean- Baptiste, and Jason Fuchs. Loudon Wainwright III plays a guitar-playing singer who interrupts the film with little ditties ala "There's Something About Mary" in an unwise rip- off of that more popular film.

Written by Susannah Grant who worked on TV's "Party of Five" among other film projects.

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