The Anna Nicole Smith Story

Rushed into production in order to capitalize on public interest in her still-warm corpse, Keoni Waxman’s 2007 The Anna Nicole Smith Story actually could have been an interesting movie. In the right hands, the tale of chicken slinger/stripper/old-billionaire fleecer/Playboy model/reality-show pioneer/prescription-med junkie Anna Nicole Smith (nee Vickie Lynn Hogan) could have been this generation’s version of the masterful Bob Fosse bummer Star 80, only more disturbing for its utter banality. But Waxman is more interested in eulogizing Smith as some sort of saintly supermom, even as pop star Willa Ford does a pretty decent boozy slur in the lead role. The Anna Nicole Smith Story is a laughable attempt at hagiography, but it only makes me curious to see what Waxman’s take on Lenny would look like.