Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous (also known as Major Movie Star in the United Kingdom) is a 2008 American comedy film starring Jessica Simpson. Simpson plays the title role of Megan Valentine, a down-on-her-luck actress who enlists in the United States Army.
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Plot
When film star Megan Valentine (Jessica Simpson) suddenly finds herself broke and humiliated in the public eye, she wanders from the wreckage of a car accident and witlessly enlists in the United States Army, hoping that it will change her life. The spoiled actress immediately finds herself at odds with her tough drill sergeants and the harsh discipline of army life, leading to many humorous situations.
In the end, Valentine changes and becomes a better person and wins the respect of her fellow trainees, and they all graduate together. She also recovers her house and the money that she lost.
Cast
Jessica Simpson as Private Megan Valentine
Vivica A. Fox as First Sergeant Louisa Morley
Ryan Sypek as Drill Sergeant Mills Evans
Olesya Rulin as Private Elisa Petrovich
Jill Marie Jones as Private Connie Johnson
Keiko Agena as Private Hailey Hamamori
Aimee Garcia as Private Vicky Castillo
Cheri Oteri as Private Sarah Jeter
Gary Grubbs as Captain Peter Greer
Andy Milonakis as Joe Kidd
Steve Guttenberg as Sidney Green
Michael Hitchcock as Nigel Crew
Bryce Johnson as Derek O'Grady
Katie Chonacas as Amber
Travis Schuldt as Sergeant First Class Harrison
Kurt Fuller as Cousin Barry
Lara Grice as Jinny Valentine
Production
In June 2007, the film was announced under the title of Major Movie Star with Jessica Simpson set to star. The film had previously begun development at Warner Bros. in 2002 when the company acquired the spec script by April Blair.
Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous is set at Fort Jackson, which is a real U.S. Army training base. It was filmed at Camp Minden, a Louisiana National Guard Camp located in Minden, Louisiana, United States.
Releases
The film was released in the United States straight to DVD as Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous on February 3, 2009. The film was released in the United Kingdom as Major Movie Star on May 18, 2009.
In popular culture
On the October 29, 2008, episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien, host O'Brien brought up the movie and mentioned reports that Simpson's acting was "so bad" that it would not be released "in any country where English is the primary language". The show then displayed the poster because it was refused a clip. The next night, the show played a clip from a bootleg copy before having recurring guest star James Lipton make a passionate plea to Simpson to reconsider her decision to withhold the film, saying the "bad defines the good" and the apparent "85 minute stinkbomb" of Major Movie Star only would help to highlight how good Schindler's List really was.