Irony is a powerful literary tool when used correctly – and there’s nothing quite as wonderfully self-referential as Aaron Spelling, a mogul of soap operas and television dramas, producing a film like Soapdish, which both celebrates and annihilates the empire he helped construct. Michael Hoffman’s irreverent and hilarious satire is one of the funniest films of the 1990s, a tremendously entertaining romp through the gloriously artificial world of daytime television. Its a no-holds-barred, deceptive piece of storytelling that holds the audience captive as it takes us through the lives of these eccentric characters, who should be familiar to anyone who has only so much as caught a glimpse of the countless soap operas and telenovelas that are splashed across television screens in every part of the world. There are numerous reasons to which we can attribute the success of Soapdish – the excellent writing, the spirited performances and the over-the-top tone are all components that work in the film’s favour, and having a journeyman director like Hoffman at the helm allows the various elements to interact in ways that are quite unforgettable, forming a mercilessly funny satire that is as filled with twists and turns as the television shows that it is so boldly daring to parody. This film’s immediate ascension to being one of the most cherished comedies of its era, and like many great works of satire, it only gets better with age, which is all the more ironic considering the youth-chasing tendencies of the characters at the heart of this film.

There are many ways to define satire, far more than just seeing it as taking a popular or relevant subject and filtering it through a lens of darkly subversive humour. There isn’t just a single way to look at the genre, which is why Soapdish can easily be classified as such, but without necessarily being all that close to more traditional satires. This is a film that pays homage to one of the biggest and most profitable corners of the media, the daytime drama. For some reason, these cheaply-produced, poorly-written shows that have overstayed their welcome, especially after jumping the shark regularly, have remained wildly popular, almost to the point where they’re considered the definition of high art, having come full circle from being the definition of over-produced entertainment. The best kind of tributes are those that show reverence, while still being able to poke fun at what they’re honouring – and it’s never quite clear whether Soapdish intends to be a homage or a parody to soap operas, instead likely occurring in the ambigious space between them, drawing interesting parallels with both sides of the creative process. Ultimately, this is exactly what makes it such a tremendously entertaining film, since we are seeing a very insightful and interesting glimpse into the backstage antics of an ordinary soap opera, which had the involvement of someone who made his career through such stories, while still being outrageously funny and willing to do anything for the sake of entertainment. Soapdish is a film that is consistently in on the joke – it never takes itself too seriously, and constantly pokes fun at the people who have built empires and sacrosanct reputations through their involvement in such productions.

If a comedic performance can be considered a masterpiece, then this certainly would apply to Sally Field, who is doing some of her finest work. Not always known for humorous roles (but rather someone who brings an effervescent charm to more dramatic characters), Field was the perfect candidate to bring to life the character of Celeste Talbert, whose position as the grande dame of daytime television seems assured, until she discovers numerous plots to usurp her and tarnish her well-curated status. Every moment she is on screen feels genuinely exciting, as if Field realizes the only way to play this character is through going over the top and chewing every bit of scenery she comes into contact with. There aren’t many instances of an actor being encouraged to go as far with the character as they could – and when they reach what they seem to think is the edge, they’re told to go further. Field is matched beat-for-beat by an ensemble of equally-talented performers, such as Kevin Kline at his most deceptively charming, a very warm and maternal Whoopi Goldberg, and the iciest Cathy Moriarty has ever been. Each of the actors in Soapdish delivers overly-dramatic, intense performances that are best described as the epitome of camp – and the film is all better as a result, each moment one of these characters is on screen feeling like a revelation in comedic storytelling. It’s not necessarily the definitive performance given by any of these actors, but the combination of eccentric characters and their total commitment to the absurd recesses of the story make it something quite effective and all the more entertaining.

Soapdish occupies a strange place in the culture – it has a substantial group of supporters who realize its brilliance, but yet it is so constantly undervalued when looking at comedies from this particular era in Hollywood history, which is peculiar considering how it has all the components needed to be an absolute classic, rather than just one with a relatively notable cult following. Perhaps it’s the self-referential nature of the story, which extends far beyond Spelling’s involvement, with the actors themselves playing roles that often feel like riffs on their popular personas. It could also be that the film doesn’t always gravitate towards a specific point of contention – midway through the film, a character even desperately cries that she is being enveloped by far too many sub-plots, which is essentially the most significant problem with Soapdish, which is telling half a dozen stories in the time it takes to do only one or two. It would not have been too much of an issue if these subordinate storylines were inconsequential, but they’re all so interesting and would be fertile ground for deep exploration, but without the space to do so, even bringing them up feels like it is wasting time, taking valuable attention away from the focal point of the story. Criticizing this film is challenging, since even though it never claims to be perfect (and it’s doubtful even its most fervent supporters would think it is), it exudes the kind of polished, accomplished humour that would lead viewers to think it was without flaws – but in many ways, just like the shows it is satirizing, Soapdish embraces its shortcomings, creating an atmosphere of almost poetic justice that a film focused on soap opera hysterics would be somewhat convoluted itself – to the point where we have to wonder whether it was intentional, or just a happy accident, either one adding a layer of nuance to this fascinating film.

It’s difficult to feel apathy towards this film – either you’re one of the many viewers who find it absolutely hilarious, or you find its overdramatic sensibility grating. There isn’t any middle ground when it comes to this film, which is actually quite an effective choice, since either reaction is one built from passion rather than just mere enjoyment or dislike. There’s a lot to love about this film – the cast is absolutely spectacular, and are all committed enough to these eccentric characters to agree to some of the most outrageous antics (many of them are likeable, but none are necessarily good in the traditional sense of the word – it shows how even the most cherished people in showbusiness are required to be dishonest to a certain degree, or else they’ll get nowhere in the industry), and they’re supported massively by the impeccable writing, which services the story extremely well. It’s too self-aware to be considered camp, but also too smart to be seen as a mindless comedy – instead it occupies a space between them, working as a marvellously entertaining comedy that gives us a first-hand account to one of the more bewildering corners of the industry, one that proves that the backstage drama can sometimes be more hilarious and excessive than what viewers seen on screen when watching these programmes, which are clearly built on the idea of enthralling and entertaining through unconventional means, which is exactly the technique used throughout Soapdish, which dares to look behind the veneer and uncover several truly bewildering truths about the seedy underbelly of showbusiness, all through the lens of an absolutely delightful and buoyant comedic gem.