1989 Film Skin Deep

Zachary "Zach" Hutton is a successful author with a weakness for alcohol and beautiful women. The tumultuous course of his life takes a dramatic turn when his mistress catches him cheating with her attractive hairdresser. This discovery is followed by a perilous encounter, as his estranged wife, Alex, stumbles upon the scene, finding the mistress poised to shoot Zach with his own revolver.

As the relationships crumble, Zach embarks on a self-destructive journey marked by binge-drinking and seeking solace in a string of women. He neglects work, exacerbates tensions with his ex-wife, and even attends a formal party in a genie's costume while inebriated.

Zach's escapades include a tumultuous affair with a volatile woman named Molly, who subjects him to a skin-treatment electro-therapy machine, causing quivering spasms from head to toe. Another episode unfolds in total darkness, with Zach wearing a luminous condom as he prepares for an encounter with a woman named Amy. Unexpectedly, Amy's boyfriend returns to the hotel room similarly attired, leading to a frantic glow-in-the-dark fight.

After disrupting his ex-wife's wedding day, Zach confronts the realization that his lifestyle has spiraled out of control. Motivated to change, he sobers up, refrains from womanizing, and rediscovers his passion for writing. Against all odds, he achieves the trifecta of recovery, ultimately winning back Alex's love, proving her initial doubts about his transformation wrong.

A glaring production issue is visible in the final film. John Ritter is bearded throughout the movie and for the majority of the film he has an actual beard. There were clearly some random scenes that were re-shot after he shaved his beard and in those scenes he's sporting a clearly artificial beard that does not match his actual beard very closely.

Critical reception

The film received mixed to negative reviews. The film earned a 32% "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 28 critics, with an average rating of 5.10/10. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 43 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

However, many critics praised John Ritter's performance in the film. One of the few positive reviews was by Roger Ebert, who wrote, "The daring thing Edwards does in Skin Deep is to try to combine two entirely different tones within the same film. This is a smart, sensitive film that knows a lot about human nature."

Box office

Despite negative reviews, the film was a financial success grossing $20 million in the United States and Canada and $25 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $45 million.

• "Falling Out of Love" performed by Ivan Neville
• "Just to Keep You Satisfied" performed by Marvin Gaye
• "I Can't Go Home" performed by The Robert Cray Band
• "It's Just a Matter of Time" performed by Brook Benton
• "Skin Deep" performed by Debra Holland
• "Songbird" performed by Kenny G
• "Dreamin'" performed by Vanessa Williams
• "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" performed by The Falla Trio
• "Have You Met Miss Jones?" written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart (not credited in the film)
• "My Romance" written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart (not credited in the film)
• Film score and additional incidental music by Henry Mancini (not credited in the film)
• Additional incidental music by Cole Porter (not credited in the film)

The song "Killer Love" by Al Jarreau was intended to be used in the film, but was omitted at the last minute. The song was released on Jarreau's 1988 album Heart's Horizon.