When teenage beauty Tina Menzhal (newcomer Jessica Pare) is discovered by big city model scouts, she is living a life of quiet contentment in an isolated Canadian town. Adored by the camera, she quickly becomes caught up in the superficial world of fall collections, photo shoots, and celebrity parties. As Tina's fame escalates, she finds herself increasingly powerless--trapped in an uncontrollable maelstrom of celebrity worship that is dependent on the media hype which follows her every move. Tina's entire life--from an emotional meeting with her estranged father to her relationships with a string of older men (played by veteran actors Dan Akroyd and Frank Langella)--is filtered through the camera's eye. Lightly satirizing our media-saturated, fame-obsessed society, French-Canadian director Denys Arcand tells the story of Tina's rise and fall through a succession of fictional clips of talk shows, entertainment television, and newscasts. An entertaining commentary on the culture that produced MADONNA:TRUTH OR DARE, the ultimate testament to celebrity narcissism, STARDOM echoes that film's resounding question: Why say anything if it's not on camera?
