Paperback Hero (1999)

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Unrequited love and mistaken identity are the lynchpins of this romantic comedy from Australia. Ruby Vale (Claudia Karvan) is a pretty but no-nonsense young woman who lives in a small village in the Aussie outback, where she runs the only diner in town. She's engaged to marry Hamish (Andrew S. Gilbert), who is pleasant but dull, and spends much of her free time with her good friend Jack (Hugh Jackman). Jack secretly aspires to be a writer and has in fact published a novel, but since the book is a frothy paperback romance, to avoid embarrassment he decided not to use his own name and instead credited Ruby Vale as the author. The book becomes a best seller and suddenly Ruby is forced to pose as the writer of a book she hasn't even read, and when the publisher flies her to Sydney to discuss her next project, confusion is the result. Leading lady Claudia Karvan was formerly a popular child actress in her native Australia, while her co-star Hugh Jackman makes his screen debut after establishing himself in musical theater, starring down under in major productions of Beauty and the Beast and Sunset Boulevard. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi