Kate & Leopold (2001)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

James Mangold

Writers (WGA):

Steven Rogers (story)
James Mangold (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

25 December 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

If they lived in the same century they'd be perfect for each other.

Plot:

Kate and her actor brother live in N.Y. in the 21st Century. Her ex-boy friend, Stuart, lives above...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Bridge | 1870s | Brooklyn Bridge | Chrysler Building New York City

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Meg Ryan	...	Kate McKay
Hugh Jackman	...	Leopold
Liev Schreiber	...	Stuart Besser
Breckin Meyer	...	Charlie McKay
Natasha Lyonne	...	Darci
Bradley Whitford	...	J.J. Camden
Paxton Whitehead	...	Uncle Millard
Spalding Gray	...	Dr. Geisler
Josh Stamberg	...	Colleague Bob
Matthew Sussman	...	Ad Executive Phil
Charlotte Ayanna	...	Patrice
Philip Bosco	...	Otis
Andrew Jack	...	Roebling
Stan Tracy	...	Photographer
Kristen Schaal	...	Miss Tree

Also Known As:

Kate and Leopold (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Runtime:

118 min | USA:123 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:Livre | Canada:PG | Finland:K-7 | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:AL | Peru:PT | Philippines:G | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #38679)

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Konrad Pictures

Trivia:

Hugh Jackman took etiquette lessons from 19-century etiquette expert Jane Gibson (who trained actors for such projects as Sense and Sensibility (1995)). He also studied ballroom dancing and trained to ride a horse for the film.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Leopold is shown listening to Roebling make a speech in April 1876. The famous engineer had actually died a few weeks after the bridge was begun in 1869. It could be Roebling's son, Washington, but he was born and educated in the United States and would not be expected to speak with a German accent and didn't visit the construction site between 1872 and 1883.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Roebling: Time. Time, it has been proposed, is the fourth dimension. And yet, for mortal man, time has no dimension at all. We are like horses with blinders, seeing only what lies before us. Forever guessing the future and fabricating the past.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 59th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2002) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Manhattan Beach

A modern fairy tale for romantic souls

Kate & Leopold is more or less a romantic comedy that has been done so many times before. Woman and man see each other and don't like each other. Than they fall in love, but destiny comes in between them. In the end they overcome all problems and will live happily ever after...

It's exactly the same as always, but this time they have added an interesting extra ingredient to it. Kate, her brother, her ex and Leopold all live in New York. The only problem is that Leopold is from the 1870's, while the others live in the 21st century. Kate's brother has found a way to travel through time, meets Leopold and accidentally takes him with him to the 21st century. I guess I don't have to explain everything that happens afterward...

Even though I'm not always a huge fan of romantic comedies, I have to admit that I had a good time watching this one. Thanks to the original approach, this movie is better than average. The actors are convincing, although I was surprised to see how easily a man from the 19th century adapted to the 21st. It never really seemed a shocking experience to him. If I had directed the movie, I would have accentuated it more... But hey, if you can see past that and you are a romantic soul, I'm sure that you'll love this modern fairy tale. You know it's impossible, but you would like to believe it. I give it a 7/10 for that.