Love Potion No. 9 (1992)

Tate Donovan, a geek biochemist with no luck at all with women, is persuaded by his friends to visit a gypsy, Madame Ruth. She gives him "Love Potion No. 8", an elixir which can potentially... See full summary »

Director:

Dale Launer

Writer:

Dale Launer

Stars:

Tate Donovan, Sandra Bullock, Mary Mara

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tate Donovan	...	Paul Matthews
Sandra Bullock	...	Diane Farrow
Mary Mara	...	Marisa
Dale Midkiff	...	Gary Logan
Hillary B. Smith	...	Sally
Anne Bancroft	...	Madame Ruth
Dylan Baker	...	Prince Geoffrey
Blake Clark	...	Motorcycle Cop
Bruce McCarty	...	Jeff
Rebecca Staab	...	Cheryl
Adrian Paul	...	Enrico Pazzoli
Ric Reitz	...	Dave
Steven Burnett	...	Ron
Jordan Baker	...	Joanne
Ken Strong	...	Dick Webster

Storyline

Tate Donovan, a geek biochemist with no luck at all with women, is persuaded by his friends to visit a gypsy, Madame Ruth. She gives him "Love Potion No. 8", an elixir which can potentially force anyone of the opposite sex to instantly fall in love with him. He shares the potion with his friend, Diane, and together they embark on a "scientific evaluation" that gets out of hand.

---

Plot Keywords:

potion | love | love potion | gypsy | affection | 

---

Taglines:

If you've got it - You get it!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for elements of sensuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 November 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Poción de amor No. 9

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$754,935 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Penta Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The sorority house that Tate Donovan enters for his "panty raid" is the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house at Georgia Tech.

---

Goofs

When Gary is stopped at Diane's apartment by the secret service, the agent speaking is wearing a brown blazer. After Gary says, "Who's she got in there?" we cut back to the agent and his blazer is now dark blue.

---

Quotes

Paul Matthews: About once a month my friends and I get together and do something different for fun. Sometimes we go bowling or miniature golf or a movie or something. One night we went down to a gypsy palm reader at 34th and Vine.

---

Crazy Credits

The names of the more than 300 extra's who chased Marisa through the city are mentioned in one large block of fine print.

---

Connections

Features Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)

---

Soundtracks

"Y.M.C.A."
Written by Victor Willis, Henri Belolo and Jacques Morali
Performed by The Village People
Courtesy of PolyGram Special Markets, a division of
PolyGram Group Distribution and Scorpio Music, Paris, France

User Reviews

Good for viewers seeking yet another romantic comedy

Paul (Tate Donovan) is a single, somewhat nerdy, biochemist who strikes out with women at every opportunity. Diane (Sandra Bullock) is a geeky fellow scientist who is not a hit with the guys, either. Hoping to change his luck, Paul goes to a gypsy and acquires a potion that will make him attractive to women. It works quite well. That's when Paul discovers he's in love with Diane. Diane, however, is also making use of the potion and is suddenly surrounded by suitors. Will Paul win the affections of Diane?

This is just a fair entry into the genre of romantic comedies. The two leads are likable but the plot is plodding in parts and detracts from the overall success of the film. Also, the movie has some funny moments but overall does not register high on the laugh-o-meter. The ending is predictable and somewhat satisfying yet just does not elicit great feelings of joy. Fans of Sandra Bullock will probably want to see this early example of her work. Others who are crazy about romantic comedies are likely to want to spend an evening with this film, too.