Melanie Parker, an architect and mother of Sammy, and Jack Taylor, a newspaper columnist and father of Maggie, are both divorced. They meet one morning when overwhelmed Jack is left ... See full summary »
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A new kid must find a guy to date the meanest girl in school, the older sister of the girl he has a crush on, who cannot date until her older sister does.
Director:
Gil Junger
Stars:
Heath Ledger,
Julia Stiles,
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
While helping his latest client woo the fine lady of his dreams, a professional "date doctor" finds that his game doesn't quite work on the gossip columnist with whom he's smitten.
Benjamin Barry is an advertising executive and ladies' man who, to win a big campaign, bets that he can make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days. Andie Anderson covers the "How To" beat for "Composure" magazine and is assigned to write an article on "How to Lose a Guy in 10 days." They meet in a bar shortly after the bet is made.
Director:
Donald Petrie
Stars:
Kate Hudson,
Matthew McConaughey,
Kathryn Hahn
Melanie Parker, an architect and mother of Sammy, and Jack Taylor, a newspaper columnist and father of Maggie, are both divorced. They meet one morning when overwhelmed Jack is left unexpectedly with Maggie and forgets that Melanie was to take her to school. As a result, both children miss their school field trip and are stuck with the parents. The two adults project their negative stereotypes of ex-spouses on each other, but end up needing to rely on each other to watch the children as each must save his job. Humor is added by Sammy's propensity for lodging objects in his nose and Maggie's tendency to wander. Written by
John H. Henderson <johnh@eng.auburn.edu>
George Clooney held Mae Whitman in front of his face to hide that his eye was bruised during a basketball game in the scene when Jack shows up at Melanies' apartment. See more »
Goofs
When Jack crosses the street with the two kids, a tracking shot shows the sign reads "DON'T WALK." Then the view switches to in front of them and the sign on the opposite side of the street says "WALK." See more »
Quotes
Melanie:
Look, I just called...
Jack Taylor:
You just called to check up on me, because you don't really trust me... Sammy, no! Put the gun down!
[Melanie laughs]
Jack Taylor:
...and you only asked me to watch Sammy out of sheer desperation. Part of you would feel safer leaving Sammy at the 9th Street Drop-in Center, *with* LSD, isn't that true?
Melanie:
No, that is not true. I just called to warn you that Sammy can get in trouble faster than you can make most women smile. Just be careful, okay?
Jack Taylor:
I won't let him out of my sight... hey, ...
[...] See more »
When movies of today try and capture that "old-fashioned" feeling, usually it's the "values" that they're trying to recapture, forgetting that if you don't make a good movie, what you're left with is two hours of preaching. This movie, on the other hand, may be trying to capture that "old-fashioned" feeling, but the values it's after are the values of craftsmanship and intelligence, two things rarely seen in comedies these days. Oh, yes, and chemistry; Clooney and Pfeiffer have it in spades here. The fact that it's set among the world of working parents and, for the most part, tries to get the details right, also helps. And, oh yeah, it's funny. It is a little cloying at times, and the end feels abrupt, but overall this is a pleasing movie.
27 of 32 people found this review helpful.
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When movies of today try and capture that "old-fashioned" feeling, usually it's the "values" that they're trying to recapture, forgetting that if you don't make a good movie, what you're left with is two hours of preaching. This movie, on the other hand, may be trying to capture that "old-fashioned" feeling, but the values it's after are the values of craftsmanship and intelligence, two things rarely seen in comedies these days. Oh, yes, and chemistry; Clooney and Pfeiffer have it in spades here. The fact that it's set among the world of working parents and, for the most part, tries to get the details right, also helps. And, oh yeah, it's funny. It is a little cloying at times, and the end feels abrupt, but overall this is a pleasing movie.