A Life Less Ordinary (1997)

Director:

Danny Boyle

Writer:

John Hodge (written by)

Release Date:

24 October 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Comedy | Crime | Fantasy

Tagline:

A comedy for anyone who's ever been in danger...of falling in love.

Plot:

Ewan McGregor stars as a cleaning man in L.A. who takes his boss's daughter hostage after being fired and replaced by a robot...

Plot Keywords:

Angel | Cleaning Man | Hostage | Rich Woman | Black Comedy

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Ewan McGregor	...	Robert Lewis
Cameron Diaz	...	Celine Naville
Holly Hunter	...	O'Reilly
Delroy Lindo	...	Jackson
Dan Hedaya	...	Gabriel
Ian McNeice	...	Mayhew
Frank Kanig	...	Ted
Mel Winkler	...	Francis 'Frank' Naville
Stanley Tucci	...	Elliot Zweikel
Anne Cullimore Decker	...	Violet Eldred Gesteten
K.K. Dodds	...	Lily
Tony Shalhoub	...	Al
Christopher Gorham	...	Walt
Ian Holm	...	Naville
Maury Chaykin	...	Tod Johnson

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | USA:R (certificate #35216) | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Brazil:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (w) | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:15 | Mexico:B | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Company:

Channel Four Films

Trivia:

The gas station attendant is whistling the techno song that played over the previous scene (when Robert confronts Neville and kidnaps Celine).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Robert is digging the grave, Jackson is talking to him, sitting on the ground with legs crossed. There is a cut to Jackson's back, and a few seconds later a front view shows him with legs out-stretched.

Quotes:

Tod: Do you think that I'd talk to a dog? Do you think I'd ask a dog whether you're good or evil? What do you think I am? Some kind of crazy backwoods lunatic with a barn full of human skulls and a scythe that I sharpen every day in readiness for Armageddon?
Robert: No, no, not at all, I'm sure you're just a regular kind of guy.
Tod: Right, I'm regular, I am a regular man. I want... but that's not the point! The point is, who are YOU? WHO ARE YOU?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in One Step Beyond: The Making of 'Alien: Resurrection' (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

PEACE IN THE VALLEY

A difference of opinion.

It seems that with A Life Less Ordinary you either love it or you hate it. Personally I am of the former persuasion, with it being a favourite of mine. I can see were the detractors come from, especially after viewing Boyle & Hodge's previous works. ALLO is in a completely different in style to their previous two films Shallow Grave and Trainspotting. But to say it is the weaker of the three films would be a fallacy. Stylistically the film is excellent - reminding me a lot of a Coen brothers film. The script is spot on and the performances of McGregor and Diaz are both excellent (which surprised me for Diaz) as their does seem to be a real chemistry between the two. A very enjoyable romantic comedy overall, and if an old cynic like me can say that, it must be good.