Kissing a Fool (1998)

Max is a popular local sports broadcaster and his marriage with attractive Sam is already set up. Max is not sure he wants Sam to be his wife and offers his best friend Jay a test: Jay will... See full summary »

Director:

Doug Ellin

Writers:

James Frey (story), James Frey (screenplay),

Stars:

David Schwimmer, Jason Lee, Mili Avital

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Schwimmer	...	Max Abbitt
Jason Lee	...	Jay Murphy
Mili Avital	...	Samantha Andrews
Bonnie Hunt	...	Linda Streicher
Vanessa Angel	...	Natasha
Kari Wuhrer	...	Dara
Frank Medrano	...	Cliff Randal
Bitty Schram	...	Vicki Pelam
Judy Greer	...	Andrea
Ron Beattie	...	Priest
Doug Ellin	...	Bartender / Springer Guest
Tag Mendillo	...	Wedding Guest at Bar / Springer Guest
Justine Bentley	...	Beautiful Woman at Bar
Liza Cruzat	...	Dara's Friend #1
Jessica Mills	...	Dara's Friend #2

Storyline

Max is a popular local sports broadcaster and his marriage with attractive Sam is already set up. Max is not sure he wants Sam to be his wife and offers his best friend Jay a test: Jay will try to seduce Sam and if he fails Max will have enough trust in Sam to go on with a marriage. Jay refuses, but soon they become professionally connected with Sam.

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Plot Keywords:

chicago illinois | dominatrix

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Taglines:

There are three sides to every love story.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Universal Pictures Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 February 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amore tra le righe

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$2,308,145 (USA) (27 February 1998)

Gross:

$4,002,640 (USA) (13 March 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Largo Entertainment, Rick Lashbrook Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Production Designer Charles William Breen plays Jay's literary agent at his book signing.

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Goofs

When Jay is talking with Max after having locked himself in the small bathroom under the stairway, the inside of the door is covered with striped light wallpaper, as is the whole bathroom. When he opens the door to come out, the inside of the door is painted green.

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Quotes

Max Abbitt: You stick with the Virgin Mary, and remember, if you fuck it up again, you're back to Italy doing another romance novel.

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Connections

References The Love Boat (1977)

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Soundtracks

"At Last"
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Mack Gordon
Performed by Etta James

User Reviews

Don't be fooled....this is a fun film

Max (David Schwimmer) and Jay (Jason Lee) have been best friends since childhood. Adults now, Max is a Chicago sportscaster while Jay is an aspiring writer. Out of admiration for his editor, Samantha (Mili Avital), Jay gets the brilliant idea of fixing Max up with Samantha. (Jay is suffering from the breakup of a recent relationship and professes not to be interested in Samantha himself). Things start off well. Max and Samantha are so taken with each other that they move in together and become engaged. Yet, Max gets cold feet and asks Jay for an unbelievable favor. Can Jay please try to seduce Samantha so that Max will know if she'll be faithful to him or not?

This lesser-known romantic comedy is charming and amusing. The three leads give good performances and the script, while a little salty at times, is fun. The scenes in and around Chicago are sure to please Midwesterners. While the ending is somewhat of a surprise, it is satisfying nonetheless. Fans of Schwimmer and Lee will be glad they took a chance on this film. Recommended also for those searching for a good evening of entertainment when the "hot" items are all checked out at the video store or library.