The Next Best Thing (2000)

Director:

John Schlesinger

Writer (WGA):

Tom Ropelewski (written by)

Release Date:

3 March 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

He was smart, handsome and single. When her biological clock was running out, he was... the next best thing.

Plot:

Abbie, tired of failed relationships, has a one-night-stand with her gay friend; they agree to raise the resulting baby together.

Plot Keywords:

Custody Battle | Gay Friend | Best Friend | Lingerie Slip | Platonic Love

Awards:

1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Madonna	...	Abbie Reynolds
Rupert Everett	...	Robert Whittaker
Benjamin Bratt	...	Ben Cooper
Illeana Douglas	...	Elizabeth Ryder
Michael Vartan	...	Kevin Lasater
Josef Sommer	...	Richard Whittaker
Malcolm Stumpf	...	Sam
Lynn Redgrave	...	Helen Whittaker
Neil Patrick Harris	...	David
Mark Valley	...	Cardiologist
Suzanne Krull	...	Annabel
Stacy Edwards	...	Finn
John Carroll Lynch	...	Abbie's Lawyer
Fran Bennett	...	Judge Tracey Bennett
Ricki Lopez	...	Angel

Also Known As:

The Red Curtain (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements, sexual content, partial nudity and language.

Runtime:

108 min | Germany:99 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Mexico:B | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Lakeshore Entertainment

Trivia:

Rupert Everett's own black Labrador Moise appears as the family pet

Goofs:

Continuity: Near the end of the film, when Robert is talking to Ben across the street of Sam's school, Robert's head keeps changing positions between shots. In one shot he is looking toward Ben and in another shot he is looking at the school, then it goes back to the other shot when hes looking at Ben.

Quotes:

Abbie: I have something to tell you.
Robert: Is it bigger than a breadbox?
Abbie: Heh, not yet.

Movie Connections:

References The Gay Divorcee (1934)

Soundtrack:

Jamuna

Exceeded my expectations.

I'm with songman018. I give it an 8 rather than a 10, but I agree with everything he said about it. I'm shocked at how poorly this has rated among IMDB members. I would've read some other comments to get a feel for why the average rating is below 5, but I don't want to blow my image of either the movie, or get disappointed in the people that viewed it. I thought that it was an incredibly appealing and sensitive film and that all of the actors within were amazing. I don't think I can say much more about it that songman didn't already cover for me. I'm very pleased to see that someone else enjoyed it as much as I did. Watch with an open mind and heart.