The Muse (1999)

A comedy about a neurotic screenwriter and his modern-day muse.

Director:

Albert Brooks

Writers:

Albert Brooks, Monica Mcgowan Johnson

Stars:

Albert Brooks, Sharon Stone, Andie MacDowell

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Albert Brooks	...	Steven Phillips
Sharon Stone	...	Sarah Little
Andie MacDowell	...	Laura Phillips
Jeff Bridges	...	Jack Warrick
Cybill Shepherd	...	Herself
Monica Mikala	...	Julie Phillips
Jamie Alexis	...	Mary Phillips
Marnie Shelton	...	Jennifer
Catherine MacNeal	...	Anne
Mark Feuerstein	...	Josh Martin
Lorenzo Lamas	...	Himself
Jennifer Tilly	...	Herself
Bradley Whitford	...	Hal
Skip O'Brien	...	Universal Studio Guard
Aude Charles	...	Spielberg Secretary #1

Storyline

What happens when a screenwriter (Brooks) loses his edge, he turns to anyone he can for help... even if it's the mythical "Zeus's Daughter" (Stone). And he's willing to pay, albeit reluctantly, whatever price it takes to satisfy this goddess, especially when her advice gets him going again on a sure-fire script. However, this is not the limit of her help, she also gets the writer's wife (MacDowell) going on her own bakery enterprise, much to the chagrin of Brooks, who has already had to make many personal sacrifices for his own help.

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Plot Keywords:

muse | tiffany's | directed by star | hollywood | cooking | 

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Taglines:

In Goddess we trust.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

October Films

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 August 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Musa

Filming Locations:

Aquarium of the Pacific - 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£29,555 (UK) (10 December 1999)

Gross:

£29,555 (UK) (10 December 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

October Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sarah's new pseudonym at the end of the film - Christine - suggests she may again have taken on the persona of a deity's child.

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Goofs

Sarah's arm is resting on the arm of the chair when viewed from behind and resting in her lap when viewed from the front.

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Quotes

Sarah: Honey, all the gods drink!

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Connections

References The American President (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Let Your Yeah Be Yeah"
Written & Performed by Jimmy Cliff

User Reviews

OK But Brooks Has Done Better

"The Muse" treads the same landscape as "The Player", contemporary Hollywood in all it's supercilious, shallow glory. But while the "The Player" is a precise skewering of the hypocrisy and cruelty in Hollywood's executive suites, "The Muse" focuses on the problems of a single person, a whiny middle-aged screenwriter. Played by Albert Brooks, his specific problem that he 'has lost his edge', and is fired because of it. Into his life comes one of the mythic Muses, still alive and very real, to help him get it back. This is an interesting set-up, and should have made for a better movie than it is. Sharon Stone's portrayal of the Muse is one of the film's highlights. But the rest of the cast don't fare as well. Albert Brooks' portrayal of the schlub screenwriter is the same as all his characters, and has done much better in other films. Andie McDowell, as Brooks' wife, doesn't add anything, but doesn't take anything away either. It's not a bad movie, and it definitely has its moments. But Brooks has done better.