The Third Wheel (2002)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Jordan Brady

Writer (WGA):

Jay Lacopo (written by)

Release Date:

31 May 2002 (Italy)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

The only thing Stanley & Michael didn't plan on for the perfect date was...Phil.

Plot:

A man accidentally hits a homeless person with his car and then can't seem to get rid of him the rest of the night.

Plot Keywords:

Homeless | Date | Tennessee Williams | Sushi | First Date

Cast

Luke Wilson	...	Stanley
Denise Richards	...	Diana Evans
Jay Lacopo	...	Phil
Ben Affleck	...	Michael
Phill Lewis	...	Mitch
Deborah Theaker	...	Nancy
Melissa McCarthy	...	Marilyn
Tim DeKay	...	Speaker
Greg Pitts	...	Tee
Wayne Federman	...	Glen Federman
Mike Schwartz	...	Co-Worker
Neal Matarazzo	...	Neal
Jim Lau	...	Clerk
Diana-Maria Riva	...	Rose Lady
Blas Lorenzo	...	Waiter

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content/dialogue and brief drug use.

Runtime:

Germany:83 min | Japan:91 min | Spain:88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-7 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Germany:o.Al. | Norway:11 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

HSI Tomorrow Film

Trivia:

Lauren Graham makes an appearance in this movie as a guest at the party. She and Melissa McCarthy work together on Gilmore Girls, she plays Lorelai and Melissa McCarthy plays Sookie.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Near the end of the movie, when Stanley is leaving Diana's house and decides to turn around and stand up for Diana against Phil, his backup lights do not come on.

Quotes:

Stanley: Phil... Have you ever felt like you were just really meant to be with somebody? Like your whole life was just kind of this big mess that just kinda kept happening up until the day when this unbelievable person came into your life, and then suddently, you know, you didn't feel so lost anymore. You felt like everything you thought you'd been doing wrong in your life, you're actually doing it right, because that whole time she was coming closer to you. You just weren't smart enough to know it. Or...

Date interrupted by a man with a glass menagerie

Jordan Brady tries hard to make this comedy work. This screen play was written by Jay Locopo, who also appears in it. The film shows a director that wants to please his audience. Mr. Brady has assembled a young group of performers in "The Third Wheel", which was backed by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, who also are seen in the movie.

The nerdy Stanley finally is able to get Diana to go out with him and this serves to create the kind of curiosity his office friends are betting on. Would he succeed in making Diana see him for what he is really like, or would she be turned off by the way Stanley acts? The date turns out to be something that Stanley didn't bargain for.

As Stanley and Diana are on the way to the theater, they encounter turbulence along the way when a homeless man, Phil walks in front of the car and is hit. Phil will stay with the couple throughout the rest of the movie. At times, this homeless man can be annoying beyond words!

Take the scene when Diana and Stanley finally get to the theater for the second act of the boring play in the park. Who happens to come out on stage? Well, you guessed it: Phil! This man delivers a monologue so inane, but everyone in the place goes nuts about him. One wonders about those L.A. audiences... Hmm!

Denise Richards gives a low key performance as Diana. Luke Wilson is Stanley. Jay Locopo is seen as Phil. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon also show up in small roles.

The best thing is the last minutes when the credits are rolling. Stay for that, or better yet, fast forward to that and then go back to the beginning!