Crush (I) (2001)

Three female friends behave badly.

Director:

John McKay

Writer:

John McKay

Stars:

Andie MacDowell, Imelda Staunton, Anna Chancellor

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Andie MacDowell	...	Kate Scales
Imelda Staunton	...	Janine
Anna Chancellor	...	Molly Cartwright
Kenny Doughty	...	Jed Willis
Bill Paterson	...	Rev. Gerald Marsden
Caroline Holdaway	...	Pam
Joe Roberts	...	Brendan
Josh Cole	...	PC Darren Blake
Gary Powell	...	Sergeant
Christian Burgess	...	Kate's Frenchman
Morris Perry	...	Bishop
Richenda Carey	...	Lady Governor
Roger Booth	...	Hearty Governor
Derek Deadman	...	Little Crematorium Man
Andrew Bicknell	...	Mr. Yacht

Storyline

Three 40-something women in a small English town meet weekly for a ritual of gin, cigarettes, and sweets -- and swapped stories arguing which of them has the most pathetic love life. Kate is headmistress at the local school; her best friends are the town's police chief and a cynical, thrice-divorced doctor. When Kate begins a fling with a handsome younger man, less worldly than her friends but passionate and sincere, the other women can't simply be happy for the couple's unusual new romance. In jealousy they promptly take it upon themselves to break up the pair, taking drastic measures which result in unintended outcomes, some happy and some tragic.

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Plot Keywords:

headmistress | police station | christmas party | toilet | supermarket | 

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Taglines:

Could Mr. Wrong Actually Be... Mr. Right?

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality and language

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures Classics [us] - trailer, synopsis, etc. (Flash)

Country:

UK Germany

Language:

English French

Release Date:

7 June 2002 (UK)

Also Known As:

A Certain Age

Filming Locations:

Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$18,344 (South Africa) (22 November 2002)

Gross:

$18,344 (South Africa) (22 November 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Film Council, FilmFour, Industry Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Kate: I can't believe a drug company would sponsor a trip like this, no questions. It seems so... corrupt.
Molly: It's a corrupt world. Let's not argue. It's all less money they can spend on torturing beagles.

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Connections

References Cagney & Lacey (1981)

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Soundtracks

"Barwick Green"

User Reviews

A portrayal of love for middle-aged women with beauty

The tag line for "Crush" is "Three female friends behaving badly". I beg to differ. It's more like three middle-aged women complaining about men. This won't be enjoyable for many men.

But now on to the good things. It's dramatic, it's sad, it's funny and it combines all those elements with beauty. It's primarily about Kate (Andie MacDowell) trying to find love. MacDowell stands out in this film. She does have two best friends played by Imelda Staunton and Anna Chancellor but to me they were just annoying and continuously acted inappropriately.

But then into Kate's life comes Jed (Kenny Doughty). The entire theatre audience sighed as Doughty appeared on the screen. Very handsome, and he had the smouldering stare down pat as he melted our hearts. I had predicted that he would go on to be a star, and that might still happen, but slowly, as he toils around in some small roles.

The film was shot beautifully with the location in England being spectacular. The filmmakers also made a number of beautiful subtle contrasts to the men in Kate's life. These filmmakers definitely know how to make a great film. Too bad they don't know how to write characters very well. Andie MacDowell's Kate is the only great character, unless you count Kenny Doughty's looks.

"Crush" is not for men, and only for fans of Andie MacDowell, Kenny Doughty and technically superb and beautiful film-making.