Down with Love (2003)

Aaaah... it's New York City in 1962, and love is blooming between a journalist and a feminist advice author, who's falling head over heels despite her beau's playboy lifestyle.

Director:

Peyton Reed

Writers:

Eve Ahlert, Dennis Drake

Stars:

Renée Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Sarah Paulson

1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Renée Zellweger	...	Barbara Novak
Ewan McGregor	...	Catcher Block
Sarah Paulson	...	Vikki Hiller
David Hyde Pierce	...	Peter MacMannus
Rachel Dratch	...	Gladys
Jack Plotnick	...	Maurice
Tony Randall	...	Theodore Banner
John Aylward	...	E.G.
Warren Munson	...	C.B.
Matt Ross	...	J.B.
Michael Ensign	...	J.R.
Timothy Omundson	...	R.J.
Jeri Ryan	...	Gwendolyn
Ivana Milicevic	...	Yvette
Melissa George	...	Elkie

Storyline

An homage to the early 1960s sex comedies that starred Rock Hudson and Doris Day. The story follows a best-selling female advice author who has all the answers until a sly journalist playboy starts asking the questions.

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Plot Keywords:

love | book | playboy | author | sex | 

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Taglines:

The ultimate catch has met his match.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual humor and dialogue

Details

Official Sites:

Official Soundtrack Site

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 May 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Abajo el amor

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Center Studios - 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$67,204 (South Africa) (10 October 2003)

Gross:

£1,958,152 (UK) (24 October 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox 2000 Pictures, Regency Enterprises, Jinks/Cohen Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

55 sets were built in four sound stages.

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Goofs

When Barbara Novak is interviewing Catcher Block as her personal assistant, Catcher shows her his expose. Barbara says that in his expose, he had to have exposed her as Nancy Brown but earlier Peter shows Catcher the Now magazine billboard. On the billboard, the cover of the magazine is shown that says "How Nancy Brown Became Barbara Novak." Everyone knew Barbara was Nancy so it shouldn't have mattered if Catcher said that in his expose.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: The place: New York City. The time: Now, 1962. And there's no time or place like it. If you've got a dream, this is the place to make that dream come true. That's why the soaring population of hopeful dreamers has just reached eight million people. Oh! Make that eight million and one.

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Crazy Credits

The film opens with the Regency logo, tinted pink. The ending credits are also pink.

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Connections

Referenced in The Making of 'Down with Love' (2003)

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Soundtracks

"For Once in My Life"
Written by Orlando Murden & Ronald M. Miller
Performed by Michael Bublé
Courtesy of 143/Reprise Records
By Arrangement with Warner Strategic Marketing

User Reviews

Charming recreation

This is an homage to the light romantic comedies of the early 60's and a strong influence by "Pillow Talk". Renee Zellweger is Barbara Novack and she writes a book about women and how they look at relationships and an editor at a publishing firm named Vicki Hiller (Sarah Paulson) convinces the board of directors to publish her book. One way to get attention to her book is for a well known writer to write an expose of it so they try to get Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor) to do the job but he's so busy womanizing that he keeps canceling their appointments so they try other methods to get attention to her book and they succeed as it becomes a best seller. Catcher is amazed by her success and bets his friend and coworker Peter MacMannus (David Hyde Pierce) that he can make her fall in love with him which would make her a hypocrite and he would have a big story to publish. Catcher pretends to be a shy astronaut from Florida and they start to date. This film is directed by Peyton Reed who has worked almost exclusively in television and is directing the "Fantastic Four" next. Film does an admirable job of recreating those type of films that were prevalent in those times. The sets are terrific with the decor for the offices and apartments. Even the scenes like when Zellweger is riding in a car its obvious that its a sound stage with a movie screen behind them showing stock footage of 1960's traffic. The script also does a good job of adding some flavor of 1960's culture like when one of the board of directors describes her as "The Farmers Daughter" from Maine. This is of course in reference to Debbie Reynolds and when MacGregor says he's an astronaut from Cocoa Beach Florida its from "I Dream Of Jeannie". All pop icons from the sixties. And having Tony Randall in the film gives it the ultimate cavalier compliment. Its not a perfect homage like the scene where Paulson accuses Pierce of being homosexual which would not have been allowed during those times but the lighthearted charm of the film remains intact. Zellweger is fine as usual as Barbara but its MacGregor that caught my eye. His performances in the last two years have never ceased to be interesting. He was almost unrecognizable in "Black Hawk Down" and then shows he can sing in "Moulin Rouge!" But also shows he can handle playing American dialects. He's an amazing actor to watch and here he adds to his mystique. Film is utterly charming and it does compliment the films from the early sixties.