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

There are several pieces of dialogue that mention "Nazi rocket scientists." This is a reference to Operation Paper Clip, the post-World War 2 U.S. Government project that transferred the Nazi scientists who developed the V-2 rockets that bombed London to the U.S. to work on the beginnings of the U.S. Space Program, largely in Huntsville, Alabama. The most famous of these scientists, Wernher Von Braun, had been the technical director of a Nazi rocket factory that was staffed by slave labor from the nearby Mittelbau-Dora Concentration Camp. Von Braun was essential in the creation of the Redstone missile, the basis for the U.S. Missile program, and the Saturn V rocket, the basis of the Apollo program, which sent American astronauts to the moon.

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Goofs

After Barbara finds Catch in bed at Peter's party, she runs out of the apartment to the elevator where Catch finds her and it is revealed that he is still carrying around the other woman's hat though when we see him running around in previous shots there is no sign of a hat at all.

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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 ending credits include an extra scene with Renee & Ewan singing a duet and one with David Hyde Pierce and Sarah Paulson.

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Connections

Edited from Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957)

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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

Up with this movie! It pays great homage to the Doris & Rock films

Barbara (Renee Zellweger) has just written a book called Down With Love. She leaves Maine and lands in New York City, where her book is about to hit the shelves. Unfortunately, the male executives at her publishing house have doubts about the new tome and are not forking over any marketing money. The lone woman at Banner publishing, Vicki, takes Barbara under her wing and they work to get the nonfiction title some fame. First, they decide to ask Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor), a prominent male writer for Know magazine, to do a cover story for the book. He postpones the interview again and again. In the meantime, Vicki and Barbara get the book mentioned on the Ed Sullivan show. Soon, copies of DWL are flying out of the bookstores, mainly because the book empowers women to think more about themselves and less about attracting a man. Catcher spies a picture of Barbara in a bookstore window and knows he has to meet her. However, since he is a notorious ladies man, he assumes the identity of an astronaut named Zip Martin. Naturally, he plays the perfect gentleman when he begins to take Barbara out on the town. How long will it be until Barbara discovers the truth? And, will she have fallen for the guy first? Romantic comedy fans everywhere should love this film. It is a takeoff of the old Doris and Rock movies that are so delightfully fun and full of clean mischief. Zellweger and McGregor are a joy in their roles as the smitten couple. The rest of the cast, including a cameo by Tony Randall, are great, too. The look of the film is nice, as are the costumes and the Big Apple setting. If you love crazy, contrived, comic love tales, get this one tonight. You will bask in its take-me-out-of-my-blues delivery.