Loverboy (2005)

A neglected daughter becomes a possessive mother in an emotional journey into the heart and mind of a woman who loved too much.

Director:

Kevin Bacon

Writers:

Hannah Shakespeare (screenplay), Victoria Redel (novel)

Stars:

Kyra Sedgwick, Dominic Scott Kay, Kevin Bacon

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kyra Sedgwick	...	Emily
Dominic Scott Kay	...	Paul (6 years old)
Kevin Bacon	...	Marty
Blair Brown	...	Jeanette Rawley
Matt Dillon	...	Mark
Oliver Platt	...	Mr. Pomeroy
Campbell Scott	...	Paul's Father
Marisa Tomei	...	Sybil
Sosie Bacon	...	Emily (10 years old)
Travis Bacon	...	Lenny
John Lafayette	...	Allen Rawley
Jessica Stone	...	Anita Biddle
Melissa Errico	...	Miss Silken
Nancy Giles	...	Principal
Carolyn McCormick	...	Ruth the Realtor

Storyline

Emily tells her son Paul, now six years old, the story of his life - how she sought motherhood, to be a mom without a husband, to raise a perfect, exceptional child, whom she calls Loverboy. In flashbacks told around a pretend car trip they take - so he can practice driving - we see Paul's infancy, their fun together (sometimes with a manic edge), and his growing desire to go to school and be with other kids. We also flash back to Emily's childhood, with parents so bound up with each other that she's virtually ignored. Is Emily going to be able to let Paul be with others? Or, can she, as in the David Bowie song she sings at a school talent show, construct a life on Mars?

---

Plot Keywords:

school | motherhood | flashback | garage | female nudity | 

---

Taglines:

Some mothers aren't meant to be moms.

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Think Film [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 April 2005 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

A Educação de Paul

Filming Locations:

Hillsdale, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$13,285 (USA) (16 June 2006)

Gross:

$29,690 (USA) (23 June 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bigel / Mailer Films, Millennium Films, Mixed Breed Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Emily: Fitting in with the outside world, respectability, suitability, conformity, were never high on my priority list; neither was normalcy. I admit: I cultivated arrogance. The world would be our school; I wanted to learn it and teach it to you.

---

Connections

Featured in Making 'Loverboy' (2006)

---

Soundtracks

"Life On Mars?"
Written and Performed by David Bowie

User Reviews

A failure, yes, but why?

Kevin Bacon is a fine actor, and I was looking forward to this, his debut as a director. He's certainly worked with some of the best in the business, and one would hope that he'd picked up some great lessons in film making.

But this film, sadly, doesn't offer us much.

I believe the two main reasons it doesn't work are the script, and the casting of Kyra Sedgewick, Mr. Bacons real life wife.

The script is pretentious and humorless and forced, and Ms. Sedgewick, a fine actress with a beautiful body (shown off here quite often) is almost fetishized by her husband in this film- to the detriment of the story itself.

It's a film chock-a-block with celebrity cameos, everyone from Matt Dillion to Sandra Bullock to Campbell Scott and Marisa Tomei, and no one really survives it.

I will say this though- it is a BOLD failure, and I do look forward to what Mr. Bacon can do with a half decent script. He (and we) deserve better.