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How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)

 -  Comedy | Drama | Romance  -  3 October 2008 (USA)
6.5
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Ratings: 6.5/10 from 48,250 users   Metascore: 35/100
Reviews: 90 user | 134 critic | 25 from Metacritic.com

A British writer struggles to fit in at a high-profile magazine in New York. Based on Toby Young's memoir "How to Lose Friends & Alienate People".

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(screenplay), (book)
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kelan Pannell ...
Janette Scott ...
...
...
...
Kelly Jo Charge ...
Apollo Awards Presenter
Christian Smith ...
Apollo Awards Guest
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Felicity Montagu ...
...
Herself
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Ian Bonar ...
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...
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Storyline

Sidney Young is a disillusioned intellectual who both adores and despises the world of celebrity, fame and glamor. His alternative magazine, "Post Modern Review", pokes fun at the media obsessed stars and bucks trends, and so when Young is offered a job at the diametrically opposed conservative New York based "Sharps" magazine it's something of a shock! It seems "Sharps" editor Clayton Harding is amused by Young's disruption of a post-BAFTA party with a pig posing as Babe. Thus begins Sidney's descent into success - his gradual move from derided outsider to confidante of starlet Sophie Maes. Initially helping him out at Sharps is colleague Alison Olsen, who has her own secret. Wither their friendship? Written by Anonymous

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

writer | pig | starlet | celebrity | party | See more »

Taglines:

He's across the pond, and out of his depth See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some graphic nudity and brief drug material | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

3 October 2008 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Comment perdre ses amis et se mettre tout le monde à dos  »

Box Office

Budget:

$27,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,154,607 (UK) (3 October 2008)

Gross:

$2,775,593 (USA) (5 December 2008)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

|

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The film makes several references to the Coen Brothers' film The Big Lebowski. Sydney accidentally calls Mrs Kowalski "Mrs Lebowski". Also, Maddox is identified by drinking White Russians, the drink of choice for The Dude, played by Jeff Bridges in "The Big Lebowski". Also, Simon Pegg called Jeff Bridges 'dude' at one point, and Jeff Bridges claimed, "I'm not 'the Dude'". See more »

Goofs

At the stately home, when Sydney says, 'Do you want another drink?' and she says, 'Yeah, I'll have a half of lager,' he gets up and touches her on the shoulder, with his fingers pointing down the front of her dress. In the next shot, with his hand still on her shoulder, his fingers are now pointing down her back. See more »

Quotes

Sidney Young: [to his father] You thought Brad Pitt was a cave in Yorkshire.
See more »

Connections

References Full Metal Jacket (1987) See more »

Soundtracks

"I Get Around (Van She Dub)"
Written by Dan Kurtz (uncredited) and Martina Sorbara (uncredited)
Performed by Dragonette
Courtesy of Mercury Records (London) Ltd
Under license from Universal Music Operations
Publishing Copyright Control
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Why does the ginger guy always get the girl?
4 July 2012 | by (United Kingdom) – See all my reviews

This is not a movie you can think about, nor analyse too much. In fact if you think about it, you start thinking about the bad things which are many. But if you don't think too hard, it's actually quite enjoyable. Simon Pegg is the central character, a brash tasteless English reporter who somehow finds himself on the payroll of a plush New York magazine. His questionable journalistic methods spark dislike and controversy at every turn. He develops a love-hate relationship with a colleague, Kirsten Dunst who is great at playing the soulful, unfulfilled woman. She is cast in contrast to Megan Fox, a neurotic rising starlet. Personally I can understand why our hero is able to resist Megan Fox's obvious charms, and falls for Kirsten instead. We know that Kirsten has her demons, but this seems to strengthen her performances. Having said that, her role here is not terribly demanding.

The movie also features cameos by Jeff Bridges in a rather fetching wig, a cynically manipulative Gillian Anderson, and nice Bill Paterson as Simon's philosopher dad. The wonderful Miriam Margolyes is criminally under-employed. The humour is generated by Pegg's almost wilfully English crassness - offset against the glamour and sophistication of New York's glitterati. After a romantic disappointment, our hero takes a couple of left turns and ends up on the moral low ground instead of the high ground. Though now highly successful, he knows he has sold out. Only an unseemly brawl at an award ceremony, involving his mother's ring, can set him back on the path of righteousness and true love.

Well, it's predictable and unconvincing in equal measure, but we seem to buy into the typical Pegg story – the inept loser who becomes some kind of local hero, through a series of bizarre events. In fact Pegg is one of a pantheon of British actors who excel at this sort of archetypal storyline (Steve Coogan, Rowan Atkinson). He did it superbly in "Shaun of the Dead", less well in "Hot Fuzz". I liked "Run fatboy run" and I'm going to put this one on a level below that one, because the humour is so fitful and the ending so poor.


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Recent Posts
Why'd it bomb in the US? glass_houses
Kirsten Dust is aweful in this alakandog
Who is Sophie Maes based on? ecam12
things i would would rather see than this movie again... meltonr
Gillian Anderson... wandersfar
What would you do in his postion??? nightmarerule_007

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