The Love Guru (2008)

Pitka an American raised outside of his country by gurus, returns to the States in order to break into the self-help business. His first challenge: To settle the romantic troubles and subsequent professional skid of a star hockey player whose wife left him for a rival athlete.

Director:

Marco Schnabel

Writers:

Mike Myers, Graham Gordy

Stars:

Jessica Simpson, Mike Myers, Jessica Alba

3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jessica Simpson	...	Jessica Simpson
Kanye West	...	Kanye West
Mike Myers	...	Guru Pitka / Young Pitka / Teenage Pitka / Mike Myers
Deepak Chopra	...	Deepak Chopra
Rob Blake	...	Rob Blake
Jessica Alba	...	Jane Bullard
Justin Timberlake	...	Jacques Grande
Romany Malco	...	Darren Roanoke
Verne Troyer	...	Coach Punch Cherkov
Meagan Good	...	Prudence Roanoke
Manu Narayan	...	Rajneesh
John Oliver	...	Dick Pants
Stephen Colbert	...	Jay Kell
Jim Gaffigan	...	Trent Lueders
Ben Kingsley	...	Guru Tugginmypudha

Storyline

Born in America, but raised in Havemahkeeta in India, with a population of 76, Maurice had always to better Deepak Chopra, and be sexually active, ever since he was 12. His Guru, Tugginmypudha, while approving of Deepak, cautions Maurice and has a chastity belt put around his waist. Years later, Maurice has established himself as Guru Pitka in America, but would like to appear in the Oprah Show and be better than Deepak Chopra. When Jane Bullard from the the Toronto Maple Leafs hires him to counsel their star hockey player, Darren Roanoke, to win back his wife, Prudence, from Kings' star player, Jacques Grande, and also stand up to his dominating mother, Lilian, he agrees to do so - with hilarious results.

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Plot Keywords:

guru | hockey | chastity belt | toronto maple leafs | box office flop | 

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Taglines:

His Karma is Huge

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, language, some comic violence and drug references

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [fr]

Country:

USA UK Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 June 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Mike Myers Project

Filming Locations:

Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$62,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£498,829 (UK) (1 August 2008)

Gross:

$32,178,777 (USA) (22 August 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Goldcrest Pictures, Internationale Filmproduktion Poseidon

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There is an extra scene with Kanye West being interviewed at a hockey game to which Mike Myers has brought him. Each time the interviewer gives the microphone to Kanye, Mike Myers leans in and keeps repeating, "Don't say it, don't say it!" Mike Myers was onstage with Kanye West when Kanye made his infamous George W. Bush does not like Black people,' statement.

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Goofs

During the first game between Toronto and LA, Roanoke and Grande get into a fight. The referee informs Roanoke that he has been given a game suspension which is actually called a game misconduct.

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Quotes

Jacques Grande: And now, I'd like to show my love by making for you a Quebec pizza.
Prudence Roanoke: What's that?
Jacques Grande: Pop-Tart with the ketchup. She's good.

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Crazy Credits

One outtake with Verne Troyer is shown during the end credits.

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Connections

References Battlestar Galactica (1978)

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Soundtracks

"More Than Words (instrumental)"
Written by Nuno Bettencourt and Gary Cherone (as Gary F. Cherone)

User Reviews

An Opportunity Wasted by Self-Indulgence

Mike Myers is a talented guy, but this vehicle is an embarrassment. The funniest parts are gleefully juvenile, but they are, unfortunately, outnumbered by gags that are simply juvenile or, worse yet, juvenile and mean-spirited. For example, some of the jokes directed at Verne Troyer's character sound like they were uttered by a 15-year-old classroom bully, not written by an intelligent man in his forties. I'm all in favor of offending PC sensibilities whenever possible, but do it right: cracks about Keebler elves show are just stupid and artistically lazy.

More scenes of young Pitka might have explained better how he grew into the adult he became, and Rajneesh could have been fleshed out a bit. I suspect that a lot of character development and back story were left on the cutting room floor. What should have been cut were the cameos that were either pointless or self-referential without being truly funny.

The plot wasn't exactly Citizen Kane quality, but it could have worked with better writing. After all, if anything cries out for satiric treatment, it's the self-help and New Age movements. With such target-rich subject matter, how did Myers manage to make such a dud? I think that it's a case of plain self-indulgence. Jim Carrey and Robin Williams are two other talented, over-the-top funny men who do some of their best work when they show restraint and don't play themselves. Someone should have reined in Myers on this one.

For his penance, I suggest that he lay off comedy for a while and do a few dramatic roles - including supporting ones - as he did (quite well) in "54." Williams and Carrey have shown other dimensions of themselves in dramatic roles, and I'm sure Myers can, too.