Serious Moonlight (2009)

A high-powered attorney duct tapes her adulterous husband to the toilet ... right before their home is invaded by burglars.

Director:

Cheryl Hines

Writer:

Adrienne Shelly

Stars:

Meg Ryan, Timothy Hutton, Justin Long

Cast

Cast overview:
Meg Ryan	...	Louise
Timothy Hutton	...	Ian
Justin Long	...	Todd
Kristen Bell	...	Sara
Derek Carter	...	Man #1
Bill Parks	...	Man #2
Kimberlee Peterson	...	Trashy Girl
Nathan Dean	...	Detective
Andy Ostroy	...	Police Officer

Storyline

Louise wants to find a way to reconnect with her husband, Ian, who is divorcing her after many years of marriage. But when she surprises him at their country home, she is more than slightly dismayed that the roses and romantic set-up are not for her but for his much younger mistress. Louise takes matters into her own hands, and abducts Ian duct-taping him to the toilet, where he must admit to his true feelings and he is unable to leave her. Things grow exceedingly awry for everybody when a burglar shows up at their house, and then everybody must discover and admit to their true feelings.

---

Plot Keywords:

toilet | duct tape | attorney | mistress | marriage | 

---

Taglines:

a love/hate comedy.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some threatening behavior

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 December 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Armadilhas do Amor

Filming Locations:

GMT Studios - 5701-5751 Buckingham Parkway, Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$11,636 (USA) (4 December 2009)

Gross:

$25,137 (USA) (25 December 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Night and Day Pictures, All For A Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The ending is dedicated to actor and director Adrienne Shelly who was murdered in 2006 when she caught a man, who had broken into her office, stealing money from her purse.

---

Goofs

In the scene where Sara arrives and Louise has to tape Ian, the tape almost touches his left side-burn while, when coming back to the house the tape now is far from it.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Louise: [on the phone] Michelle.
Michelle: Yeah?
Louise: I threw heck to the wind and drove up to the country a day early, want to surprise Ian, spend the long weekend with him. So, I need you to call Metler and tell him that the papers were filed yesterday and everything is fine, and I will talk to him first thing on Monday morning. Then call my dentist, cancel my appointment, and reschedule it for Tuesday afternoon. And then cancel my meetings for the rest of the day. You know what to do, that's why you ...

---

Connections

Referenced in Late Show with David Letterman: Episode #17.30 (2009)

---

Soundtracks

"Getting Some Fun Out of Life"
Written by Edgar Leslie and Joseph A. Burke
Performed by Madeleine Peyroux

User Reviews

NOT the 'chick' flick you might think -- thankfully!

Based solely on its trailers this movie is already getting a bad rap online, with many lambasting it as some 'chick' flick revamp of 'French Kiss'. Don't believe that hooey. This is a dark comedy worthy of Hitchcock, and it's far, far removed from Meg Ryan's past 'sweetheart' roles.

'Serious Moonlight' is a simple, character-driven story of what happens when high-powered lawyer Louise (Meg Ryan) finds out her husband Ian (Timothy Hutton) plans to leave her for his younger mistress Sara (Kristen Bell). Louise holds Ian hostage, the better to make him explain what happened to their marriage. Eventually, an unexpected visit by Todd (Justin Long) forces husband, wife, and mistress to confront their situation in an unexpected manner.

As director Cheryl Hines suggested at the Austin Film Festival Q&A before and after the movie, the film's plot really centers on Ian's character development. I have to agree, and I also think Hines was right when she said that Timothy Hutton was perfect for this role.

And while some might take Louise's decision to tie her husband up as pathetically desperate, I found it entirely believable that such drastic action would be necessary to make a man talk about his real feelings – especially when he's doing something as unoriginally asinine as finding 'real love' with a younger woman. It's no accident that Sara looks conspicuously like young Louise, I think, and much of the movie's subtext is about the difference between early passion and long-term commitment.

This movie often feels like a play in the best sense, focusing on small moments and realistic conversation. Its short length stops it from feeling stage-y, however, and the actors all convey their lines with wonderful subtlety.

Hines also described the meticulous process of reading through the script with the actors to determine what was funny and what wasn't. I think this was nothing short of genius; so many non-traditional comedies lose the distinction so you're not sure what the intent of any given scene is. Perhaps because of her strong background in comedy, Hines wisely avoids this pitfall, making the movie's laughs razor-sharp, but balancing them with genuinely tense moments.

I won't tell you how the movie ends, because there's a bit of a twist. But I will be very curious to see what happens when it's released. I suspect that there will be some controversy about the how the film treats the battle of the sexes, and I fear some men might cower in the face of Louise's character -- Ian certainly does, at least at first. But that's almost the point, and I'm glad to see a woman-authored, woman-directed view of male infidelity for once.

This darkly comic movie is definitely worth seeing, in my opinion, and given how seriously funnylady Hines takes her job as director, I sincerely hope to see more of her work soon.