A Single Man (2009)

An English professor, one year after the sudden death of his boyfriend, is unable to cope with his typical days in 1960s Los Angeles.

Director:

Tom Ford

Writers:

Christopher Isherwood (novel), Tom Ford (written for the screen by),

Stars:

Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 21 wins & 27 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Colin Firth	...	George
Julianne Moore	...	Charley
Nicholas Hoult	...	Kenny
Matthew Goode	...	Jim
Jon Kortajarena	...	Carlos
Paulette Lamori	...	Alva
Ryan Simpkins	...	Jennifer Strunk
Ginnifer Goodwin	...	Mrs. Strunk
Teddy Sears	...	Mr. Strunk
Paul Butler	...	Christopher Strunk
Aaron Sanders	...	Tom Strunk
Aline Weber	...	Lois
Keri Lynn Pratt	...	Blonde Secretary
Jenna Gavigan	...	Other Secretary #1
Alicia Carr	...	Other Secretary #2

Storyline

It's November 30, 1962. Native Brit George Falconer, an English professor at a Los Angeles area college, is finding it difficult to cope with life. Jim, his personal partner of sixteen years, died in a car accident eight months earlier when he was visiting with family. Jim's family were not going to tell George of the death or accident, let alone allow him to attend the funeral. This day, George has decided to get his affairs in order before he will commit suicide that evening. As he routinely and fastidiously prepares for the suicide and post suicide, George reminisces about his life with Jim. But George spends this day with various people, who see a man sadder than usual and who affect his own thoughts about what he is going to do. Those people include Carlos, a Spanish immigrant/aspiring actor/gigolo recently arrived in Los Angeles; Charley, his best friend who he knew from England, she who is a drama queen of a woman who romantically desires her best friend despite his sexual ...

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Plot Keywords:

professor | friend | student | suicide | accident | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some disturbing images and nudity/sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [fr]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

17 December 2009 (Israel)

Also Known As:

Samac

Filming Locations:

300 W Green St, Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£502,009 (UK) (12 February 2010)

Gross:

$9,166,863 (USA) (16 April 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fade to Black Productions, Depth of Field, Artina Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tom Ford financed the film himself.

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Goofs

The movie is set during the Cuban Missile Crisis, but that ended on October 28, 1962, while the movie clearly states in the opening moments that it takes place on November 30, 1962.

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Quotes

George: [whispered] Just get through the goddamn day.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Up in the Air/Everybody's Fine/Brothers (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Scène d'Amour"
Written by Bernard Herrmann

User Reviews

Colin Firth

Tom Ford's debut has an immediate effect and an after effect. We are taken immediately by the "preciousness" of the image. Limpid, exquisite and slightly detached. The after effect is a whole other story. Colin Firth's face comes to haunt you. His pain and his deep period of reflection has a powerful, contagious effect. Colin Firth creates a character that contains a doses of his D'Arcy of Pride and Prejudice and a pinch of his Adrian LeDuc of Apartment Zero but the rest is totally inedited. His middle age man that spends a day drowning in a memory that tortures him has a resonance that touches countless personal memories. Love without other implications, because love is all there is. I applauded until my hands hurt when I found out that Firth had won the Copa Volpi at the 2009 Venice Film Fest for this role. This was so richly deserved. I doubt I'll see a better performance this year. Bravo!