Kate & Leopold (2001)

An English Duke from 1876 is inadvertedly dragged to modern day New York where he falls for a plucky advertising executive.

Director:

James Mangold

Writers:

Steven Rogers (story), James Mangold (screenplay)

Stars:

Meg Ryan, Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meg Ryan	...	Kate McKay
Hugh Jackman	...	Leopold
Liev Schreiber	...	Stuart Besser
Breckin Meyer	...	Charlie McKay
Natasha Lyonne	...	Darci
Bradley Whitford	...	J.J. Camden
Paxton Whitehead	...	Uncle Millard
Spalding Gray	...	Dr. Geisler
Josh Stamberg	...	Colleague Bob
Matthew Sussman	...	Ad Executive Phil
Charlotte Ayanna	...	Patrice
Philip Bosco	...	Otis
Andrew Jack	...	Roebling
Stan Tracy	...	Photographer
Kristen Schaal	...	Miss Tree

Storyline

Kate and her actor brother live in N.Y. in the 21st Century. Her ex-boyfriend, Stuart, lives above her apartment. Stuart finds a space near the Brooklyn Bridge where there is a gap in time. He goes back to the 19th Century and takes pictures of the place. Leopold -- a man living in the 1870s -- is puzzled by Stuart's tiny camera, follows him back through the gap, and they both ended up in the present day. Leopold is clueless about his new surroundings. He gets help and insight from Charlie who thinks that Leopold is an actor who is always in character. Leopold is a highly intelligent man and tries his best to learn and even improve the modern conveniences that he encounters.

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Plot Keywords:

time travel | brooklyn bridge | bridge | time travel romance | falling down an elevator shaft | 

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Taglines:

This Christmas, chivalry makes a comeback.

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber have both appeared in films based on Marvel Comics.

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Goofs

When Leopold is telling Hector about the Pirate King, he gets the plot of The Pirates of Penzance wrong. The Pirate King didn't fall in love with one of the Major General's daughters; rather, Frederick, the apprentice pirate, fell in love with her.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Roebling: Time. Time, it has been proposed, is the fourth dimension. And yet, for mortal man, time has no dimension at all. We are like horses with blinders, seeing only what lies before us. Forever guessing the future and fabricating the past.
[applause]
Leopold: Brilliant.
Otis: Quite right, Your Grace.
Roebling: How, you ask, can we break these shackles, and live not in the moment, but in the glorious expanse of time continued? Listen, and I shall tell you. The secret lies in the enduring power of our achievements, ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

In 1852, Elisha Graves Otis invented the safety brake for a lifting platform. One year later in 1853, he founded the Otis Elevator Company in Yonkers, New York. The Otis Elevator Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation.

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Alternate Versions

The following scenes were cut from the film just a few days before the release:

• References suggesting that Kate has a genetic relationship to Stuart
• a scene where Ryan appears in the background of a 19th-century party
• a cameo by director James Mangold where he plays a director whose film is being changed to meet the demands of a test screening

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Connections

Referenced in Dawson's Creek: Instant Karma! (2002)

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Soundtracks

Herbert
Written by Holger Beier & Marcus Liesenfeld
Performed by Le Hammond Inferno
Courtesy of Bungalow Records

User Reviews

What a beautifully romantic movie !

From the very beginning, with that vintage sepia scenery of 1876 New York, to the very end, where Sting delight us with that touching performance of 'Until' (which Sting himself confessed wrote being transported by the romanticism of the movie); this movie drives you through your heart, your mind, your soul, unwinding deep feelings that our day-to-day life bury inside us, but that are so immense that cannot be extinguish, even with the cold routine in which we dwell.

Using time leap as a metaphor between the way we live in present times and all those little things that we long so badly but that we ourselves deny or just give up in the search, the story open a parenthesis in the crazy rhythm of the today New York and involve the characters -and ourselves- in a mixture of true romanticism and happiness that taste like a virgin flavor in our stone lips. Facing issues like post-breaking relationships and career success versus personal life success, the plot fill us with joy and laughter that makes us even cry when we realize all that we have at our fingertips and that we miss.

The acting was very natural and the five main actors deliver the characters very well. Particularly, JJ (Bradley Whitford) has a very well defined personality. Meg give us her "ugly duck" charming prettiness that is already her trademark and Hugh is perfect for the role: Tall, handsome, gallant, romantic...

Definitely, one of the best movies (if not the one) I've seen this year -at least. Go and see it, you'll enjoy it !

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

25 December 2001 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Kate et Léopold

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$48,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,725,408, 30 December 2001

Gross USA:

$47,121,859

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$76,019,048

Company Credits

Production Co:

Konrad Pictures, Miramax

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min 123 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1