French Kiss (1995)

A woman flies to France to confront her straying fiancé, but gets into trouble when the charming crook seated next to her uses her for smuggling.

Director:

Lawrence Kasdan

Writer:

Adam Brooks

Stars:

Meg Ryan, Kevin Kline, Timothy Hutton

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meg Ryan	...	Kate
Kevin Kline	...	Luc Teyssier
Timothy Hutton	...	Charlie
Jean Reno	...	Inspector Jean-Paul Cardon
François Cluzet	...	Bob
Suzan Anbeh	...	Juliette (as Susan Anbeh)
Renée Humphrey	...	Lilly
Michael Riley	...	M. Campbell
Laurent Spielvogel	...	Concierge
Victor Garrivier	...	Octave
Élisabeth Commelin	...	Claire (as Elizabeth Commelin)
Julie Leibowitch	...	Olivia
Miquel Brown	...	Sgt. Patton
Louise Deschamps	...	Jean-Paul's Girl
Olivier Curdy	...	Jean-Paul's Boy

Storyline

Kate and Charlie have a perfect life planned out before them: buying a house, marriage, kids, the whole works. Kate's fear of flying keeps her in Canada while Charlie goes to Paris for a medical convention. While there Charlie is smitten by the lovely Juliette. He calls off the wedding with Kate and she nervously boards a plane to get him back. She ends up sitting next to the petty French thief Luc Teyssier. He hides a stolen necklace and smuggled grape vine in her bag to get it through customs. Her bag is stolen, the necklace apparently lost, and Kate and Luc head to Cannes -- Luc to find the necklace and Kate get Charlie back. Along the way, Kate and Luc begin having feelings for each other -- which change the course of their lives.

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Plot Keywords:

breakup | plant cutting | frenchman | blonde | infidelity | 

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Taglines:

Kate's stuck in a place where anything can happen with a guy who'll make sure that it does

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexuality, language and drug references

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

5 May 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Paris Match

Filming Locations:

Carlton Hotel, Cannes, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£2,233,239 (United Kingdom), 17 November 1995

Gross USA:

$38,896,854

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$101,982,854

Company Credits

Production Co:

Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Prufrock Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Star Kevin Kline once commented that friend and regular collaborator Lawrence Kasdan took on yet another genre with this movie - the screwball romantic comedy. Kasdan had previously directed such movies in such various genres as the suspense-thriller in Body Heat (1981), the ensemble comedy-drama The Big Chill (1983), the melodrama The Accidental Tourist (1988), the black comedy I Love You to Death (1990), and the westerns Silverado (1985) and Wyatt Earp (1994). Kasdan though had previously written the romantic comedy Continental Divide (1981) but was not that movie's director.

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Goofs

When Kate sits down next to Jean-Paul in Cannes, her left sleeve is scrunched up when she sits down, but between shots of Luc walking away and it cutting back to her, it is pulled down.

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Quotes

Kate: Do what you want, it's a free country... isn't it?
Luc: Uh, oui.

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Crazy Credits

One of the crew members is credited as "Big Cheese."

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Connections

References Jeopardy! (1984)

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Soundtracks

Flambee Montalbanaise
Performed by Gus Viseur et son orchestre
Written by Guy Viseur
Courtesy of Fremeaux & Associes, S.A.

User Reviews

Shame Kline isn't French

This is a pretty decent romcom featuring a typically off-kilter performance from everymouse Meg Ryan, and another lovable rogue from Kline, with some nice little set-ups and lots of fun gags. The only quibble I would have with the piece is that with the great wealth of wonderful French talent available, Hollywood would only accept one of its own putting on a fairly decent but occasionally ropey comedy French accent in the lead. Not that the target audience would worry though, as this is easy-watching no-brain romcom fun done well.