Addicted to Love (1997)

Maggie's and Sam's former partners are in love; she wants revenge and he wants his lost love back, so they work together to break up the happy couple.

Director:

Griffin Dunne

Writer:

Robert Gordon

Stars:

Meg Ryan, Matthew Broderick, Kelly Preston

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meg Ryan	...	Maggie
Matthew Broderick	...	Sam
Kelly Preston	...	Linda
Tchéky Karyo	...	Anton (as Tcheky Karyo)
Maureen Stapleton	...	Nana
Nesbitt Blaisdell	...	Ed Green
Remak Ramsay	...	Professor Wells
Lee Wilkof	...	Carl
Dominick Dunne	...	Matheson
Susan Forristal	...	Cecile
Larry Pine	...	Street Comic
Debbon Ayer	...	Gwen
Maurizio Benazzo	...	Euro-Chic Man
Paolo Calamari	...	French Bartender
Helmar Augustus Cooper	...	Bus Driver

Storyline

Good-natured astronomer Sam is devastated when the love of his life, Linda, leaves him for a suave Frenchman named Anton. He therefore does what every other normal dumpee would do; go to New York and set up home in the abandoned building opposite his ex-girlfriend's apartment, intent on winning her back and waiting until she decides to leave her current lover. What Sam does not count on is being joined several weeks later by ultra hip tomboy Maggie, a photographer and motor-cyclist who is determined to get revenge on Anton, her ex-fiance. Hostile at first, the two of them eventually join forces in an attempt to separate the couple, and ruin Anton's life. However, complications ensue when Sam and Maggie start falling for each other.

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Plot Keywords:

breakup | apartment | revenge | title based on song | motorcycle | 

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Taglines:

Might as well face it.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

23 May 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Forlorn

Filming Locations:

Centerville, Delaware, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,446,098, 26 May 1997, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$34,656,904, 17 August 1997

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.,Outlaw Productions (I),Miramax

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song playing during the scene where Maggie is creating a collage is "Nugget" by the band Cake.

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Goofs

There's a lot of bad astronomy packed into the opening minute.

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Quotes

Sam: So what is your plan? What do you want to do?
Maggie: I just want his dignity, that's all. I want him hopeless, loveless, finished off! I just wish him ill, very very ill.
Sam: How ill are we talking here?
Maggie: I'm not saying I want him dead. But, should that occur... people die every day, why should he be any different? I'm just thinking on my feet, though. I don't have to decide the death part right now, I can just wait and see how I feel once his dignity's a thing of the past.

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Connections

References Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)

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Soundtracks

Ma fiancée, elle est partie
Written and Performed by Dany Brillant
Courtesy of VK Productions/Major Chord and Warner Music France
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

A black romantic comedy- something you don't come across very often.

When you hear the words `romantic comedy', the first thing that springs to mind is some sugary, smiley, big-haired, feather-light Julia Roberts escapade. `Addicted to Love' presents us with the polar opposite to this, even if the premise is pretty the same as you'd find in the usual rom-com. The result is a deft, reckless, amusing and entertaining heavy-handed movie. There isn't much to bicker about here.

Meg Ryan and Matthew Broderick show tremendous colour and prove to be likeable characters as the vengeful stalkers. Tcheky Karyo is funny as the clumsy French fool. Kelly Preston is the least convicted of the four main characters, but is still relatively good.

The film has its own generally funny slapstick moments that compensate for the lack of verbal wit. The narrative that follows is good enough to keep you wanting more, and the jokes are all very well timed. The title Robert Palmer song adds to the reckless, but endearing epitome of the film. The directing styles aren't amazing, but they're hip and stylish for the most part.

Overall, it isn't film of the century and is far from outstanding, but `Addicted to Love' is original, entertaining and very funny for the most part. I give it 6.8 out of 10.