Heartbreakers (2001)

A mother and daughter con team seduce and scam wealthy men.

Director:

David Mirkin

Writers:

Robert Dunn, Paul Guay

Stars:

Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Gene Hackman

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sigourney Weaver	...	Angela Nardino / Max Conners / Ulga Yevanova
Jennifer Love Hewitt	...	Wendy / Page Conners / Jane Helstrom
Ray Liotta	...	Dean Cumanno / Vinny Staggliano
Jason Lee	...	Jack Withrowe
Anne Bancroft	...	Gloria Vogal / Barbara
Jeffrey Jones	...	Mr. Appel
Gene Hackman	...	William B. Tensy
Nora Dunn	...	Miss Madress
Julio Oscar Mechoso	...	Leo
Ricky Jay	...	Dawson's Auctioneer
Sarah Silverman	...	Linda
Zach Galifianakis	...	Bill
Michael Hitchcock	...	Dr. Arnold Davis
Pierre Gonneau	...	Priest at First Wedding
Shawn Colvin	...	Minister at Second Wedding

Storyline

Max and Page are a mother and daughter con team. Max seduces wealthy men into marrying her, then Page seduces them into infidelity so Max can rake them over the divorce court coals. And then it's on to the next victim.

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Plot Keywords:

decolletage | short dress | revolver | female criminal | femme fatale | 

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Taglines:

They will love you for richer. And leave you for poorer.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sex-related content including dialogue

Did You Know?

Trivia

In one scene, Ray Liotta's character Dean Cumanno is working in his office when an employee enters to tell him they have three new Toyota Camrys and that the parts from them will profit the business at least $100,000. In 2001 - the year of the movie's release - the Toyota Camry's most expensive trim cost $26,225. Three of them would total only $78,675, meaning the profit from selling the parts would not be close to $100,000.

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Goofs

When Jack joins Max in her hotel room she intentionally leaves the door slightly open (in order for Page to be able to enter later), but when Jack wants to leave a little while later, the door is suddenly closed.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Priest at First Wedding: Do you, Angela Nardino, take Dean Cumanno as your lawfully wedded husband? To love, honor, and obey, 'til death do you part?
Angela Nardino: I do.

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Alternate Versions

According to director David Mirkin some scenes where changed due to pressure from the MPAA to give the film a R rating:

• The scene at the beginning where Ray Liotta and Sigourney Weaver are laying on the bed was edited so you don't see Ray kissing an "objectionable area".
• Jennifer Love Hewitts line "Piss off" (in the bar) originally was "fuck off".
• In the Russian restaurant one line by Elya Baskin was subtitled "Can I tickle you with my big Russian sausage?" but originally it was "May I tickle your breast with my 'Russian love tool'?"

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Connections

Referenced in Yes Man (2008)

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Soundtracks

Back in the U.S.S.R.
Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Produced by Larry Klein
Performed by Sigourney Weaver

User Reviews

Good old-fashioned dirty-minded fun, even when Jennifer Love Hewitt isn't on screen.

Director David Mirkin used to write for "The Simpsons," which explains why Danny Elfman did the main theme for "Heartbreakers" - a movie that, success-wise, has more in common with The Greatest TV Show Ever than with Mirkin's earlier "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion," and not just because Shawn Colvin makes a guest appearance here as well. Don't get me wrong, it's not nearly as clever - but it IS often as funny. Plus you get to look at Jennifer Love Hewitt a lot.

Mother/daughter grifter duo Sigourney Weaver and JLH are on the verge of splitting up, but agree to do One Last Big Score (isn't it always the way) in order to get out of trouble with the IRS and part sufficiently loaded; Gene Hackman, as a chain-smoking pensionable zillionaire ("His liver spots are positively luminous") is their mark in Palm Beach and also the source of a lot of the fun. In fact, he and an under-used Ray Liotta come close to swiping the film from the leads, but Sig and Love make a good team, each complementing the other - Weaver's the better actress, but Hewitt holds her own; and though the former's attractive, the latter - even in her blonde disguise - is smokin' (something the film never forgets - you get to look at Jennifer Love Hewitt a lot).

The Robert Dunn/Paul Guay/Stephen Mazur script won't win plaudits from the PC brigade; "Heartbreakers" is often a farce in a good sense, but the female characters come off for the most part not as morally upright as their male counterparts (though Hackman's moneybags is by far the most repellent person here). Pacy for sure, and often funny if not always in what the late British DJ Kenny Everett's Cupid Stunt character called "the best possible taste" (witness the oral sex gags early on), there's a distinct slowing down as the tale unfolds and Jen's growing feelings for a potential mark (Jason Lee) makes it more sentimental than cynics would like; the first half of the movie is funnier and edgier than the second. But you get to look at Jennifer Love Hewitt a lot.

In the end, "Heartbreakers" has a tone a bit too much like the likes of "Are You Being Served?" to be a must-view for all; the movie sometimes comes across like a "Carry On" film. Only with a budget. And good performances. And decent writing. And funny. And with a fine soundtrack. Okay, so it's not much like a "Carry On" film, but it does make for a good two hours' watching; Weaver fans will get a particular kick out of her rendition of "Back In The U.S.S.R.", and Hackman fans will enjoy seeing him upstage everyone except for Hewitt's anatomy; I gave this 7 out of 10, but I should have given this an 8 purely on that count. This is one movie that lives up to its title.

And did I mention you get to look at Jennifer Love Hewitt a lot?

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

23 March 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

heartBREAKeRS

Filming Locations:

The Breakers Resort, Palm Beach, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,801,323, 25 March 2001

Gross USA:

$40,336,607

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$57,756,408

Company Credits

Production Co:

Davis Entertainment, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1