Intolerable Cruelty (2003)

A beautiful gold digger matches wits with a shrewd Beverly Hills divorce lawyer who is increasingly attracted to her.

Directors:

Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (uncredited)

Writers:

Robert Ramsey (story), Matthew Stone (story)

Stars:

George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Billy Bob Thornton

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Clooney	...	Miles
Catherine Zeta-Jones	...	Marylin
Geoffrey Rush	...	Donovan Donaly
Cedric the Entertainer	...	Gus Petch
Edward Herrmann	...	Rex Rexroth
Paul Adelstein	...	Wrigley
Richard Jenkins	...	Freddy Bender
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Howard D. Doyle
Julia Duffy	...	Sarah Sorkin
Jonathan Hadary	...	Heinz, the Baron Krauss von Espy
Tom Aldredge	...	Herb Myerson
Stacey Travis	...	Bonnie Donaly
Jack Kyle	...	Ollie Olerud
Irwin Keyes	...	Wheezy Joe
Judith Drake	...	Mrs. Gutman

Storyline

Miles Massey, a prominent Los Angeles divorce attorney has everything--and in some cases, two of everything. Despite his impressive client list, a formidable win record, the respect of his peers and an ironclad contract (the Massey pre-nup) named after him, he's reached a crossroads in his life. Sated on success, boredom has set in and he's looking for new challenges. All that changes when Miles meets his match in the devastating Marylin Rexroth. Marylin is the soon-to-be ex-wife of his client Rex Rexroth, a wealthy real estate developer and habitual philanderer. With the help of hard charging private investigator Gus Petch, she has Rex nailed and is looking forward to the financial independence a successful divorce will bring. But thanks to Miles' considerable skills, she ends up with nothing. Not to be outdone, Marylin schemes to get even and as part of her plan, quickly marries oil tycoon Howard Doyle. Miles and his unflappable associate, Wrigley, unwittingly dig themselves in ...

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Plot Keywords:

reference to henry viii | woman wears eyeglasses | deception | neo screwball comedy | divorce | 

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Taglines:

A romantic comedy with bite.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, language and brief violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site U.I.P. France [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

10 October 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Intolerable

Filming Locations:

L'Orangerie - 903 North La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,525,075, 12 October 2003, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$35,327,628

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$120,217,409

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures,Imagine Entertainment,Alphaville Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS (8 channels)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The judge shares the same name as the main female character in the Coen Brothers movie The Ladykillers. The shared name is Marva Munson.

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Goofs

When Miles and Marilyn are eating dinner in the restaurant, Marylin is holding her wine glass around the bowl. In the next shot, she is then holding it by the stem.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Donovan Donaly: [singing] I'm just a poor boy, though my story's seldom told.

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Crazy Credits

Adios SEÑOR GREAZER. Hello MISTER HAND.

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Connections

Referenced in Take Off: Making 'The Terminal' (2004)

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Soundtracks

Suspicious Minds
(1968)
Written by Francis Zambon (as Mark James)
Performed by Elvis Presley
Courtesy of The RCA Records Label, a unit of BMG Music
Under license from BMG Special Products, Inc.

User Reviews

One of Clooney's Best Performances

A surprisingly smart comedy from Joel and Ethan Cohen, INTOLERABLE CRUELTY is a deft and entertaining comedy about the relationship that develops between a fast talking attorney (George Clooney) and a man-eating gold digger (Catherine Zeta-Jones)who pretty much eats husbands for lunch. This delightful throwback to the Tracy-Hepburn, Grant-Russell comedies of the 30's and 40's moves at a nice pace and is anchored by a razor sharp performance by Clooney, who has rarely been more appealing on screen. Clooney does everything right here and his performance alone makes this film worth seeing, but Zeta-Jones never allows herself to be overshadowed by him in one of her more venomous characterizations. Worthwhile bits are also contributed by Geoffrey Rush, Billy Bob Thornton, Richard Jenkins, and Edward Herrmann. One of the most underrated comedies ever made which is a definite must-see for Clooney fans.