Playing by Heart (1998)

Eleven articulate people work through affairs of the heart in Los Angeles.

Director:

Willard Carroll

Writer:

Willard Carroll

Stars:

Gillian Anderson, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Connery

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Angelina Jolie	...	Joan
Dennis Quaid	...	Hugh
April Grace	...	Valery
Patricia Clarkson	...	Allison
Gena Rowlands	...	Hannah
Sean Connery	...	Paul
Gillian Anderson	...	Meredith
Christian Mills	...	Phillip
Kellie Waymire	...	Jane
Madeleine Stowe	...	Gracie
Anthony Edwards	...	Roger
Ellen Burstyn	...	Mildred
Jay Mohr	...	Mark
Tim Halligan	...	Cook Show Director
Michael Emerson	...	Bosco

Storyline

Eleven articulate people work through affairs of the heart in Los Angeles. Paul produces Hannah's television cooking show, and they must move beyond gentle barbs when she wants to know about an affair of his years ago. Mark is dying of A.I.D.S., and his mother comes to his bedside: they must speak truthfully. Men have scalded Meredith, so she rebuffs Trent's charm, but he persists. The trendy, prolix Joan tries to pull the solitary Keenan into her orbit: why is he reluctant? An adulterous couple meets at hotels for evening sex, but she is unwilling for the relationship to grow. Hugh tells tall tales, usually tragic, to women in bars. By the week's end, their parallel stories converge.

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Plot Keywords:

manhattan new york city | sister sister relationship | cheating | chicago illinois | divorce | 

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Taglines:

The sexy comedy with a twist.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

22 January 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

If They Only Knew

Filming Locations:

Mayan Theater - 1038 Hill Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$26,669, 3 January 1999

Gross USA:

$3,970,078

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,970,078

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hyperion Pictures, Intermedia, Miramax

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 2016, during an enterview, after being asked about kissing Jon Stewart and David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson declared not remembering kissing Stewart, while she gave an "8" to Duchovny.

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Goofs

Throughout the entire movie, whenever there is a scene (and there are many) involving martinis, between shots the olives and level of vodka in the glass change. This happens many time when a character either eats an olive or is about to eat one, it will re-appear in the glass seconds later. Also - many times where the character is starting to say something, and the view is changed to be from their point of view and their lips are no longer moving.

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Quotes

Mark: Let's play a game.
Mildred: Okay, want me to get a pack of cards?
Mark: Not that kind of game.
Mildred: Okay, what?
Mark: Tell me something that I don't know.
Mildred: What do you mean?
Mark: You know, something I wouldn't have known about you.
Mildred: Oh, I don't know...
Mark: Please, mom.
Mildred: Okay.
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The opening scenes introducing the major characters list their character names with subtitles, but not the actors/actresses who are portraying them.

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Alternate Versions

Trailer includes scenes of sexual encounter between Anthony Edwards and Madeline Stowe.

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Connections

Referenced in Fall of the House of Weinstein (2017)

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Soundtracks

Walk into This Room
(1998)
Written by Edward Kowalczyk
Performed by Edward Kowalczyk and Neneh Cherry
Arranged, orchestrated & conducted by David Campbell
Edward Kowalczyk appears courtesy of Radioactive Records
Neneh Cherry appears courtesy of Virgin Records Ltd.

User Reviews

At best...not bad.

No one I know has heard of this movie, and that's a shame. Somewhat. The film's huge cast is similar to the better-known Love Actually, with the eclectic mix of seemingly-unrelated characters who finally congregate together in the end. It's also got a British actor (Sean Connery) to boot, as well as some big stars like Angelina Jolie and surprisingly, Jon Stewart (being a lot more romantic here than on his Daily Show, of course). But Playing by Heart isn't that funny, which may be why it's escaped everyone's ears. It's undoubtedly a well-made film, but it just didn't leave me gushing with praise. The acting was good, and the tribulations and angst the characters felt were real and at times somber (especially the poor man dying of AIDS), but the film left no lasting impression on me. The humor was rare and the drama on the dry, "oh well, too bad" or (in monotone) "wooo, problem solved, happiness for all" side. But then, I'm a finicky watcher and I admit, a borderline pretentious critic. Since I didn't dislike the film, it probably means most people will enjoy or even love it, so I give this a 7/10. Just don't watch it expecting to burst into uproarious laughter or a free flowing sob-fest. You'll most likely chuckle here and there (like when discovering John Stewart's bed buddy) and feel sorry for those afflicted with disease, who, for me, are the only truly touching characters in this not-bad, not-contrived, not-unimpressive film.