Sweet November (2001)

A workaholic executive, and an unconventional woman agree to a personal relationship for a short period. In this short period she changes his life.

Director:

Pat O'Connor

Writers:

Herman Raucher, Paul Yurick (story)

Stars:

Keanu Reeves, Charlize Theron, Jason Isaacs

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Keanu Reeves	...	Nelson Moss
Charlize Theron	...	Sara Deever
Jason Isaacs	...	Chaz Watley
Greg Germann	...	Vince Holland
Liam Aiken	...	Abner
Robert Joy	...	Raeford Dunne
Lauren Graham	...	Angelica
Michael Rosenbaum	...	Brandon / Brandy
Frank Langella	...	Edgar Price
Jason Kravits	...	Manny
Ray Baker	...	Buddy Leach
Tom Bullock	...	Al
Adele Proom	...	Osiris
L. Peter Callender	...	Don Watson, DMV Proctor
June Carryl	...	Beatrice (as June Lomena)

Storyline

The story centers around a man and a woman, whose fates are intertwined and will change forever. Nelson is an avid advertiser living in San Francisco. One day, during a driving test, he meets Sara, a beautiful but seemingly eccentric woman. But, she is falsely accused of cheating and ends up failing the test because of Nelson. After getting kicked out of the exam, Sara waits for him outside and starts to insult him. However, Nelson ignores her and takes off. Then, she traces him down and shows up at his place. She promises to leave him alone only if he gives her a ride. Later that night, she asks him to live with her throughout November on the promise that his life will change for the better. He turns her down saying that he has a girlfriend. On the first day of November, after being fired and dumped on the very same day, Nelson decides to give it a try and then somehow, agrees to spend the whole month with Sara and finds himself in a desperate love affair that he will remember for ...

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Plot Keywords:

advertising | dog | spontaneity | cancer | san francisco california | 

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Taglines:

She Just Needed A Month To Change His Life Forever.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 February 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Doce Novembro

Filming Locations:

Daly City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,015,226, 18 February 2001, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$25,288,103

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$65,754,228

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Bel Air Entertainment, 3 Arts Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The footage of the radio-controlled submarine under the water was taken from The Hunt for Red October (1990). The first scene of the sub, shows a Soviet Alpha class attack submarine captained by a former student of the Red October's skipper (Sir Sean Connery) and now hunting Red October with orders to destroy it, while the second scene is of the U.S.S. Dallas.

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Goofs

When Sara and Nelson take the dogs to the beach, Sara has three dogs on a leash. Nelson has two. That makes five. They set the dogs free to run and for the rest of the beach scene there are only three dogs.

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Quotes

Sara: What are you doing?
Nelson Moss: Buying redemption.
Sara: Redemption's not for sale today.

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Alternate Versions

In order to get a 'PG-13' instead of a 'R' the scene where Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron are in a bathtub together and some dialogue had to be edited/changed (you don't see how his head goes under water and that she laughs).

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Connections

Referenced in The 50 Best Horror Movies You've Never Seen (2014)

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Soundtracks

You Deserve To Be Loved
Written by Dillon O'Brian
Performed by Tracy Dawn
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.

User Reviews

Both Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron give good performances in Sweet November

I thought Sweet November was an above average romance movie. A few qualifiers are in order here. First, I never saw the original, second, I normally do not care for romantic movies, and third, I am a big fan of Keanu Reeves. The reviews are quick to call Nelson Moss a self absorbed work-aholic. The movie does bring out a little of Nelson's past explaining how he feared he would end up like his father and the rest of the neighbors on his block. Combine that with the high pressure in today's society to get ahead, and you can understand why Nelson is obsessed with work. Sara is very original and entertaining and makes you wonder if she's all there or what is she up to. After almost 90 minutes into the film, you will see why Sara is the way she is and maybe enjoy the movie. Keanu does a good performance with Nelson, creating a believable image of a single focused Ad Executive. One can see many women saying "typical male," and many men thinking of Nelson as a typical best buddy. As is true with many things in life, Nelson goes from one extreme to the other. In the end, Sara becomes his single focus in life. Trying to find the middle road is a central theme in many of Keanu's movie roles. I liked the acting in this film. It wasn't too dramatic nor was it bland. It was right down the middle.