Sidewalks of New York (2001)

The interlocking lives and loves of six New Yorkers.

Director:

Edward Burns

Writer:

Edward Burns

Stars:

Edward Burns, Heather Graham, Penny Balfour

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Penny Balfour	...	Young Hooker
Edward Burns	...	Tommy
Michael Leydon Campbell	...	Gio / Harry
Nadia Dajani	...	Hilary
Rosario Dawson	...	Maria
Kathleen Doyle	...	Katy
Dennis Farina	...	Carpo
Heather Graham	...	Annie
Leah Gray	...	Dental Hygienist
Timothy Jerome	...	Dr. Lance (as Tim Jerome)
David Krumholtz	...	Ben
Libby Langdon	...	Make-up Girl
Alicia Meer	...	Elevator Girl
Brittany Murphy	...	Ashley
Ted Neustadt	...	Doctor

Storyline

Six New Yorkers have an interrelated series of relationships. TV producer Tommy, who's just broken up with his girlfriend, has a short relationship with commitment-phobe Maria, who he meets in a video store, and also hooks up with married real-estate agent Annie, who he meets while apartment hunting. Annie is open to a relationship because her husband, Griffin, is cheating on her, which she slowly comes to realize through talking to her friend/co-worker who's gone through the same thing. Griffin, a 39-year-old dentist, is cheating with 19-year-old waitress Ashley, who he picked up in a park; she realizes she can do better when Ben, a hotel doorman and aspiring musician, tries to pick her up, in a belated attempt to recover from his divorce a year ago from schoolteacher Maria (the same Maria from the video store). Most of these relationships seem driven more by a desperate need to be in a relationship than actual love.

---

Plot Keywords:

video store | doorman | waitress | dentist | divorce | 

---

Taglines:

In a city of 8 million people, what are the odds the perfect two will meet?

---

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 November 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Calles de Nueva York

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$545,132, 25 November 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,402,459, 12 May 2002

Company Credits

Production Co:

Artists Production Group (APG),Marlboro Road Gang Productions,Newmarket Capital Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original poster for this film was pulled due to the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. The poster showed the pre-attack NY skyline, including the intact WTC and was felt to be inappropriate.

---

Goofs

When Ben is sitting in the bathroom strumming his guitar, the chords change but the fingers of his left hand clearly do not.

---

Quotes

Gio: When are you gonna start thinking rock star, and acting rock star?

---

Crazy Credits

Thanks to Peter Muldavin and the staff at Metro Weather Service.

---

Connections

References When Harry Met Sally... (1989)

---

Soundtracks

Autumn Leaves
(Les Feuilles Mortes)
Music by Joseph Kosma
French lyrics by Jacques Prévert
English lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Performed by Stan Getz
Courtesy of EMI Records, Ltd.
Under license from EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets

User Reviews

There are no cracks in these Sidewalks; this is a great film by Burns, who is totally overlooked as a film maker

Tommy (Edward Burns) is a television production man in Manhattan. His girlfriend has just given him the heave-ho from their joint apartment, stating she doesn't want kids and sees no future for them. Tommy is miffed because he gave up his own digs to move in with her, at her request. He temporarily bunks with his boss (Dennis Farina). The boss man is womanizer, boasting that he's slept with 500 women and left most of them "baying at the moon". Nevertheless, Tommy wants his own place so he gets in touch with NY realtor, Annie (Heather Graham). They begin at search for a suitable habitat, becoming friends in the process. Annie is married to a dentist named Griffin (Stanley Tucci). Annie wants children but, unknown to her, Griffin is having a fling with a 19 year old transplant from Iowa (Brittany Murphy) and he has been neglecting Annie in a big way. The young lady, Ashley, detests meeting Griffin in hotel rooms but has fallen for Griffin's lying promises. There is an attractive young doorman interested in her, too. Meanwhile, the doorman's beautiful ex-wife, Maria (Rosario Dawson) has met Tommy at the video store. Although she has dated no one since her stinging divorce, she begins a brief affair with Tommy. How will things shake down on the sidewalks of Manhattan? This is a great film and a tour de force for Burns, who wrote and directed it. Certainly, he is one gifted movie maker, as evidenced by his earlier films, including The Brothers McMullen and She's the One. In Sidewalks, he again probes relationships in the modern era, when sex can be around every corner and the more traditional marriage of an earlier age is absent. In doing so, Burns shows his brilliance for a balanced dissection, for he presents differing viewpoints in the course of the flick. All of the players here, from the scumbags Tucci and Farina, to the lovely Dawson to the very attractive Graham, Murphy, and Burns himself, are simply great. Add on a nice NYC setting, some terrific costumes and some great production values and you have a fine looking film as well. The story and direction are faultless, as Burns uses many interesting techniques to tell his tale, including testimonies and flashbacks. Watch out for a bit of rough language and sexual conversation, if that is important to you. However, there are truly no cracks in this Sidewalk, it is one wonderful film. Get your hands on a copy soon, very soon. And, here's hoping Burns will continue to make many more films.