Maid in Manhattan (2002)

A Senatorial candidate falls for a hotel maid, thinking she is a socialite, when he sees her trying on a wealthy woman's dress.

Director:

Wayne Wang

Writers:

John Hughes (story) (as Edmond Dantès), Kevin Wade (screenplay)

Stars:

Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson

1 win & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jennifer Lopez	...	Marisa Ventura
Ralph Fiennes	...	Christopher Marshall
Natasha Richardson	...	Caroline Lane
Stanley Tucci	...	Jerry Siegel
Tyler Posey	...	Ty Ventura (as Tyler Garcia Posey)
Frances Conroy	...	Paula Burns
Chris Eigeman	...	John Bextrum
Amy Sedaris	...	Rachel Hoffberg
Marissa Matrone	...	Stephanie Kehoe
Priscilla Lopez	...	Veronica Ventura
Bob Hoskins	...	Lionel Bloch
Lisa Roberts Gillan	...	Cora
Maddie Corman	...	Leezette
Sharon Wilkins	...	Clarice
Jayne Houdyshell	...	Carmen

Storyline

Marisa Ventura is a single mother born and bred in the boroughs of New York City, who works as a maid in a first-class Manhattan hotel. By a twist of fate and mistaken identity, Marisa meets Christopher Marshall, a handsome heir to a political dynasty, who believes that she is a guest at the hotel. Fate steps in and throws the unlikely pair together for one night. When Marisa's true identity is revealed, the two find that they are worlds apart, even though the distance separating them is just a subway ride between Manhattan and the Bronx.

---

Plot Keywords:

place name in title | hotel | maid | woman | the bronx | 

---

Taglines:

This Christmas ... love checks in.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some language/sexual references

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Germany] Official web site for the movie Maid in Manhattan

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Spanish

Release Date:

13 December 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Made in New York

Filming Locations:

Bronx Community College - University Avenue at West 181 Street, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,711,407, 15 December 2002, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$94,011,225

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$154,906,693

Company Credits

Production Co:

Revolution Studios,Red Om Films,Hughes Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In real-life, Ralph Fiennes is a very good friend of the late Natasha Richardson's husband Liam Neeson.

---

Goofs

When Maria storms into the toilets to confront Steph about applying for the management job behind her back, her necklace is outside her collar, but later in the scene the necklace is tucked underneath her uniform.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Marisa: Come on. Get your coat. We gotta go. You have everything?
Ty: Yeah.
Marisa: Hurry up, sweetie. We're late. Ty. Today papí. You're killing me, Ty. Right now you're killing mommy.

---

Connections

Featured in Late Show with David Letterman: Dave's Mom/Amy Sedaris/The Strokes (2002)

---

Soundtracks

I'm Coming Out
Written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers
Produced by Cory Rooney and Loren Dawson
Performed by Amerie
Amerie appears courtesy of Epic Records

User Reviews

Sincerely charming

There's something refreshingly sincere about this movie. The lead actors seem to have a genuine connection. The lack of awkwardness Lopez's character displays as she tries to fit into high-society perhaps is not quite realistic; she seems to be able to transition back and forth a bit too easily. But realism, which seems to be the stylistic fad these days, especially among snobby "high-art" movie ... ahem ... FILM goers, is not really the point here. To criticize the movie on those aspects would be silly (just as silly as it would be criticize Cinderella on those grounds ... and it isn't pumpkin carriages that I'm talking about).

While the story has been told many times before, it's not alone in that respect. If anything, that only goes to affirm the universality of the rags-to-riches love story. If you're looking for a charming, funny, and sincere update to Cinderella, you could do worse than to watch Maid in Manhattan. 7/10.