Roger Dodger (2002)

After breaking up with his lover and boss, a smooth-talking man takes his teenaged nephew out on the town in search of sex.

Director:

Dylan Kidd

Writer:

Dylan Kidd

Stars:

Campbell Scott, Jesse Eisenberg, Isabella Rossellini

12 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Campbell Scott	...	Roger Swanson
Jesse Eisenberg	...	Nick
Isabella Rossellini	...	Joyce
Elizabeth Berkley	...	Andrea
Jennifer Beals	...	Sophie
Mina Badie	...	Donna
Ben Shenkman	...	Donovan
Chris Stack	...	Chris
Morena Baccarin	...	Girl in Bar
Lisa Emery	...	Woman in Bar
Flora Diaz	...	Young Working Girl
Stephanie Gatschet	...	Angela - High School Beauty
Colin Fickes	...	Angus
Tommy Savas	...	Darren
Gabriel Millman	...	Felix

Storyline

Set against the bright lights of Manhattan, a tale which takes a comic, urbane look at the modern male ego at war in the singles scene trenches. Roger Swanson is a hopelessly cynical advertising copywriter with a razor-sharp wit who believes he has mastered the art of manipulating women. But Roger's seemingly foolproof world of smooth talk and casual sex begins to unravel when he is paid a surprise visit by his teenager nephew, Nick. Hoping to settle, once and for all, the issue of his virginity, Nick begs Roger to school him in the art of seducing women. Welcoming the challenge, Roger guides Nick through the city's wild nightlife for an all-night crash course, only to realize that he--the adult--still has something to learn about what women, and men, really want.

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Plot Keywords:

virginity | male ego | uncle nephew relationship | womanizer | character name as title | 

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Taglines:

The naked differences between men and women.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Desperate to get his film made, writer-director Dylan Kidd handed Campbell Scott the screenplay when he saw him in a restaurant. Scott recognized the importance of the material and not only signed on as lead actor but also as executive producer.

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Quotes

Nick: I'll see you at the next funeral.
Roger: Why? Who's sick?
Nick: [lost] What? I'm kidding.
Roger: Me too.

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Crazy Credits

All fur in this film is fake.

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Connections

Featured in The 2003 IFP Independent Spirit Awards (2003)

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Soundtracks

Jazz Fx
Composed by Hydroponic Sound System
Courtesy of FirstCom Music, Inc.

User Reviews

A Sleeper Romance

I wouldn't have thought from previews that "Roger Dodger" would have an ounce of romance in it, but it does. The scene between Elizabeth Berkeley, Jennifer Beals (both very good by the way--who would have thought?) and Roger's nephew is incredibly sweet and touching, but without being overly sentimental or cloying. Campbell Scott gives a fabulous performance as Roger, illustrating how broad his acting range is. My only complaint with the movie is its incredibly annoying cinematography. All of the compositions are cluttered and claustrophobic, sometimes so much so that the main focus of the shot is entirely obscured. And this trend toward hand-held cameras needs to be stopped. I think directors feel that hand-held cinematography lends a gritty, realistic point of view to their films, but more frequently it serves only to distract.

But a fairly minor quibble about an otherwise very good film.

Grade: A-

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

22 November 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Roger Dodger

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$47,431, 27 October 2002

Gross USA:

$1,266,828

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,934,497

Company Credits

Production Co:

Holedigger Films, Roger Dodger LLC

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1