The Civilization of Maxwell Bright (2005)

After a series of bad relationships, a man orders a mail order bride and receives more than he bargained for.

Director:

David Beaird

Writer:

David Beaird

Stars:

Patrick Warburton, Marie Matiko, Simon Callow

7 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Patrick Warburton	...	Max Bright
Marie Matiko	...	Mai Ling
Simon Callow	...	Mr. Wroth
Austin Pendleton	...	Jaurice
Jennifer Tilly	...	Dr. O'Shannon
Kurt Fuller	...	Berdette
Eric Roberts	...	Arlis
Keith Diamond	...	Jackson
Rick Mali	...	Timo
Constance Hsu	...	Mrs. Wroth
Bryan Clark	...	Justice of the Peace
Erryn Cleaver	...	Erin the Makeup Artist
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Monique Coppola	...	Gabby Client (scenes deleted)
Leland Crooke	...	Buddy DeHare
Cathryn de Prume	...	Helen

Storyline

After a series of bad relationships, a man orders a mail order bride and receives more than he bargained for.

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Plot Keywords:

male full frontal nudity | character name in title | mail order bride | interracial marriage | death of husband | 

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Taglines:

She was everything he wanted and nothing he expected.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language including sexual references, some sexuality and graphic nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 September 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sex & Violence

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sneak Preview Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

During the standoff at the store, the gun Max is holding jumps from one hand to the other.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Mai Ling: You have now reached the end of your journey. You are safe.

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Soundtracks

Death Gonna Hunt You Down
Performed by Guy Forsyth
Written by Guy Forsyth

User Reviews

The most surprising film I've seen so far this year

Excellent film about misogynist Maxwell Bright (Patrick Warburton) who, fed up with his dating history with American women, decides to get a mail order bride from China. Things go well for him at first as she appears as subservient as advertised, but when he embarrasses her (and himself) in front of his friends at a poker night, he finds that she is much more than just a prim and proper housewife. In fact, the gifts she has may even lead this unlikeable jerk to redemption.

Warburton gets to bust out of his usual monotonous character trappings and shows some serious depth and rage. The changes seen in Maxwell Bright are neither smooth nor immediate. He has a tendency to lash out verbally at any female in the vicinity, and his tirades are alternatively LOL funny and cringe-worthy for their cruelty. Marie Matiko plays the beautiful Mai Ling, Max's bride, with equal amounts dignity and strength. When Max finally makes his turn for the "better", the lessons learned are never preachy, and the story doesn't turn sentimental. Religion is dealt with in a mature manner that is a departure from most movies I've seen that have tread in that area. David Beaird's screenplay treats its characters and the audience with respect.

I went into this film thinking it was just going to be a cute little romantic comedy or fish-out-of-water story, but the plot twists taken are brave and eventually much more satisfying. This is not light-hearted fare. It's worthy of a wider release.