The Divorce (2003)

French vs. American social customs and behaviors are observed in a story about an American visiting her Frenchman-wed sister in Paris.

Director:

James Ivory

Writers:

Diane Johnson (novel), Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (screenplay)

Stars:

Kate Hudson, Naomi Watts, Stockard Channing

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kate Hudson	...	Isabel Walker
Jean-Marie Lhomme	...	Immigration Officer
Naomi Watts	...	Roxeanne de Persand
Esmée Buchet-Deàk	...	Gennie de Persand
Jean-Jacques Pivert	...	Talkative Shopkeeper
Melvil Poupaud	...	Charles-Henri de Persand
Catherine Samie	...	Madame Florian
Samuel Labarthe	...	Antoine de Persand
Leslie Caron	...	Suzanne de Persand
Thierry Lhermitte	...	Edgar Cosset
Nathalie Richard	...	Charlotte de Persand
Samuel Gruen	...	de Persand Child
Peter Wyckoff	...	de Persand Child
Sandrel Lonnoy	...	Maid
Glenn Close	...	Olivia Pace

Storyline

The differences in legalities and cultural mores of French and Americans regarding sex, love, marriage, religion and family bonds are presented through the interactions of two families related by marriage. American Isabel Walker heads to Paris to visit her half-sister, poet Roxeanne de Persand, who is early in the pregnancy of her second child. Isabel arrives to find that Roxy's French husband, Charles-Henri de Persand, has just left Roxy, the sisters both eventually further learning that it is because he has fallen in love with another woman, who is herself married. Roxy and Charles-Henri deal with their break-up, which Roxy does not want but must face the legal consequences of, including determining the ownership of what may be a valuable French painting that has been casually in the Walker family for years, but which Roxy has had in her possession since she got married. Meanwhile, Isabel begins to explore all that France has to offer, which includes concurrently embarking on sexual...

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Plot Keywords:

american | french | love | sex | france | 

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Taglines:

A comedy of manners...both good and bad.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements and sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight Pictures Merchant Ivory Productions [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

29 August 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Divorcio a la francesa

Filming Locations:

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$516,834, 10 August 2003, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$9,074,550, 26 October 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Merchant Ivory Productions, Radar Pictures

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Isabel is setting up chairs at the poetry reading and is confronted by Tellman, there are copies of "Le Divorce" by Diane Johnson on the bookshelf behind them.

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Goofs

When Isabel and Edgar have their last outing together, Isabel is clearly wearing red nail lacquer in the restaurant. When they say goodbye outside, her nails are no longer red.

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Quotes

[after seeing Isabel's new look at the airport]
Roger Walker: She looks like something out of "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!".

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Connections

References Everyone Says I Love You (1996)

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Soundtracks

Money Makes the World Go Round
Written by John Kander and Fred Ebb
Performed by Romain Duris
Published by Alley Music Corporation and Trio Music Company, Inc.

User Reviews

It Could Have Been Good

"Le Divorce" fails. Despite the beauty of the locales and the talent of the lead actors, the director couldn't decide if this is a Parisian comedy or an adult tale of marital discord gone horrifically askew.

The interaction between the two female leads is good-half-sisters and true soulmates. But their romantic and marital complications come too fast with too little depth and the film is on a train wreck in the making.

And suave, affluent, cheating Frenchmen are a stale staple of these movies. Nothing new or interesting here.

Too bad.

4/10.