Down with Love (2003)

In 1962 New York City, love blossoms between a playboy journalist and a feminist advice author.

Director:

Peyton Reed

Writers:

Eve Ahlert, Dennis Drake

Stars:

Ewan McGregor, Renée Zellweger, David Hyde Pierce

4 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Renée Zellweger	...	Barbara Novak
Ewan McGregor	...	Catcher Block
Sarah Paulson	...	Vikki Hiller
David Hyde Pierce	...	Peter MacMannus
Rachel Dratch	...	Gladys
Jack Plotnick	...	Maurice
Tony Randall	...	Theodore Banner
John Aylward	...	E.G.
Warren Munson	...	C.B.
Matt Ross	...	J.B.
Michael Ensign	...	J.R.
Timothy Omundson	...	R.J.
Jeri Ryan	...	Gwendolyn
Ivana Milicevic	...	Yvette
Melissa George	...	Elkie

Storyline

An homage to the early 1960s sex comedies that starred Rock Hudson and Doris Day. The story follows a best-selling female advice author who has all the answers until a sly journalist playboy starts asking the questions.

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Plot Keywords:

barber shop | three word title | musical scene | dance scene | male objectification | 

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Taglines:

The ultimate catch has met his match.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual humor and dialogue

Did You Know?

Trivia

The front cover of the MAD Magazine was fake, but the back cover was from a real issue from the late 1960s.

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Goofs

When Barbara and Catcher are at Yankee Stadium, he's holding a scorecard from 1963, even though the film takes place in 1962.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: The place: New York City. The time: Now, 1962. And there's no time or place like it. If you've got a dream, this is the place to make that dream come true. That's why the soaring population of hopeful dreamers has just reached eight million people. Oh! Make that eight million and one.

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Crazy Credits

The film opens with the Regency logo, tinted pink. The ending credits are also pink.

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Alternate Versions

The TV version distributed in the UK excludes most of the split-screen phone call, presumably for time and due to the potential interpretation of the cinematography.

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Connections

References Vertigo (1958)

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Soundtracks

Down with Love
Music by Harold Arlen
Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
Performed by Judy Garland
Courtesy of Sid Luft

User Reviews

As pink and silly as they come, but "Down with Love" is a fun romp

Meet Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor) he's a "ladies man, man's man, man about town" type of guy, and Barbara (Renée Zellweger) is more of a man's woman, all decked in pink but independent. She wrote the book on how to live life without a man. Literally.

"Down with Love" is an ode to the sex films of the 1960s. Down to the fashions, feminism, and sex talk à la "Pillow Talk"(1959). It even stars Tony Randall too. It is a gorgeous film, with a lot of pink, a sexy leading man, and a lot of sexual innuendos. But compared to the Judd Apatow sex comedies of the 2000s, this is tame. Well silly and way over-the-top, but still pretty tame.

McGregor is gorgeous as the sexy leading man and Zellweger is pink-ified as the feminist leading woman. They have their fair share of sex jokes, gender stereotypes and ruses, but it's also really funny. "Down with Love" is a fun romp through 2003 disguised as 1962.

Details

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 May 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Down with Love

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Center Studios - 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$45,029, 11 May 2003

Gross USA:

$20,305,251

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$39,468,111

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox 2000 Pictures, New Regency Productions, Jinks/Cohen Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1