De-Lovely (2004)

Inspecting a magical biographical stage musical, composer Cole Porter reviews his life and career with his wife, Linda.

Director:

Irwin Winkler

Writer:

Jay Cocks

Stars:

Kevin Kline, Ashley Judd, Jonathan Pryce

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Kline	...	Cole Porter
Ashley Judd	...	Linda Porter
Jonathan Pryce	...	Gabe
Kevin McNally	...	Gerald Murphy
Sandra Nelson	...	Sara Murphy
Allan Corduner	...	Monty Woolley
Peter Polycarpou	...	L.B. Mayer
Keith Allen	...	Irving Berlin
James Wilby	...	Edward Thomas
Kevin McKidd	...	Bobby Reed
Richard Dillane	...	Bill Wrather
Edward Baker-Duly	...	Boris Kochno
Angie Hill	...	Ellin Berlin
Harry Ditson	...	Dr. Moorhead
Tayler Hamilton	...	Honoria Murphy

Storyline

De-Lovely is an original musical portrait of American composer Cole Porter, filled with his unforgettable songs. In the film, Porter is looking back on his life as if it was one of his spectacular stage shows, with the people and events of his life becoming the actors and action onstage. Through elaborate production numbers and popular hits like "Anything Goes," "It's De-Lovely," and "Night and Day," Porter's elegant, excessive past comes to light - including his deeply complicated relationship with his wife and muse, Linda Lee Porter.

---

Plot Keywords:

jukebox musical | horseback riding | love | cole porter | composer | 

---

Taglines:

A love that would never die and music that would live forever.

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music | Musical

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English French Italian

Release Date:

6 August 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Just One of Those Things

Filming Locations:

Café de Paris, Coventry Street, Soho, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$400,001, 4 July 2004, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$13,337,299, 17 October 2004

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM),Potboiler Productions,Winkler Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kevin Kline played the piano himself in the scenes where his character plays.

---

Goofs

In the scene where Cole Porter and Linda spend the evening together she has her nails painted red, in the morning she has no nail polish on.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Gabe: Hello, Cole. I let myself in.
Cole Porter: We're not late, are we? I hate to be late.
Gabe: No, no. We're fine. That sounded lovely.
Cole Porter: I hate funeral music. Though, under the circumstances, I suppose I should say my prayers.
Gabe: Why start now?
Cole Porter: Exactly.

---

Connections

Referenced in Pittsburgh (2006)

---

Soundtracks

So in Love
(1948)
Performed by Kevin Kline
Music and Lyrics written by Cole Porter
Music Published by Warner Bros. Inc./Chappell & Co, Inc. (ASCAP)
Produced by Stephen Endelman and Peter Asher

User Reviews

Who told them they could do that?

This film looks well and has several performances, both dramatic and musical, that are worthy of note. Of the latter in fact Elvis Costello and Natalie Cole in particular came off very well. My biggest beef, however, was with Sheryl Crow's performance of "Begin the Beguine." I haven't heard or read it commented upon so apparently it wasn't noticed that she didn't sing the melody nor did the arrangement follow the fairly complex chord structure that Cole Porter wrote. Taking liberties in jazz is one thing. It's common practice among jazz musicians to take interpretative flights far from the source material and yet still stay fairly close to the general structure and melodic line. In this travesty of a straight, non-jazz performance Ms. Crow quite simply didn't sing the tune as written and the arrangement fairly clobbered the carefully structured co-relation of major and minor chords, altered notes leading to secondary dominants and shifts of key and melody that lead to the tune's climax and denouement. I suppose it's some sort of comment on the general unfamiliarity with popular song of the golden age of Broadway in general and Cole Porter in particular that is to blame but it seems a pity that someone somewhere along the line didn't call her on this. It's plainly and flatly wrong and she should have been told.