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.

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Plot Keywords:

jukebox musical | horseback riding | cole porter character | monty woolley character | louis b. mayer character | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music | Musical

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content

Did You Know?

Trivia

The old Cole Porter make-up took 5 hours to complete.

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Goofs

When Cole is riding the horse, there's the sound of galloping hoofbeats, but the horse is actually only moving at a canter.

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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.

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Connections

References Rosalie (1937)

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Soundtracks

Easy to Love
Performed by Kevin Kline
Written by Cole Porter
Published by Warner Bros., Inc. / Chappell & Co, Inc. (ASCAP)
Produced by Stephen Endelman and Peter Asher

User Reviews

I never expected to cry!

Maybe it was recent events in my personal life, maybe I'm a sucker for a great song, but the final section of the film saw me fighting back the tears and left me speechless. This film may not be historically accurate, some of the vocal performances may have done the songs less than justice, but this was a great, great movie. The performances of Kline and Judd were magnificent. The use of Porter's songs was astonishing. The sets and costumes sublime. However, it was the way that the director swept you along and hurled you into the final sequence with Porter saying goodbye to Linda and going to meet his maker that will linger in my mind forever. With the possible exception of Moulin Rouge, the only musical film of the last 40 years that could live up to those of the classic era.

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:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$292,963, 4 July 2004

Gross USA:

$13,456,633

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$18,611,951

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