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IMDbPro

Pretty Persuasion

  • 2005
  • R
  • 1h 44m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
11K
YOUR RATING
James Woods, Jane Krakowski, and Evan Rachel Wood in Pretty Persuasion (2005)
Trailer 1
Play trailer2:08
7 Videos
99+ Photos
ComedyDrama

A 15-year-old girl incites chaos among her friends and a media frenzy when she accuses her drama teacher of sexual harassment.A 15-year-old girl incites chaos among her friends and a media frenzy when she accuses her drama teacher of sexual harassment.A 15-year-old girl incites chaos among her friends and a media frenzy when she accuses her drama teacher of sexual harassment.

  • Director
    • Marcos Siega
  • Writer
    • Skander Halim
  • Stars
    • Evan Rachel Wood
    • Ron Livingston
    • James Woods
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    11K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Marcos Siega
    • Writer
      • Skander Halim
    • Stars
      • Evan Rachel Wood
      • Ron Livingston
      • James Woods
    • 87User reviews
    • 68Critic reviews
    • 45Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 2 nominations

    Videos7

    Pretty Persuasion
    Trailer 2:08
    Watch Pretty Persuasion
    What Roles Has Evan Rachel Wood Turned Down?
    Clip 2:52
    Watch What Roles Has Evan Rachel Wood Turned Down?
    Pretty Persuasion
    Clip 0:43
    Watch Pretty Persuasion
    Pretty Persuasion Scene: Scene 1
    Clip 1:19
    Watch Pretty Persuasion Scene: Scene 1
    Pretty Persuasion Scene: Scene 3
    Clip 1:00
    Watch Pretty Persuasion Scene: Scene 3
    Pretty Persuasion Scene: Scene 4
    Clip 0:46
    Watch Pretty Persuasion Scene: Scene 4
    Pretty Persuasion Scene: Scene 2
    Clip 1:03
    Watch Pretty Persuasion Scene: Scene 2

    Photos185

    Elisabeth Harnois in Pretty Persuasion (2005)
    Evan Rachel Wood and Josh Zuckerman in Pretty Persuasion (2005)
    Jane Krakowski and Evan Rachel Wood in Pretty Persuasion (2005)
    James Woods and Jaime King in Pretty Persuasion (2005)
    Selma Blair in Pretty Persuasion (2005)
    Danny Comden and Ron Livingston in Pretty Persuasion (2005)
    James Woods and Evan Rachel Wood in Pretty Persuasion (2005)
    Jane Krakowski in Pretty Persuasion (2005)
    Elisabeth Harnois and Evan Rachel Wood in Pretty Persuasion (2005)
    Elisabeth Harnois, Evan Rachel Wood, and Adi Schnall in Pretty Persuasion (2005)
    Adi Schnall at an event for Pretty Persuasion (2005)
    Adi Schnall at an event for Pretty Persuasion (2005)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Evan Rachel Wood
    Evan Rachel Wood
    • Kimberly Joyce
    Ron Livingston
    Ron Livingston
    • Percy Anderson
    James Woods
    James Woods
    • Hank Joyce
    David Wagner
    • Morgan
    • (as David T. Wagner)
    Brent Goldberg
    • Rick
    Adi Schnall
    Adi Schnall
    • Randa
    Elisabeth Harnois
    Elisabeth Harnois
    • Brittany
    Stark Sands
    Stark Sands
    • Troy
    Jane Krakowski
    Jane Krakowski
    • Emily Klein
    Michael Hitchcock
    Michael Hitchcock
    • Headmaster Charles Meyer
    Danny Comden
    Danny Comden
    • Roger Nicholl
    Jaime King
    Jaime King
    • Kathy Joyce
    Josh Zuckerman
    Josh Zuckerman
    • Josh Horowitz
    James Snyder
    James Snyder
    • Dave
    Cody McMains
    Cody McMains
    • Kenny
    Mike Erwin
    Mike Erwin
    • Barry
    Ira David Wood IV
    Ira David Wood IV
    • Martin Stivers
    • (as Ira Wood)
    Selma Blair
    Selma Blair
    • Grace Anderson
    • Director
      • Marcos Siega
    • Writer
      • Skander Halim
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When Jane Krakowski did her bra and panties scenes she asked that all crew that worked the shot be without a shirt.
    • Goofs
      In the courtroom scenes, the girls wouldn't have been allowed to be in the courtroom when the others were testifying.
    • Quotes

      Kimberly Joyce: I have respect for all races, but I'm very glad that I was born white. As a woman, it's the best race to be. Especially if you want to become an actress, like I do.

      [pause]

      Kimberly Joyce: If I wasn't white, then the next thing I would wanna be is Asian because a lot of men like Asian girls because they think they're docile and subservient and sweet which I don't really think is true because I once met this Asian girl at summer camp one time and she was a real bitch.

      [pause]

      Kimberly Joyce: If I couldn't be white and I also couldn't be Asian, then my third choice would be African-American because I've always wanted to be a gospel singer and also, black men are more forgiving if your butt gets big. Except I'd definitely want light skin and Caucasian features like... Vanessa Williams or Halle Berry. And finally, you know, no offense or anything Randa, but my very last choice would be Arab. I mean, truth be told you're not in a very enviable position. There's a lot of resentment in this country toward the Middle East and there's a lot of stereotypes floating around which I don't think are true because in the short amount of time I've known you, you haven't tried to bomb anybody and you currently smell okay to me.

    • Alternate versions
      There are apparently at least three different versions: 1 hr 50 min (110 min), 1 hr 44 min (104 min) (USA), 1 hr 47 min (107 min) (Argentina).
    • Connections
      Features South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
    • Soundtracks
      Gare a Toi Jeune Amant
      Written by Gilad Benamram (ASCAP), Ran Pink (BMI) & Flora Benamram (ACUM)

      Performed by The Marionette Sextet

      Recorded and Mixed by Clint Bennett

      Published by EverBliss Music, Inc. (ASCAP), Ran Pink Publishing (BMI)

    User reviews87

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    Drawn Out Social and Political Satire of Teen Girls
    "Pretty Persuasion" crosses "Mean Girls" with an updated slant on Lillian Hellman's "The Children's Hour," but its social and political satire feels in too many scenes like an extended "Saturday Night Live" sketch.

    The film is heavy-handedly based on the sociological findings that instead of doing Columbine-like violence, teen age girls lash out with spiteful aggression in social situations. The film makes the extended case that teen girls are more like Machiavelli than "Carrie" or as in "Heathers." The male debut writer and director can't resist adding in dollops of male fantasy about girls and women. Even under the guise of examining how ambiguous male-driven media messages from Britney Spears to Lolita to TV shows, etc. create confusing role models of appropriate behavior for girls in their real lives, males are seen as clueless pawns of younger females.

    One effective touch is to replay scenes in flashbacks from different angles to show how miscommunications and misunderstandings can occur and be manipulated.

    Individual scenes and caricatures are very funny, particularly James Wood doing a comic take on his "Ghosts of Mississippi" role. Adi Schnall is touching as a naive Muslim student thrown in with the sharks of the American Dream. Jane Krakowski enjoys making fun of the ambitious bombshell roles she usually plays. Elisabeth Harnois is the most affecting as the best friend, but she is so natural she almost seems to be in a different movie. Selma Blair has a brief funny scene as a wife mocking her husband's fantasies, though a notable episode of TV's "Angel" did the exact same scene with more dark bite, as well as the general theme taken up more effectively by Joss Whedon's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and Ryan Murphy in "Popular."

    But most of the rest of the broad, scatter shot attacks on ethnic, racial and sexual PC clichés end up just wooden and go on repetitively for too long. Individual lines like "I can sympathize with the immigrant experience because I'm Canadian." are amusing, as are ongoing jokes about putting on the story of Anne Frank as the high school play, but pile up in dialog that even the commanding Evan Rachel Wood has trouble making seem real.

    The closing montage ties all the disparate themes together in a sudden shift of tone, but it was a long time getting there, in moving from the obvious to the touching to twists in using high school as the usual metaphor for the world at large.

    The cinematography is all appropriate bright pink. The set design is full of visual jokes, more than the can be picked up quickly.

    For a film set in the world of teenagers, there are few songs on the sound track, perhaps due to budget limitations, but more music might have helped the pacing.
    helpful•16
    13
    • noralee
    • Sep 25, 2005

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 25, 2006 (South Africa)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official site (Germany)
      • Official site (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Belalı Oyun
    • Filming locations
      • Loyola High School - 1901 Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • REN-Mar Studios
      • Prospect Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $2,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $305,800
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $58,570
      • Aug 14, 2005
    • Gross worldwide
      • $537,126
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 44 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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