The Ex (2006)

A slacker is forced to work for his father-in-law after his pregnant wife steps away from her high-paying job.

Director:

Jesse Peretz

Writers:

David Guion, Michael Handelman

Stars:

Zach Braff, Amanda Peet, Charles Grodin

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Zach Braff	...	Tom Reilly
Amanda Peet	...	Sofia Kowalski
Jason Bateman	...	Chip Sanders
Charles Grodin	...	Bob Kowalski
Mia Farrow	...	Amelia Kowalski
Lucian Maisel	...	Wesley
Donal Logue	...	Don Wollebin
Amy Poehler	...	Carol Lane
Fred Armisen	...	Manny
Bob Stephenson	...	Doug
Yaffit Hallely	...	Woman (as Yafit Hallely)
Josh Charles	...	Forrest Mead
Marin Hinkle	...	Karen
Yul Vazquez	...	Paco
Michael Lawson	...	Busboy

Storyline

In Manhattan, Sofia's an attorney and Tom's a cook who has a hard time holding a job. When their first child is born, they agree that she'll be a full-time mom and he'll get a promotion. When he gets fired, he takes a job in Ohio working at the ad agency where her father is assistant director. Tom's assigned to report to Chip, a competitive, hard-driving guy who's in a wheelchair and who's Sofia's ex-boyfriend - from high school. Chip still carries a torch for her, so he connives to make Tom's work life miserable. As Tom's frustrations mount, it may be that Sofia will take Chip's side. Is Tom doomed to fail yet again?

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Plot Keywords:

slacker as protagonist | wheelchair | father in law | cook | kitchen | 

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Taglines:

Credit-grabbing, back-stabbing, wife-nabbing. Just another day at the office.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

In an interview with Creative Screenwriting magazine, the screenwriters, David Guion and Michael Handelman, virtually disowned the film. Guion said "That movie was a bit of a cautionary story for screenwriters in terms of that it was a movie that struggled a little bit and didn't test well initially, and the financiers panicked and said, 'We better show a lot of people getting hit in the balls.' It was unfortunate because the director, Jesse Peretz, is great and very talented, but the movie was ultimately taken out of his hands."

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Goofs

Clearly visible out the window of candy & ice cream shop supposedly in Ohio is an awning with a phone number with a 718 area code, which belongs to New York City's outer boroughs.

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Quotes

Sofia Kowalski: [Abby March makes comment about how Sofia isn't a happy person and Abby thinks it's bad for baby Oliver] You know what I think? You're an idiot. And your son Petey... is a dipshit.

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Crazy Credits

"Harold and the Purple Crayon" by Crockett Johnson is published by HarperCollins, but the credits write it as "Harpers Collins."

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Alternate Versions

SPOILER WARNING The version of the film on the Unrated DVD is drastically different than, and is in fact shorter than, the theatrical release. The plot point in which it is revealed that Chip was faking his handicap is never revealed. The following scenes are removed from the film:

• The hospital scene where Oliver is born and named.
• The scene where Tom plays basketball with Chip in a wheelchair.
• The scene between Tom and Chip in the locker room.
• The scene in which Chip reveals he can walk to Tom.
• The scene in which Chip reveals he can walk to Sofia, Wesley and Wesley's father. (This appears as an alternate ending on the DVD)
• The scene in Barcelona where Chip is at the Idea building. However, the Unrated version has several short new scenes including:
• A bizarre dream that Tom has.
• More of Amelia's Spanish speaking.

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Zach Braff/Maroon 5 (2007)

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Soundtracks

Mornings Eleven
Written by Romeo Stodart and Michele Stodart
Performed by The Magic Numbers
Published by Warner Chappell Music Publishing Ltd. (ASCAP)/Copyright Control
Courtesy of EMI Records Ltd.
Under license from EMI Film & Television Music

User Reviews

Want to get even with an ex? Recommend this movie as a must-see

Tom (Zach Braff) is a bright man who just keeps leaving jobs. As he is married to beautiful Sofia (Amanda Peet), a successful lawyer, this has not been a life-changing problem. However, hours before Sofia is set to give birth to their son, Tom promptly loses his latest job as a chef. As Sofia longs to be a stay at home mother, the only choice available now for the young family is a move to Ohio where Tom can take a job offered by Sofia's father. Although Tom has no background in the advertising world, he scores big points when he comes up with an extremely creative pitch for a condiment company. Yeah. But, working alongside Tom is the slimeman of the century, a man named Chip. Not only is wheelchair-bound Chip (Jason Bateman) an ex-boyfriend of Sofia's, he has everyone else fooled into thinking he is a great guy with a hefty talent as an ad man. Tom sees Chip's true self but exposing a handicapped man as a dirtbag is a difficult thing to do. Will Tom alienate everyone if he goes after Chip? This is a lame movie in almost every respect. From the forgettable script to the laissez-faire direction to the so-so production values, The Ex has definite problems. Worse still, the nice cast, which also includes Charles Grodin and Mia Farrow, can not transcend material of this caliber, no matter how hard they try. Braff is a lovable guy, so it really hurts that he and the others have nothing to work with here. Yes, I did crack a smile a few times but I found myself wincing more often than not. As a movie for bedridden flu patients, I suppose this one is okay. But, please do not spend big bucks arranging a viewing. Wait until it hits the cheap theaters, at least, or for the moment that you have a coupon for a free DVD rental. Even then, remember not to expect anything great, as this film is as disposable as they come.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

11 May 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Ex

Filming Locations:

Forest Hills, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,394,229, 13 May 2007

Gross USA:

$3,093,394

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,178,640

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Weinstein Company, 2929 Productions, This Is That Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min (European Film Market) 84 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

DTS SDDS Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1