Dedication (2007)

The romantic comedy follows a misogynistic children's book author who is forced to work closely with a female illustrator instead of his long-time collaborator and only friend.

Director:

Justin Theroux

Writer:

David Bromberg

Stars:

Billy Crudup, Mandy Moore, Tom Wilkinson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Wilkinson	...	Rudy Holt
Billy Crudup	...	Henry Roth
Christine Taylor	...	Allison
Bob Balaban	...	Arthur Planck
Catherine Lloyd Burns	...	Mother in Bookstore
Amy Sedaris	...	Cassidy's Mom
Cassidy Hinkle	...	Cassidy
Mandy Moore	...	Lucy Reilly
Jeremy Shamos	...	Matthew
Christopher Fitzgerald	...	Robin (as Chris Fitzgerald)
Dianne Wiest	...	Carol
Jicky Schnee	...	Mandy the Waitress
John Ellison Conlee	...	Man at Lucy's
Martin Freeman	...	Jeremy
Christopher Grey Misa	...	Abused Kid (as Chris Misa)

Storyline

Henry Roth: obsessive-compulsive, somewhat misanthropic, a writer of children's books. His illustrator and only friend, Rudy, dies after a fabulously successful collaboration on "Marty, the Beaver." Henry is under contract to produce another Marty book for Christmas sales. His publisher, Arthur Planck, assigns penniless, lovelorn illustrator Lucy Reilly to work with Henry. She's sought by her ex-boyfriend Jeremy, who dumped her two years ago but shows up apologetic, having dedicated his new book to her. She and Henry go to a house on the shore to work. Will love bloom amid the rocks, or is Henry a bump on Lucy's road to Jeremy? Rudy's voice, from the grave, gives Henry counsel.

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Plot Keywords:

book | illustrator | friend | children's book | collaboration | 

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Taglines:

With each moment we write our story

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 October 2008 (Mexico)

Also Known As:

Afosiosi

Filming Locations:

Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$23,832, 26 August 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$91,169, 7 October 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

First Look International, Hart-Lunsford Pictures, Plum Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Justin Theroux: The lawyer on the phone.

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Quotes

Henry: Life is nothing but the echo of joy disappearing into the great chasm of misery.
Rudy Holt: ...You've had better.
Henry: Life is nothing but the occasional burst of laughter rising above the interminable wail of grief.
Rudy Holt: That's my favorite.
Henry: It lives in truth, that's why.

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Crazy Credits

The writer dedicates his work in memory of Jonathan Louis Kaplan (June 6, 1961 - December 28, 1997)

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Connections

Features Daikaijû Gamera (1965)

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Soundtracks

Hark The Umpire
Written by John Dieterich, Satomi Matsuzaki, and Greg Saunier
Performed by Deerhoof
Courtesy of Kill Rock Stars

User Reviews

Dedication is complex and rewarding.

Response to Boston Globe review (9/21/07) It took dedication and perseverance to see the Sundance Festival (not mentioned) film "Dedication" after reading your negative review. Having overcome the barriers created by your dissection of characters and plot I was surprised to find the film both rewarding and enjoyable despite Mandy Moore's hair color. The cinematography was fresh as was the use of music. The characters had emotional dimensions of complexity and interest in contrast to the flat facades too often presented in today's films. Henry's deep neuroses were believably quirky and contributed to the intrigue of an unpredictable character. His intense dialog with his dead friend and partner gave vent to his inner confusion and added a charmingly bizarre facet of interest to the film. I regret that you did not recognize the film's attributes.