O Banquete do Amor (2007)

A meditation on love and its various incarnations, set within a community of friends in Oregon. and is described as an exploration of the magical, mysterious and sometimes painful incarnations of love.

Director:

Robert Benton

Writers:

Allison Burnett (screenplay), Charles Baxter (novel)

Stars:

Morgan Freeman, Radha Mitchell, Alexa Davalos

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Morgan Freeman	...	Harry
Greg Kinnear	...	Bradley Smith
Radha Mitchell	...	Diana
Billy Burke	...	David
Selma Blair	...	Kathryn
Alexa Davalos	...	Chloe
Toby Hemingway	...	Oscar
Stana Katic	...	Jenny
Erika Marozsán	...	Margaret Vekashi
Jane Alexander	...	Esther Stevenson
Fred Ward	...	Bat
Margo Martindale	...	Mrs. Maggarolian
Missi Pyle	...	Agatha
Shannon Lucio	...	Janey
Alex Mentzel	...	Billy

Storyline

A group of friends living in suburban Oregon come into contact with a sensual free spirit of Chloe, who changes their outlook on life in the most unexpected of ways. As college professor and writer Harry sits quietly in the coffee shop of his tight-knit Oregon community, the local residents all around him all become swept up in the magical mischief of love. Coffee shop owner Bradley has a bad habit of looking for love in all the wrong places, and his relationship with wife Kathryn is a prime example of that penchant. Meanwhile, frazzled real estate agent Diana becomes ensnared in a taboo affair with a married man David, lovely newcomer Chloe attempts the formidable task of romancing troubled soul Oscar, and Harry's own wife, Esther, affectionately tries to get through to her husband as he wrestles with the pain of losing a loved one.

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Plot Keywords:

love | coffee shop | sex scene | trophy wife | female removes her dress | 

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Taglines:

A story for anyone with an appetite for love.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

M/16

Did You Know?

Trivia

Premiered the week of Robert Benton's 75th birthday

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Goofs

At 46:38, when Harry is typing a letter on his computer, the address seen on the monitor displays a ZIP code in Portland, Oregon as 98765. In actuality, the first three digits for Portland, Oregon ZIP codes are 972, and the first two digits for Oregon ZIP codes are 97.

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Quotes

[Bradley and Harry are sitting on the bench by the football field reminiscing of the past year and a half]
Harry Stevenson: God is either dead or he despises us.
Bradley Smith: You don't really believe that.
Harry Stevenson: Maybe. I saw the most remarkable thing just now. I wandered into the stadium, I thought I was alone but down on the 50-yard line there was a couple making love. I watched for longer then I should have. I was envious. And then I felt sorry for them. There's so much they don't know. Heartbreak they can't even imagine.
Bradley Smith: [sighs]
Harry Stevenson:
Bradley Smith:
Harry Stevenson:
Bradley Smith:
Harry Stevenson:
[...]

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Kingdom/Trade/The Game Plan/Feast of Love/The Darjeeling Limited/Lust, Caution (2007)

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Soundtracks

The Way It Should Be
Written by Steven M. Stern, Chris Pierce, and Ted Greenberg

User Reviews

A rare gem

A movie that manages to be genuine while making you laugh and cry at the fates of the characters in it. I usually go for romantic comedies rather than drama, but this mix of drama, romance and comedy really did it for me. It did not go overboard in trying to make the viewers cry, like so many dramas tend to do and it managed to mix sad comedy with funny comedy - the way they mix in real life as well.

Morgan Freeman is the veritable pillar that holds the whole thing together. One of his better roles (as opposed to many movies that he's been hired to be "the grave guy") and reflects the wisdom of old age very well.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 January 2008 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

O Banquete do Amor

Filming Locations:

923 SE 37th Avenue, Portland, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,707,967, 30 September 2007

Gross USA:

$3,511,074

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,741,608

Company Credits

Production Co:

GreeneStreet Films, Lakeshore Entertainment, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1