The relationship of a contemporary married couple, charting their evolution over a span of years by cross-cutting between time periods.The relationship of a contemporary married couple, charting their evolution over a span of years by cross-cutting between time periods.The relationship of a contemporary married couple, charting their evolution over a span of years by cross-cutting between time periods.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 9 wins & 56 nominations total
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe scenes in the "past" when Dean and Cindy are falling in love were shot first, in three weeks. After this, Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams spent a month together in a rented house to age themselves in preparation for the "present" scenes. They spent a lot of their time grocery shopping, cooking dinner and learning to pick fights with each other.
- GoofsAfter the argument at Cindy's workplace, Dean's necklace is visibly broken with the chain hanging down the front of his shirt. In the next shot, the necklace is intact again.
- Quotes
Dean: In my experience, the prettier a girl is, the more nuts she is, which makes you insane. You're probably nutty, coo-coo crazy. It's not your fault, you know? Just like, everybody treats you different, you know? Like, you make jokes and they're not funny, but people laugh anyway. That's gotta make you nuts.
Cindy: I like how you can compliment and insult somebody at the same time, in equal measure.
- Crazy creditsThe initial credits, showing major cast and crew, play over a montage of stills from the film and clips of fireworks.
- ConnectionsFeatured in At the Movies: Summer Special 2010/11 (2010)
- SoundtracksUnicorn Tears
Written and Performed by Ryan Gosling
It's almost impossible to imagine anyone in anything coming close. In the defensive, aggressive way he turns every line of dialogue around on the speaker as a hidden affront to his insecurities, Gosling reminded me of no less than De Niro in Raging Bull as the older Dean. Playing the younger version, he channels the charm, romanticism, and recklessness of a 1960s Paul Newman.
Williams, who has emerged as the best American actress 30 and under, pulls off a performance that recalls Gena Rowlands' work with Cassavettes. Which is not to say either is an imitation, they aren't "doing method" or aping the authenticity of previous greats. They're 100% the real deal, so good you can only compare them to the best, and they fully embody these characters in every frame. They made me believe, they made me care, they broke my heart.
The story is a familiar one because it's the most common source of drama in life and art but avoids cliché and instead handles the subject with uncommon insight and grace. The lack of context scene-to-scene keeps the audience engaged and on their feet, filling in the intentional holes with their own experience and lending the film a universal relatability. In good times and bad, we can recognize our own triumphs and failures in love. It captures the joyous highs and devastating lows of relationships better than anything I can recall. Gosling singing while Williams tap dances, what she reveals to Gosling on the bridge and how he reacts, the scene in the doctor's office towards the end... they achieve that sense of cinematic transcendence so rare these days. They simply don't craft scenes like this or give actors roles this fully realized in Hollywood anymore.
It's clear this was a labor of love for all involved and it paid off in spades. This is the best American film I've seen this year.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Triste San Valentín
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $9,706,328
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $193,728
- Jan 2, 2011
- Gross worldwide
- $15,440,333
- Runtime1 hour 52 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1