Jack Goes Boating (2010)

A limo driver's blind date sparks a tale of love, betrayal, friendship, and grace centered around two working-class New York City couples.

Director:

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Writers:

Robert Glaudini (screenplay) (as Bob Glaudini), Robert Glaudini (play) (as Bob Glaudini)

Stars:

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Ryan, John Ortiz

1 win & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Jack
John Ortiz	...	Clyde
Richard Petrocelli	...	Uncle Frank
Tom McCarthy	...	Dr. Bob Thomas
Amy Ryan	...	Connie
Daphne Rubin-Vega	...	Lucy
Lola Glaudini	...	Italian Woman
Rafael Osorio	...	Ungainly Swimmer (as Ralph Osorio)
Stephen Adly Guirgis	...	MTA Worker
Mason Pettit	...	Drunk Man on Subway
Trevor Long	...	Waldorf Doorman
Stephen Mailer	...	Happy Husband
Elizabeth Rainer	...	Happy Wife
Theodore Mailer	...	Young Son
Count Stovall	...	Men's Room Attendant

Storyline

Jack is a shy and awkward man who drives a limo and lives an unassuming life. His friend and co-worker, Clyde, and his wife Lucy, feel sorry for Jack and set him up on a blind date with Connie. Connie shares Jack's shyness and awkwardness, but through each other they seem to be able to find solace within themselves. Trouble might be brewing in paradise though, as Clyde and Lucy's marriage stumbles just as Jack and Connie's relationship grows.

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Plot Keywords:

new york city | virgin | marriage problems | copping a feel | father daughter relationship | 

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Taglines:

In love you either sink or swim

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, drug use and some sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site (UK)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 December 2010 (France)

Also Known As:

Jack & Connie

Filming Locations:

Clinton Diner, Maspeth, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$28,916, 19 September 2010, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$538,808, 12 December 2010

Company Credits

Production Co:

Big Beach Films, Cooper's Town Productions, Labyrinth Theater Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Philip Seymour Hoffman reprises the role he originated on stage.

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Quotes

Connie: I even imagined it with you.
Jack: That's... yeah.
Connie: In a bathtub, I imagined I was with you.
Jack: You took a bath?
Connie: No, I was in a bathtub imagining it was a pitch black night. We were in a bed in a spaceship flying through superspace.
Jack: That... that's a long way off... space travel for tourists.

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Connections

Featured in Too Young to Die: Philip Seymour Hoffman - Ganz und gar Schauspieler (2015)

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Soundtracks

Eat Yourself
Written by Alison Goldfrapp (as Alison Elizabeth Goldfrapp) & Will Gregory (as William Owen Gregory)
Performed by Goldfrapp
Courtesy of Mute Records Ltd
Under license from EMI Film & Television Music

User Reviews

A surprising mix: gloomy surroundings and "a positive vibe"

Seymour-Hoffman's directorial debut is a well-rounded little film about being positive no matter the circumstances; the possibility of a solution at the end of the tunnel and the value of perseverance.

Jack Goes Boating relates the tale of four people whose stories are wound together. The premise is simple: one couple throwing a blind date for the other two parties. From this seemingly basic starting point, the characters undergo transformations, all of which are sprinkled with life-lessons and positive philosophy, all the more poignant for its stark backdrop of lower-middle class life. In this sense, there is a feel of La Vita è Bella about it, although admittedly Jack Goes Boating is not quite in the same league as the former.

Phillip Seymour-Hoffman pulls off some typically sensational acting, as does Amy Ryan, with a complicated emotional role which she executes very well indeed.

All in all, a high-class film, totally worth watching, but not something that leaves you with the feeling it ought to have won Best Picture.

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