Arthur (2011)

A drunken playboy stands to lose a wealthy inheritance when he falls for a woman his family doesn't like.

Director:

Jason Winer

Writers:

Peter Baynham (screenplay), Steve Gordon (story)

Stars:

Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner

3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Russell Brand	...	Arthur
Helen Mirren	...	Hobson
Greta Gerwig	...	Naomi
Jennifer Garner	...	Susan
Geraldine James	...	Vivienne
Luis Guzmán	...	Bitterman
Nick Nolte	...	Burt Johnson
Christina Jacquelyn Calph	...	Tiffany (as Christina Calph)
Murphy Guyer	...	Officer Kaplan
José Ramón Rosario	...	Employment Clerk
John Hodgman	...	Candy Store Manager
Scott Adsit	...	Gummy Bear Man
Evander Holyfield	...	Boxing Trainer
Peter Van Wagner	...	Naomi's Dad
Robert Clohessy	...	Veteran Cop

Storyline

Arthur (Russell Brand) is a rich, alcoholic playboy with no regards to his working life. After another drunken run-in with the law, his aloof mother has had enough and forces him to marry Susan (Jennifer Garner), a proper business woman, or else he will lose his inheritance. Just as he's engaged to Susan, he meets Naomi (Greta Gerwig), a free-spirited girl who Arthur thinks is perfect for him. Any attempts at holding down a job are fruitless, so Arthur has to decide, what is more important: love, or his mother's money.

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Plot Keywords:

john lennon character | tablesaw | watching tv | character name as title | cartoon on tv | 

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Taglines:

No Work. All Play.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for alcohol use throughout, sexual content, language and some drug references

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie marks the second time that a character previously played by Sir John Gielgud has been re-written as a woman and cast with Dame Helen Mirren. Gielgud played Prospero in Prospero's Books (1991), while Mirren played Prospera in Julie Taymor's The Tempest (2010).

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Goofs

When Arthur is talking to Susan's father in the Johnson Tower, and they look through the telescope pointed to Arthur's apartment, the telescope has no eye piece attached.

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Quotes

Police Sergeant: You're drunk again Arthur
Arthur: No... I have remained drunk since our last encounter

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Crazy Credits

During the animated storybook sequence played over the end credits, Arthur and Naomi are sitting across from each other and using binoculars. Arthur says (in a cartoon voice bubble) "Look, lesbian you!" and Naomi asks "Are you a boy or a girl?"

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Connections

Featured in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.12 (2011)

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Soundtracks

Dazed
Written by Daniel Merriweather, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
Produced by Mark Ronson
Performed by Daniel Merriweather
Courtesy of Allido/J Records, a label group of Sony Music Entertainment

User Reviews

Do yourself a favor -- rent the original instead

Was this remake horrible? No, but it also wasn't that great. In only a couple of scenes did this film lift itself above mediocrity. In comparing this update to the 1981 version, the original is simply better on every point. Russell Brand is probably the best choice they could make for the lead, but he doesn't measure up to Dudley Moore's Arthur. And the wonderful Helen Mirren does her best, but she just can't match John Gielgud's witty portrayal of Hobson. The writing fell particularly short of the mark. The one bright spot for me was Greta Gerwig, whom I had not previously seen. She did a fine job of making a thinly-written character become real. I look forward to seeing her in the future.

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 April 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Arthur

Filming Locations:

Old Westbury Gardens - 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury, Long Island, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,222,756, 10 April 2011

Gross USA:

$33,035,397

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$48,147,945

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Morra, Brezner, Steinberg and Tenenbaum Entertainment (MBST), BenderSpink

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1