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IMDbPro

How Do You Know

  • 20102010
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 1m
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
52K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,161
609
Jack Nicholson, Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, and Paul Rudd in How Do You Know (2010)
Feeling a bit past her prime at 27, former athlete Lisa Jorgenson (Witherspoon) finds herself in the middle of a love triangle, as a corporate guy in crisis (Rudd) competes with Lisa's current, baseball-playing beau (Wilson).
Play trailer2:53
7 Videos
89 Photos
ComedyDramaRomance
After being cut from the U.S.A. softball team and feeling a bit past her prime, Lisa finds herself evaluating her life and in the middle of a love triangle, as a corporate guy in crisis comp... Read allAfter being cut from the U.S.A. softball team and feeling a bit past her prime, Lisa finds herself evaluating her life and in the middle of a love triangle, as a corporate guy in crisis competes with her current, baseball-playing beau.After being cut from the U.S.A. softball team and feeling a bit past her prime, Lisa finds herself evaluating her life and in the middle of a love triangle, as a corporate guy in crisis competes with her current, baseball-playing beau.
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
52K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,161
609
  • Director
    • James L. Brooks
  • Writer
    • James L. Brooks
  • Stars
    • Reese Witherspoon
    • Paul Rudd
    • Owen Wilson
  • Director
    • James L. Brooks
  • Writer
    • James L. Brooks
  • Stars
    • Reese Witherspoon
    • Paul Rudd
    • Owen Wilson
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 352User reviews
    • 159Critic reviews
    • 46Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 nominations

    Videos7

    How Do You Know
    Trailer 2:53
    Watch How Do You Know
    How Do You Know: See Your Place
    Clip 1:01
    Watch How Do You Know: See Your Place
    How Do You Know: Meet At Restaurant
    Clip 1:54
    Watch How Do You Know: Meet At Restaurant
    How Do You Know: Run From Bad News
    Clip 0:52
    Watch How Do You Know: Run From Bad News
    How Do You Know: Do Not Rock The Boat Extended
    Clip 1:08
    Watch How Do You Know: Do Not Rock The Boat Extended
    How Do You Know
    Promo 0:32
    Watch How Do You Know
    How Do You Know
    Promo 1:02
    Watch How Do You Know

    Photos89

    James L. Brooks and Kathryn Hahn in How Do You Know (2010)
    Reese Witherspoon and Owen Wilson in How Do You Know (2010)
    Jack Nicholson and Paul Rudd in How Do You Know (2010)
    Reese Witherspoon and Owen Wilson in How Do You Know (2010)
    Paul Rudd in How Do You Know (2010)
    Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd in How Do You Know (2010)
    Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd in How Do You Know (2010)
    Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd in How Do You Know (2010)
    Reese Witherspoon and Owen Wilson in How Do You Know (2010)
    Jack Nicholson in How Do You Know (2010)
    Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd in How Do You Know (2010)
    Reese Witherspoon at an event for How Do You Know (2010)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Reese Witherspoon
    Reese Witherspoon
    • Lisa
    Paul Rudd
    Paul Rudd
    • George
    Owen Wilson
    Owen Wilson
    • Matty
    Jack Nicholson
    Jack Nicholson
    • Charles
    Kathryn Hahn
    Kathryn Hahn
    • Annie
    Mark Linn-Baker
    Mark Linn-Baker
    • Ron
    Lenny Venito
    Lenny Venito
    • Al
    Molly Price
    Molly Price
    • Coach Sally
    Ron McLarty
    Ron McLarty
    • George's Lawyer
    Shelley Conn
    Shelley Conn
    • Terry
    Domenick Lombardozzi
    Domenick Lombardozzi
    • Bullpen Pitcher
    John Tormey
    John Tormey
    • Doorman
    Teyonah Parris
    Teyonah Parris
    • Riva
    Tony Shalhoub
    Tony Shalhoub
    • Psychiatrist
    Dean Norris
    Dean Norris
    • Softball Coach
    Donna Dundon
    • Annie's Mom
    Cyrus Newitt
    Cyrus Newitt
    • Annie's Dad
    Will Blagrove
    Will Blagrove
    • Matty's Teammate
    • Director
      • James L. Brooks
    • Writer
      • James L. Brooks
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      One of the lesser known "big box-office bombs of all time"; the budget spiraled up to $120 million due to high salary demands of its principal cast and director (around $50 million), a lengthy production, as well as a costly re-shoot for the beginning and the ending. Coupled with marketing costs, the movie lost an estimated $105 million.
    • Goofs
      After their first night together, Lisa is seen wearing a red camisole that has straps showing after putting on her red dress from the night before. The straps didn't show during their date and after she got home.
    • Quotes

      Lisa: Never drink to feel better; only drink to feel even better.

    • Connections
      Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.58 (2010)
    • Soundtracks
      What Is It This Time?
      Written by Jamie Lidell (as Jamie Lidderdale) and Mocky (as Dominic Salole)

      Performed by Jamie Lidell

      Courtesy of Warp Records

      By Arrangement with Zync Music

    User reviews352

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Structure, Team Play
    Some filmmakers you just fall into. The ones I hold most dear are those that are both expert cinematic storytellers and attempt to reshape me. These are rare, but there is a second tier of cinematic storytellers; although they do not work at deep levels, you just get captured by the mastery of the storytelling. Brooks is one of these. He is a master and even his disaster in 1994 was interesting.

    This film did poorly in the US. I think it was not zany enough, short enough or abstracted from reality enough for the audience who is attracted to the form. Perhaps if it is judged as mere candy, it fails. But I found it well met the requirements on which the genre was founded: the alternating of charm in the nature of humans with humor about many of the same traits. This engagement-detachment by humor is perhaps the oldest storytelling device after the technique of omission, and Brooks is delicate if old-fashioned.

    The story is that he is valued in the business for adding texture of these two qualities: humor and endearment. But he gets stuck in creating scenes that are no longer than a few minutes, because that is what the market pulls. He gets paid extremely well for guiding "The Simpsons," basically two jokes per show, and also as uncredited script doctor on a scene by scene basis. He hates this, he has said and when he can find the space for a long form project, he does it as if his soul is in the balance.

    He doesn't start with characters weaving a story, or even a story proper. He is all about situations and how people react within them as they try to gain control. Our two main characters here, destined for love, are struggling less with the lives they are given than the techniques they had been using until that point to cope. The weapons in forming the new situations we desire then to get, are words. And such words in dialog that is so perfect we don't deserve the simply by paying 8 bucks.

    Brooks is a writer, but it is clear that every line is written within a specific cinematic vision. Some of the shots here are quite unconventional, the composition and rhythm of shots is very personal and the flow of the words absolutely matches or is counterpointed to that rhythm. Watch the motions of the camera and the dialog when Lisa is first in George's apartment. This is effective and idiosyncratic to Brooks. It worked for me because these films are all about deferred gratification and he is serious about pushing it.

    In little things, it works. Witherspoon's lack of sex appeal is handled by making her a tough jock. The formula demands — absolutely demands — that the guy profess his love at the end in front of an audience representing us. We know he is going to her birthday party to do just this, but he does not. Instead Brooks has placed a clever scene before this, a radically unconventional one that works when paired with what happens after the party, observed by no one but us and Nicholsen's character. In this scene — possibly the first written — has the two to-be lovers filming an awkward proposal, and then engaging in a re-enactment in a folded engagement. It satisfies the formula without following it.

    There are several folds along these lines, highly structured and effective.

    Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
    helpful•19
    8
    • tedg
    • Feb 2, 2011

    FAQ1

    • What does the title mean?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 17, 2010 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Everything You've Got
    • Filming locations
      • DuPont Circle, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Gracie Films
      • Road Rebel
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $120,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $30,212,620
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $7,484,696
      • Dec 19, 2010
    • Gross worldwide
      • $48,668,907
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 1 minute
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
      • DTS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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