I Don't Know How She Does It (2011)

A comedy centered on the life of Kate Reddy, a finance executive who is the breadwinner for her husband and two kids.

Director:

Douglas McGrath (as Doug McGrath)

Writers:

Aline Brosh McKenna (screenplay), Allison Pearson (novel)

Stars:

Sarah Jessica Parker, Pierce Brosnan, Kelsey Grammer

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sarah Jessica Parker	...	Kate Reddy
Pierce Brosnan	...	Jack Abelhammer
Greg Kinnear	...	Richard Reddy
Christina Hendricks	...	Allison Henderson
Kelsey Grammer	...	Clark Cooper
Seth Meyers	...	Chris Bunce
Olivia Munn	...	Momo Hahn
Jane Curtin	...	Marla Reddy
Mark Blum	...	Lew Reddy
Busy Philipps	...	Wendy Best
Sarah Shahi	...	Janine LoPietro
Jessica Szohr	...	Paula
Emma Rayne Lyle	...	Emily Reddy
Julius Goldberg	...	Ben Reddy
Theodore Goldberg	...	Ben Reddy

Storyline

Opportunist Chris Bunce remains Pacific coast investment firm CEO Clark Cooper's favorite by being available always, also when he can snatch up deals Kate Reddy largely set up but lost giving priority to husband Richard and their kids. She gets a dream chance working for New York tycoon Jack Abelhammer, who proves most accommodating, amused by her faults, generous and able to sort of draw her back into enjoying life, so it looks like she'll have to choose when he offers her an investment fund partnership.

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Plot Keywords:

black comedy | delivery boy | gym | dinner | punishment | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual references

Details

Official Sites:

Movieworlds.com [Sandy Kolbuch] (German) Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 September 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Não Sei Como Ela Consegue

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$24,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,402,201, 18 September 2011, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$9,659,074, 20 November 2011

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Weinstein Company

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS (Datasat Digital) SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The painting on the wall, when they are in the restaurant having dinner, is from famous painter Jean-Michel Basquiat.

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Goofs

When Kate is running late for work in the first 15 minutes, she leaves her daughter's school wearing beige heels with no stocking, while running, she is wearing black stockings with little heel booties, once she gets to work, she is in her beige heels again.

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Quotes

Allison Henderson: At work, when you act like 'one of the boys', they call you abrasive and difficult. So, if you act like a woman, they say you're emotional and difficult. So, difficult is really just the word for anything that isn't a man.

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Connections

Referenced in Conan: It Turns Out Stella's Groove Was on Her Head the Whole Time (2011)

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Soundtracks

Move to the Beat
Written by Imani Coppola and Adam Pallin
Performed by Little Jackie
Courtesy of Plush Moon Records
By arrangement with Zync Music Group LLC

User Reviews

461th Review: Decent enough script but miscast, the result is meh...

Honestly, we kind of enjoyed this but by the end we were both agreed that this was good for TV but not really up to film standards - our conclusion was that SJP just doesn't have the presence to pull this off - she's a good ensemble actress, but on her own, as a star, carrying a film? We just couldn't make that leap.

The script has some nice wry observations on marriage, career, and parenting but all-in-all this needs more wit and spark, more oomph. Most of the comedy came from the idea of sexual tension between SJP and Brosnan, and that's just cheap laughs.

This film is aimed firmly at women over 30 who either have to, want to, or who wish they didn't have to juggle children, career, and life. It is wryly amusing and observant occasionally, but there should be lots and lots more of that, the paucity of observation and the safe boundaries means it fails to create anything other than a very safe film that is mostly trite.

While it is admirable for having good strong female characterizations it fails really to go anywhere with it, and above all, SJP just does little to convince us that she's a star vehicle.

All in all, OK with a glass of chardonnay, pretty difficult without....