Ruby Sparks (2012)

A novelist struggling with writer's block finds romance in a most unusual way: by creating a female character he thinks will love him, then willing her into existence.

Directors:

Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris

Writer:

Zoe Kazan

Stars:

Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Annette Bening

1 win & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Dano	...	Calvin Weir-Fields
Zoe Kazan	...	Ruby Sparks
Chris Messina	...	Harry
Annette Bening	...	Gertrude
Antonio Banderas	...	Mort
Aasif Mandvi	...	Cyrus Modi
Steve Coogan	...	Langdon Tharp
Toni Trucks	...	Susie
Deborah Ann Woll	...	Lila
Elliott Gould	...	Dr. Rosenthal
Alia Shawkat	...	Mabel
Jane Anne Thomas	...	Saskia
John F. Beach	...	Adam
Eleanor Seigler	...	Mandi
Emma Julia Jacobs	...	Party Goer at Langdon's

Storyline

Calvin is a genius novelist who begins to type a new novel on his manual typewriter about Ruby, his dream girl. He can't believe his eyes, because the next day, Ruby becomes a real person, and they begin to have a beautiful relationship together. If the relationship isn't perfect, all Calvin has to do is simply type the words on the page and Ruby's actions change to what he needs.

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Plot Keywords:

imaginary character made real | writer's block | book comes to life | reference to f. scott fitzgerald | best selling author | 

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Taglines:

She's out of his mind.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language including some sexual references, and for some drug use

Did You Know?

Trivia

In a couple of scenes, a book by Jonathan Franzen can be clearly spotted.

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Goofs

When continuing to write on a page with the typewriter, the main character inserts the page the wrong way.

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Quotes

Calvin Weir-Fields: Ruby Sparks. Twenty-six years old. Raised in Dayton, Ohio.
Dr. Rosenthal: Why Dayton?
Calvin Weir-Fields: Sounds romantic. Ruby's first crushes were Humphrey Bogart and John Lennon. She cried the day she found out they were already dead. Ruby got kicked out of high school for sleeping with her art teacher... or maybe her Spanish teacher. I haven't decided yet. Ruby can't drive. She doesn't own a computer. She hates her middle name, which is Tiffany. She always, always roots for the underdog. She's complicated. That's what I like ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Special Collector's Edition: Underground (2013)

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Soundtracks

Psychedelic Train
Written & Performed by Derrick Harriott
Courtesy of Musical Chariots

User Reviews

Brilliant

The film is a lot different from the trailer. It's very good, brilliant actually, fun and enjoyable but much darker. The film shows it as a light weight,playful film, not as a psychotic man who needs to control every small detail in his life including the woman he loves. It is truly brilliant, but go in with an open mind, don't leave the trailer to guide you through the film. I sound like I'm giving it a bad impression. I don't mean to, I came out with my dad and I absolutely loved it, we spent most of the journey home contemplating what we had seen. And in all truths, I want the mum's house, and their water slide, and more!

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight [United States] Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

6 September 2012 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

He Loves Me

Filming Locations:

Big Sur, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$140,822, 29 July 2012

Gross USA:

$2,540,106

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,368,803

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Bona Fide Productions, DragonCove Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Datasat SDDS Dolby Surround 7.1 Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1