Drinking Buddies (2013)

Luke and Kate are coworkers at a brewery who spend their nights drinking and flirting heavily. One weekend away together with their significant others proves who really belongs together and who doesn't.

Director:

Joe Swanberg

Writer:

Joe Swanberg

Stars:

Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Olivia Wilde	...	Kate
Jake Johnson	...	Luke
Anna Kendrick	...	Jill
Ron Livingston	...	Chris
Ti West	...	Dave
Jason Sudeikis	...	Gene Dentler
Mike Brune	...	Mike
Frank V. Ross	...	Frank
Michael Gaertner	...	Man w / Fiance
Kristin Davis	...	Fiance
Jim Cibak	...	Jim
Alicia Van Couvering	...	Amy
Michael Zeller	...	Eli
Joe Swanberg	...	Angry Car Guy

Storyline

Luke and Kate are co-workers at a Chicago brewery, where they spend their days drinking and flirting. They're perfect for each other, except that they're both in relationships. Luke is in the midst of marriage talks with his girlfriend of six years, Kate is playing it cool with her music producer boyfriend Chris. But you know what makes the line between "friends" and "more than friends" really blurry? Beer.

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Plot Keywords:

brewery | co worker | group of friends | boyfriend girlfriend relationship | break up | 

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Taglines:

A comedy about knowing when to say when.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language throughout

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 July 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Drinking Buddies

Filming Locations:

Empty Bottle Bar, 1035 N Western Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$19,505, 25 August 2013, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$342,936, 15 November 2013

Company Credits

Production Co:

Burn Later Productions, MJW Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jason Sudeikis' character, "Gene Dentler" is listed as "himself" on the ending credits.

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Goofs

When Kate is riding her bike to Chris's apartment for the first time, the production van carrying the camera can be seen reflected when they pass by a store window.

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Quotes

Kate: That's the problem with heartbreak, to you it's like an atomic bomb and to the world it's just really cliche, because in the end we all have the same experience.

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Crazy Credits

The title of the movie only appears in the ending credits and Jason Sudeikis's character 'Gene Dentler' is credited as 'Himself'.

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Connections

References Reservoir Dogs (1992)

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Soundtracks

Turns Around The Bottle
Written by Barna Howard
Performed by Barna Howard
Published by Barna Howard (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Mama Bird Recording Co.

User Reviews

Shallow Characters with Shallow Dilemmas

From the threadbare 'Hannah takes the Stairs' to the layered, clever 'Alexander the Last', the quality of Joe Swanberg's films has traditionally been erratic. 'Drinking Buddies' falls somewhere in the upper half of his range as it portrays how a couple of brewery co-workers deal with mutual sexual attraction while engaged in relationships with other partners. Kate and Luke use their love of beer as an excuse to hang out while concealing their amorous agenda and ambivalence in an alcoholic haze. The improvised dialog does deliver some amusing moments, but there are too many repetitive exchanges which dissipate the film's energy.

The two lead actors create credible characters, but Swanberg doesn't give them anywhere particularly interesting to go, and there doesn't appear to be anything of great value at stake. Kate and Luke's Romeo and Juliette saga turns into a circular song-and-dance routine, until their friendship becomes infected by frustration, leading to dishonesty and irritability. The concept is intriguing, but the film turns into an effective endorsement of sobriety. Swanberg has shown he can do better than this, and the end titles arrive just in time.