It's Complicated (film)
| It's Complicated | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
|
| Directed by | Nancy Meyers |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Nancy Meyers |
| Starring | |
| Music by | |
| Cinematography | John Toll |
| Editing by | |
| Studio | Relativity Media |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | December 25, 2009 |
| Running time | 121 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $85 million[1][2] |
| Box office | $219,069,702[3] |
It's Complicated is a 2009 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Nancy Meyers, starring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.[4][5][6][7]
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Jane (Meryl Streep), who owns a successful bakery in Santa Barbara, California, and Jake (Alec Baldwin), a successful attorney, divorced ten years ago. They had three children together, two girls and a boy, who are grown. Jake, who was cheating on Jane, married the much younger Agness (Lake Bell).
Jane and Jake attend their son Luke's college graduation from St. John's University in New York City. After a dinner together, the two begin an affair, which continues in Santa Barbara. Jane is torn about the affair; Jake is not.
While Agness has Jake scheduled for regular sessions at a fertility clinic, Jake is secretly taking medication, a side effect of which reduces his sperm count. After one of his sessions he has a lunchtime rendezvous with Jane at a hotel. Jake collapses in the hotel room and a doctor is called. The doctor speculates that the reason for Jake's distress may be the medication and says he should stop taking it. Jake and Jane's children know nothing of the affair, but Harley (John Krasinski), who is engaged to their daughter Lauren, spots the pair and the doctor in the hotel but keeps silent.
Adam (Steve Martin) is an architect hired to remodel Jane's home. Still healing from a divorce of his own, he begins to fall in love with Jane. On the night of Luke's graduation party in Santa Barbara, Jane invites Adam to the party. She is high when he picks her up because she has smoked a joint that Jake had given her earlier. Later at the party, Adam also becomes high as the two share the joint. Jake becomes jealous observing them, but with some cajoling by Jane, he gets high as well.
Agness then observes Jake and Jane dancing together and becomes suspicious of their closeness. When they leave the party, Adam asks Jane if they could have something to eat. Jane takes him to her bakery and makes him chocolate croissants. This takes hours, and they enjoy their time together. Jake and Agness separate, although it is not clear who leaves whom. Eventually by a webcam in Jane's bedroom, Adam sees Jake naked and realizes that the two have been having an affair.
Adam tells Jane he cannot continue seeing her because it will only lead to heartbreak. Jane's kids also find out, and they are not happy about Mom and Dad getting together again because they are still recovering from the divorce. Jane tells them she is not getting back with Jake. Jane and Jake talk and end their affair on amicable terms. The film ends with Adam at Jane's house ready to commence the remodeling. Before the credits roll, Jane and Adam are seen laughing while walking into her house.
[edit] Cast
- Meryl Streep as Jane Adler, a successful bakery owner.
- Steve Martin as Adam Schaffer, Jane's love interest.
- Alec Baldwin as Jake Adler, Jane's ex-husband.
- Lake Bell as Agness Adler, Jake's wife.
- Hunter Parrish as Luke Adler, Jane and Jake's son.
- Zoe Kazan as Gabby Adler, Jane and Jake's younger daughter.
- Caitlin Fitzgerald as Lauren Adler, Jane and Jake's older daughter.
- John Krasinski as Harley, Lauren's fiancé.
- Mary Kay Place as Joanne
- Rita Wilson as Trisha
- Alexandra Wentworth as Diane
- James Patrick Stuart as Dr. Moss, Jane's therapist.
- Blanchard Ryan as Annalise
- Michael Rivera as Eddie
- Robert Curtis Brown as Peter
- Peter Mackenzie as Dr. Alan
- Rosalie Ward as Alex
[edit] Production
In May 2008, Nancy Meyers agreed to a project for Universal Studios that she would write and direct, to be co-produced with Scott Rudin.[8] The project was referred to as The Untitled Nancy Meyers Project during its inception and early production. Establishing commitments from the principals began in 2008, with Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin entering discussions in August,[4][6] and Steve Martin joining the cast in October.[5] Casting continued through 2009, with Zoe Kazan, Lake Bell, and Hunter Parrish joining in January,[9] John Krasinski in February,[10] Rita Wilson in March,[11] and Caitlin Fitzgerald in June.[12]
The sets were easy to design. Most scenes take place in the protagonist's home and interior courtyard, and as such the architectural details had to be fastidiously worked out, but the rooms were kept bare to reflect the character's functional tastes and limited budget. There are relatively few decorations, just "a bunch of thrift-store things haphazardly thrown together", in the words of production designer Jon Hutman. The building itself is a traditional 1920s Spanish-ranch-style adobe-mud house which "epitomised the Santa Barbara area."[13]
Filming commenced in New York City in April 2009,[14] and completed in August 2009.[15] It's Complicated was released on December 25, 2009.[16][17]
[edit] Reception
[edit] Critics
The film has received generally mixed reviews. Review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reports that 57% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 161 reviews, with an average score of 5.8/10. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the critical consensus is: "Despite fine work by an appealing cast, It's Complicated is predictable romantic comedy fare, going for broad laughs instead of subtlety and nuance."[18] Another review aggregator, Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score from 1 to 100 based on reviews from mainstream critics, gave the film an average score of 57% based on 30 reviews.[19]
[edit] Box office
The film took #4 in its opening weekend behind Avatar, Sherlock Holmes, and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel with $22,100,820. It currently has a total gross of $112,927,070 in North America and a total of $214,727,200 worldwide.[3]
[edit] Awards and nominations
| Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Outcome |
| Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards | Best Comedy Film | Film | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards[20] | Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Meryl Streep | Nominated |
| Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy | Nancy Meyers | Nominated | |
| Best Screenplay | Nancy Meyers | Nominated | |
| National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Awards | Best Ensemble Cast | Film | Won |
| Satellite Awards | Best Film – Musical or Comedy | Film | Nominated |
| BAFTA Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Alec Baldwin | Nominated |
[edit] Home media
It's Complicated became available on DVD and Blu-ray Tuesday, April 27, 2010.[21]
[edit] References
- ^ Abramowitz, Rachel (September 12, 2009). "Meryl Streep's got legs". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2009/sep/12/entertainment/et-streep12?pg=3. Retrieved January 6, 2010. "With the exception of "It's Complicated", with a budget of $75 million [...]"
- ^ Fritz, Ben (December 28, 2009). "Holiday box-office take is highest in recent history". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-boxoffice28-2009dec28,0,1741915.story. Retrieved January 3, 2010. "[...] "It's Complicated", which stars Meryl Streep, wasn't particularly impressive given its budget of about $85 million."
- ^ a b "It's Complicated (2009)". Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=itscomplicated.htm. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
- ^ a b Fleming, Michael (August 5, 2008). "Streep in deep with Meyers". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990178.html?categoryid=13&cs=1. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
- ^ a b Fleming, Michael (October 13, 2008). "Steve Martin joins Nancy Meyers film". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117993916.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
- ^ a b Fleming, Michael (August 14, 2008). "Baldwin flirts with romantic comedy". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990582.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&query=Alec+Baldwin+%2B+Nancy+Meyers. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
- ^ Labrecque, Jeff (August 7, 2009). "Meryl Streep on the prowl in 'Its Complicated" trailer". Entertainment Weekly. http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/08/07/meryl-streep-on-the-prowl-in-its-complicated-trailer/. Retrieved August 23, 2009.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (May 7, 2008). "Universal woos next Meyers movie". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117985259.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&query=Nancy+Meyers. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (January 21, 2009). "Meyers casts Kazan, Bell, Parrish". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117998906.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1&query=Alec+Baldwin+%2B+Nancy+Meyers. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
- ^ Goldberg, Matt (February 10, 2009). "John Krasinski Boards Untitled Nancy Meyers Project". Collider. http://www.collider.com/entertainment/news/article.asp?aid=10869&tcid=1. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
- ^ Kemp, Stuart (March 20, 2009). "Wilson in demand". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/screen-talk-losers-club-could-be-big-winner-1649267.html. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (June 7, 2009). "Players". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118004643.html?categoryId=28&cs=1.
- ^ Harrison, Penny (2010-01-09). "Home movies". Herald Sun: p. Home magazine, pp. 16–17.
- ^ "Films recently shot in New York". Variety. April 21, 2009. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002677.html?categoryid=3602&cs=1&query=Alec+Baldwin+%2B+Nancy+Meyers. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
- ^ Reuters, Thomas (August 14, 2009). "Still the love interest". Screen. http://www.screenindia.com/news/still-the-love-interest/500706/. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
- ^ Goldstein, Patrick (August 17, 2009). "Universal takes a public spanking for its movie flops". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/08/universal-takes-a-public-spanking-for-its-movie-flops-.html. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
- ^ "Universal Pictures' Fall/Holiday 2009 Sneak Preview!". Movieweb. August 13, 2009. http://www.movieweb.com/news/NELfbMPLCfEnPN. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
- ^ "It's Complicated Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. IGN Entertainment. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1208806-its_complicated/. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
- ^ "It's Complicated (2009): Reviews". Metacritic. CNET Networks. http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/itscomplicated. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
- ^ "Nominations and Winners". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. December 15, 2009. http://www.goldenglobes.org/nominations/. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
- ^ "NBC Universal Store". http://www.nbcuniversalstore.com/detail.php?p=258092.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- It's Complicated at the Internet Movie Database
- It's Complicated at Box Office Mojo
|
|||||
