The Roommate
| The Roommate | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Directed by | Christian E. Christiansen |
| Produced by | Roy Lee Doug Davison Irene Yeung Sonny Mallhi |
| Written by | Sonny Mallhi |
| Starring | Minka Kelly Leighton Meester Cam Gigandet Aly Michalka Danneel Harris Katerina Graham Nina Dobrev Billy Zane |
| Music by | John Frizzell |
| Cinematography | Phil Parmet |
| Editing by | Randy Bricker |
| Studio | Vertigo Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Screen Gems |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $16 million[1] |
| Box office | $40,492,759 [2] |
The Roommate is a 2011 American thriller film directed by Christian E. Christiansen and starring Minka Kelly, Leighton Meester, Cam Gigandet, Danneel Harris, Matt Lanter, and Aly Michalka. It was theatrically released on February 4, 2011.
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Plot[edit]
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This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (April 2011) |
Sara Matthews (Minka Kelly) is starting her freshman year of college. She meets Tracy (Aly Michalka), Stephen (Cam Gigandet), her love interest, and Rebecca (Leighton Meester), her roommate. Initially, the girls begin to bond and Rebecca learns that Sara had an older sister, Emily, who died when Sara was 9 just two days before Thanksgiving. Sara has Emily's name tattooed on her body. She also has an ex-boyfriend, Jason (Matt Lanter), who keeps calling her to try to reconcile. As time goes on, Rebecca's obsession with Sara grows which causes her to become increasingly violent and that she tries to drive away anyone who could come between them.
Rebecca attacks Tracy in the shower and threatens to kill her unless she stays away from Sara. Tracy moves to another dorm, fearful of Rebecca. Meanwhile Sara finds a kitten in the street and names it Cuddles, Rebecca finds out and they decide to keep it a secret. However, the kitten is later discovered by a custodian who demands that it be removed. An old friend of Sara named Irene (Danneel Harris), who is a lesbian, invites Sara to move in with her, but when Sara tells that to Rebecca, she plans to insure that Sara will stay with her by taking Cuddles to the laundry room and puts her in a dryer (offscreen). Rebecca lies to Sara and tells her that the kitten ran away. When Sara's philandering fashion design professor Roberts (Billy Zane) kisses her, Rebecca plans to get the professor out of the picture by seducing him while recording their dialogue on a tape recorder to make it sound like he was trying to rape her. Later Rebecca lies once again to Sara by telling her she went looking for Cuddles but was beaten by a street thug, when in reality, the wounds on Rebecca's body are self-inflicted. Sara feels bad for her and decides to spend the Thanksgiving with Rebecca.
During her stay, Sara overhears a conversation between Rebecca and her father (Tomas Arana), hinting Rebecca has had trouble making friends in the past. Rebecca's mother (Frances Fisher) mentions that Rebecca is supposed to be taking medication. Later, Sara and Rebecca encounter Maria (Nina Dobrev), an old friend of Rebecca's to whom Sara bears a striking resemblance. She and Stephen later find a bottle of Zyprexa pills, which they find out (via Wikipedia) is used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. But the bottle is full, implying that Rebecca didn't take any pills. Sara, worried about what would happen, decides to move in with Irene. Irene goes to a club where she sees Rebecca. They make out in the club's bathroom and Irene, not knowing that Rebecca is Sara's roommate, takes Rebecca back to her place. The following morning, Sara goes to Irene's apartment but she's not there.
Rebecca gets Sara's sister's name tattooed in the same place on her body as Sara, saying that Sara can now think of Rebecca as her sister. A shocked Sara realizes that Rebecca is obsessed with her and packs all her things, except her sister's necklace, which she can't find (being later revealed that the necklace had been stolen from her by Rebecca). Jason arrives at Sara's dorm and slips a note under her door, saying that he wants to see her. Rebecca reads the note, impersonates Sara with her sister's necklace and tattoo, and dyes her hair to look like Sara. She then goes to Jason's hotel room, and stabs him.
Later, Sara gets a text from Irene, saying she needs her right away. Sara informs Stephen she will be at Irene's place. When she gets there, she finds Irene held hostage by Rebecca with a pistol. Rebecca reveals that she was responsible for what happened to Tracy, Cuddles, Professor Roberts, and Jason and that she did it all to win Sara's friendship. When Sara apologizes, Rebecca forgives her, but wants to kill Irene in order to finally have Sara all to herself. Stephen arrives just in time to help stop Rebecca from pulling the trigger on Irene.
In the ongoing struggle, Stephen is knocked unconscious and Sara is left dangling out of the window. Although Rebecca pulls Sara back to safety, Sara reaches for the pistol to shoot Rebecca, knowing how homicidal she is and that she will continue to harm others close to her; however, the cartridge is empty. Enraged at this, Rebecca picks up Sara and tries to strangle her to death, but Sara stabs Rebecca in the back with a boxcutter whispering "You were never my friend." And kills her.
Sara moves back into her dorm and moves the extra bed out of her room with the help of her boyfriend Stephen, proclaiming that she does not want a roommate for a while.
Cast[edit]
- Minka Kelly as Sara Matthews
- Leighton Meester as Rebecca Evans
- Cam Gigandet as Stephen
- Danneel Harris as Irene Crew
- Matt Lanter as Jason Tanner
- Aly Michalka as Tracy Morgan
- Katerina Graham as Kim Johnson
- Cherilyn Wilson as Landi Rham
- Jerrika Hinton as Shiana
- Ryan Doom as Rick Shaefer the gas station attendant
- Elena Franklin as Jessica Smith
- Carrie Finklea as Marina Hudgens
- Billy Zane as Professor Roberts
- Frances Fisher as Alison Evans
- Tomas Arana as Jeff Evans
- Nina Dobrev as Maria
- Jennifer Cadena as Dorm R.A.
- Lauren Storm as Maria's Girlfriend
- Evan Brown as Band Member
- Johannes Raassina as Band Member
- Cam Brousseau as Band Member
- Cindy Brunson as Reporter
- Alex Meraz as Guy at Bar
Production[edit]
The film was shot on location at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.[3] Leighton Meester was originally set to play Sara but was replaced by Minka Kelly and Leighton played Rebecca.[4] Billy Zane and Frances Fisher had both starred together in Titanic thirteen years earlier, though in this film they shared no scenes. Both Nina Dobrev and Katerina Graham who currently play in The Vampire Diaries appear in The Film but shared no scenes. Cam Gigandet and Alex Meraz from The Twilight Saga also play in the Movie. Matt Lanter, Daneel Harris and Aly Michalka also joined the cast.
Release[edit]
Box office[edit]
The film was originally planned to be released on September 17, 2010,[5] but was moved to February 4, 2011.[6] The trailer can be seen with Devil and Burlesque.
Opening in 2,534 theaters,[2] the film grossed $15.6 million its opening weekend to take first place at the box office. Its distributor estimated that females under the age of 21 accounted for two-thirds of its audience.[7] At the end of its run in 2011 the film grossed $37,300,107 in the United States and Canada and $3,192,652 in other countries for a worldwide total of $40,492,759.[8]
Home media[edit]
The Roommate was released on Blu-ray Disc, DVD, and digital download in North America on May 17, 2011.[9]
Reception[edit]
The Roommate was given almost universally negative reviews by critics; it is currently rated at 4% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 81 reviews with a consensus of it being "Devoid of chills, thrills, or even cheap titillation, The Roommate isn't even bad enough to be good."[10] CinemaScore polls indicated a "B−" rating from audiences.[11]
Keith Staskiewicz of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a D, saying it "is really just a far-below-par thriller that desperately wishes it were a different movie – a longing it shares with the audience," but praises Meester for bringing "the slightest trace of something fascinating to her role. When she smiles, it's perfectly located between a sweet display of affection and a snarling warning."[12] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave it a half star, stating that "The Roommate – the umpteenth uncredited remake of 1992's Single White Female – sucks bad, real bad" and that "Danish director Christian E. Christiansen has no flair for suspense".[13] Meester's performance garnered praise from other top critics, including the Los Angeles Times, which states: "Here her performance often has the feeling of a sports car in neutral. When she punches it for quick changes of tone from manic to wounded or around the bend, she shows how much more she is capable of."[14] Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert called Leighton Meester's character "A combination between Lindsay Lohan and Amy Fisher".
Awards and nominations[edit]
Despite the negative reception, The Roommate was nominated for the following awards...
| Award | Category | Subject | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTV Movie Award | Best Scared-As-S**t Performance | Minka Kelly | Nominated |
| Best Villain | Leighton Meester | Nominated | |
| Teen Choice Award | Choice: Best Villain | Nominated | |
| Choice: Female Scene Stealer | Alyson Michalka | Nominated | |
| Choice: Best Actress | Minka Kelly | Nominated | |
| Choice: Best Actor | Cam Gigandet | Nominated | |
| Choice: Best Drama | Nominated | ||
Controversy[edit]
Some of the promotional posters and displays for the film used as its backdrop the Christy Administration Building from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas. The college administration voiced concern that permission to use the photograph of the building was not properly obtained and is currently investigating the legality of its use.[15]
Primary concerns hinge that the image of the college (particularly the image of the building) could be damaged, while other concerns are that the college's primary iconic image is being used for promotion of an unrelated business venture.[16]
After initial success became realized when the film earned $15.6 million in receipts to top the box office during its debut weekend in the United States, concerns continued. By that time, the image of the building had been replaced on the film's official website and on subsequent promotional material. The photo of the building reportedly was licensed from iStockPhoto based in Calgary, Alberta. As of February 8, 2011, no lawsuits have been filed but discussions have taken place.[17]
Students at the school are reporting "mixed feelings" about the topic – some believe that it may be helpful for the college and others report that they can see how it may be harmful to the school's image.[18]
References[edit]
- ^ Fritz, Ben; Kaufman, Amy (February 3, 2011). "Movie Projector: 'The Roommate' and 'Sanctum' won't score on Super Bowl weekend". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). Retrieved February 3, 2011.
- ^ a b "The Roommate (2011)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
- ^ http://www.onlocationvacations.com/index.php?s=the+roommate
- ^ First Ever Look at Screen Gems' 'The Roommate', Hi-Res 'Priest' Teaser
- ^ "Priest and Roommate Release Date Changes".
- ^ Sony Screen Gems' Major Date Shifts, 3D Maneuvers
- ^ "Roommate thriller tops US box office". BBC News. February 7, 2011.
- ^ http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=roommate10.htm
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/Roommate-Minka-Kelly/dp/B002ZG99IG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301450133&sr=8-1
- ^ The Roommate at Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Kaufman, Amy; Fritz, Ben (February 6, 2011). "Box office: 'Roommate' beats 'Sanctum' on slow Super Bowl weekend [Updated]". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). Retrieved February 7, 2011.
- ^ Entertainment Weekly – The Roommate Review
- ^ The Roommate Review – Rolling Stone
- ^ The Roommate: Movie Review – latimes.com
- ^ Twitchell, Allen (December 3, 2010). "Image of SC building on movie poster". The Winfield Daily Courier. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
- ^ Hawkins, Korie (December 9, 2010). "Christy photo on movie poster causes concern". Southwestern College Student Media. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
- ^ Twitchell, Allen (February 8, 2011). "Movie poster image remains a concern for SC administration". The Winfield Daily Courier. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
- ^ Andres, Craig (February 11, 2011). "Southwestern College unhappy with national movie poster (with video)". KSN TV 3. Retrieved March 9, 2011.
