| The Heartbreak Kid | |
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 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Peter Farrelly Bobby Farrelly |
| Produced by | Ted Field Bradley Thomas |
| Screenplay by | Scot Armstrong Leslie Dixon Peter Farrelly Bobby Farrelly Kevin Barnett |
| Based on | The Heartbreak Kid by Neil Simon A Change of Plan by Bruce Jay Friedman |
| Starring | Ben Stiller Michelle Monaghan Malin Åkerman Jerry Stiller Rob Corddry Carlos Mencia Scott Wilson Danny McBride |
| Music by | Bill Ryan Brendan Ryan |
| Cinematography | Matthew F. Leonetti |
| Editing by | Sam Seig |
| Studio | Davis Entertainment Conundrum Entertainment |
| Distributed by | DreamWorks Pictures |
| Release date(s) | October 5, 2007 |
| Running time | 116 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $45 million |
| Box office | $127,766,650 |
The Heartbreak Kid is a 2007 romantic comedy film directed by the Farrelly brothers. Starring Ben Stiller, The Heartbreak Kid is a remake of the 1972 film of the same name. Also starring are Michelle Monaghan, Malin Åkerman, Jerry Stiller, Rob Corddry, Carlos Mencia, Scott Wilson and Danny McBride. The screenplay for the 2007 film was written by Leslie Dixon, Scot Armstrong, the Farrelly brothers and Kevin Barnett.
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Plot [edit]
Eddie (Ben Stiller), the owner of a sports shop, is single and indecisive about starting a relationship. While walking down the street he witnesses a purse snatcher victimizing Lila (Malin Åkerman). After failing to retrieve the purse, they exchange pleasantries and eventually date. They quickly become serious, as they seem perfect for each other. Their relationship becomes threatened, however, when Lila is offered a job in Holland. When Eddie probes further, it is revealed that it is company policy not to relocate married employees. Pushed by the urging of his father (Jerry Stiller) and best friend (Rob Corddry), Eddie proposes to Lila and they get married.
However, during their honeymoon, it becomes increasingly apparent to Eddie how mismatched the couple is. While driving down to Cabo Mexico, Lila continuously sings songs while listening to a blasting radio, much to the irritation of Eddie. In the scene that follows, Lila and Eddie have sex so violently it actually causes Eddie physical pain. Then the following morning she insists they hold hands during breakfast, by the end of which she spits the drinks through her nose and reveals she suffers from deviated septum (which, as she casually mentions later, is the result of her past cocaine usage).
Upon their arrival at Espezanza Auberge Resorts, it comes to light that Lila's job is actually a volunteer position and that the purse snatcher was actually her ex-boyfriend. As Eddie realizes the mistake he has made, he meets Miranda (Michelle Monaghan), a vacationer from Mississippi there with her family. It's immediately obvious that Eddie and Miranda are a perfect match. With Lila stuck in their hotel room due to severe sunburn, Eddie devotes large amounts of his honeymoon time to Miranda. Eddie also connects with her family, except for her cousin (Danny McBride), who suspects Eddie of hiding something. To cover his long absences from his bride, Eddie makes up a story about a business with a major supplier to his store, who he is trying to butter up for 'better credit terms'.
Eddie decides to break up with Lila. In the chaos that ensues, she and Miranda both abandon him. Eddie's passport is destroyed by Lila in the mayhem. He is forced to cross the U.S. border illegally with help provided from his friend Uncle Tito (Carlos Mencia), but is repeatedly caught by border patrols while others escape by the hundreds. After an extensive effort to get into the country, he goes to Oxford, Mississippi only to find out that Miranda already married her previous boyfriend. He promises her aunt to leave Miranda alone, only to sneak into Miranda's house late at night. He wakes her up and talks to her without waking up her husband. Alas, her cousin breaks into the house with a baseball bat and beats Eddie up until Eddie's father makes his presence known too. Eddie agrees to leave if Miranda just says if she really loves her new husband. Miranda says yes. Eddie gives up on her although he doesn't know she looks at him from her balcony when he walks away.
Eighteen months later, Eddie has moved to Mexico. Miranda comes there on vacation, informing him that she made a mistake, has split with her husband and wants to be with him. Eddie is very pleased, except he once again hides the fact that he has a new wife, Consuela (Eva Longoria), and he is thrust right back into the same situation.
Cast [edit]
- Ben Stiller as Eddie Cantrow
- Malin Åkerman as Lila Cantrow
- Michelle Monaghan as Miranda
- Jerry Stiller as Doc Cantrow
- Rob Corddry as Mac
- Carlos Mencia as Uncle Tito
- Danny McBride as Martin
- Ali Hillis as Jodi
- Scott Wilson as Boo
- Kayla Kleevage as Doc's Vegas Companion
- Stephanie Courtney as Gayla
- Polly Holliday as Beryll
- Eva Longoria as Consuelo Cantrow
Promotion [edit]
During the film's preview at the 2007 Comic Con Convention in San Diego, California, a sex scene from the film was cut due to backlash for the nudity in prior films at the convention such as 300 and Borat.[1]
Reception [edit]
Critical response [edit]
The Heartbreak Kid has received mostly negative reviews from film critics. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 29% based on 157 reviews.[2] On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 46 out of 100, based on 30 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews".[3]
Peter Travers (of Rolling Stone) declared the film the year's Worst Remake on his list of the Worst Movies of 2007.[4] In a clip for the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, while arguing, Robert Downey Jr. takes a jab at Stiller about the weak reception for the film.[citation needed]
Box office [edit]
The film grossed $14,022,105 in 3,219 theaters in its opening weekend, putting it in second place at the box office in the United States and Canada. The film eventually grossed a total of $127,766,650 worldwide—$36,787,257 in North America and $90,979,393 in other territories.[5]
References [edit]
- ^ "Malaysia Sun". Stiller's S and M sex scene axed. Retrieved September 3, 2007.
- ^ "The Heartbreak Kid (2007)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
- ^ "Heartbreak Kid, The (2007): Reviews". Metacritic. CBS. Retrieved November 27, 2007.
- ^ Travers, Peter, (December 19, 2007) "Peter Travers' Best and Worst Movies of 2007" Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
- ^ "The Heartbreak Kid (2007)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
External links [edit]
- Official website
- The Heartbreak Kid at the Internet Movie Database
- The Heartbreak Kid at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Heartbreak Kid at Metacritic
- The Heartbreak Kid at Box Office Mojo
- The Heartbreak Kid at AllRovi
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