Taglines: The ultimate catch has met his match.
Down with Love is a romantic comedy film. It was directed by Peyton Reed and stars Renée Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Sarah Paulson, David Hyde Pierce, Rachel Dratch, Jack Plotnick, Tony Randall, Ivana Milicevic and Melissa George
The story follows a woman who advocates female independence in combat with a lothario and the patriarchal, even male chauvinist society of the 1950s and early 1960s. The film is a pastiche of the sex comedies that were popular in the era in which Down with Love is set, in particular the three films that starred Doris Day and Rock Hudson: 1959’s Pillow Talk, 1961’s Lover Come Back and 1964’s Send Me No Flowers.
About the Story
In early 1960s New York City, Barbara Novak arrives in town at Banner House to present her new work, Down with Love, a book the intent of which is to free women from love, teach them to enjoy sex without commitment, and to replace the need for a man with things such as chocolate. Following her rules would, she believes, help to give women a boost in the workplace and in the world in general.
The men who run Banner House refuse to support the book. The only way Vikki Hiller, Barbara’s editor, can find to promote the book is for Barbara to meet Catcher Block – a successful writer for the magazine Know and a notorious “ladies’ man, man’s man, man about town” – but he avoids her repeatedly by postponing their dates until she gets fed up, insults him, and walks out.
Catcher’s boss and best friend, Peter MacMannus, and Vikki take a liking to one another. However, their relationship revolves around Barbara and Catcher, and neither is brave enough to express their feelings for the other. Peter feels overshadowed by Catcher’s strong personality, and Vikki wants to see emotional commitment in her lover. She even assumes Peter must be gay due to his perceived lack of interest.
Barbara starts promoting her book with Vikki’s help, and things take off when they get Judy Garland to sing the song “Down with Love” as a promotion to the book on The Ed Sullivan Show. Sales skyrocket, as housewives and women around the world buy the book and rebel against their men; Catcher now wants to meet Barbara, but now it is she who rejects him.
It all comes to a boiling point when Barbara appears on a national TV show talking about a chapter from the book – “The Worst Kind of Man” – and cites Catcher Block as the perfect example. Subsequently, Catcher’s date rejects him, which infuriates him. Catcher swears revenge on Barbara and to undo the damage (as he sees it) done by her book by writing the “exposé of the Century” – he will prove to the world that, deep down, all women are the same, they all want love and marriage. Including Barbara Novak.
He arranges for a casual meeting at a dry cleaner shop, taking advantage of the fact that Barbara has never met or seen him, and he poses as an astronaut, Major Zip Martin, attentive and polite. Barbara appears to be immediately infatuated with this man who seemingly has no idea who she is, in contrast to men who now avoid her, viewing her as the enemy since the publication of her book.
Down with Love (2003)
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Starring: Renée Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Sarah Paulson, David Hyde Pierce, Rachel Dratch, Jack Plotnick, Tony Randall, Ivana Milicevic, Melissa George
Screenplay by: Eve Ahlert, Dennis Drake
Production Design by: Andrew Laws
Cinematography by: Jeff Cronenweth
Film Editing by: Larry Bock
Costume Design by: Daniel Orlandi
Set Decoration by: Don Diers
Music by: Marc Shaiman
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual humor and dialogue.
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: May 16, 2003
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