Taglines: A comedy for the romantically challenged.
Perky, perfect Carolyn and her Alpha Omega Pi sisters plan to win Sorority of the Year by impressing the Greek Council with a killer charity: coaching mentally challenged athletes for the regional Challenged Games. When Carolyn’s assigned to coach Pumpkin she’s terrified at first, but soon sees in him something she’s never seen before: a gentle humanity and honest clarity that touches her soul. To the horror of her friends and Pumpkin’s overprotective mother, Carolyn falls in love, becoming an outcast in the process. As Carolyn’s “perfect life” falls apart, Pumpkin teaches her that perfect isn’t always perfect after all.
Pumpkin is a 2002 romantic dark comedy film starring Christina Ricci, Hank Harris, Brenda Blethyn, Dominique Swain, Marisa Coughlan, Sam Ball, Harry Lennix, Nina Foch, Caroline Aaron and Lisa Banes. It is a story of forbidden love between a developmentally-handicapped young man and a sorority girl. The film was directed by Anthony Abrams and Adam Larson Broder and written by Broder.
Pumpkin opened in American theatres on June 28, 2002 in a limited release. It grossed $30,514 in eight theatres in its first weekend, with a per-screen-average of $3,814. The film expanded to 19 theatres the following weekend, but its theatre count declined from there. Pumpkin completed its theatrical run four months later with a final gross of $308,552.
About the Story
Carolyn McDuffy (Christina Ricci), in an effort to help her sorority sisters win a coveted award that has eluded them in the past years, joins them in training some handicapped young adults for the Challenged Games (a fictional version of the Special Olympics). Carolyn is linked with Jesse “Pumpkin” Romanoff (Hank Harris) and is horrified, mostly because she has never been in such an environment. Pumpkin is kind towards her and soon she finds herself falling in love with him because he is genuine, unlike her sorority sisters, as led by Julie Thurber (Marisa Coughlan), and her boyfriend, Kent Woodlands (Sam Ball).
Carolyn experiences backlash and disdain about the relationship from her friends and family, including Pumpkin’s own mother, Judy (Brenda Blethyn), despite the fact that Carolyn’s love has inspired Pumpkin to get out of his wheelchair and become the best athlete on the team. Judy later walks into her son’s room and discovers that Carolyn and Pumpkin have been sexually involved.
Pumpkin’s mother accuses her of raping her son, claiming Carolyn “has no idea what she has done” to Pumpkin. Pumpkin’s mother calls Carolyn’s school, causing Carolyn to be kicked out of both her sorority and her school. Carolyn makes a suicide attempt by taking most of the pills and solutions from her medicine cabinet, but no real damage is done as Carolyn then throws up everything she took.
As Kent and Carolyn make the ideallistic “perfect couple,” their attendance to the sorority ball would secure a win for the sorority award. The sorority pulls strings to allow Carolyn back into school and the sorority, where Kent takes her back. At the ball, Pumpkin and his friends crash the party to allow Pumpkin a dance with Carolyn. Kent won’t stand for it and punches Pumpkin repeatedly as the girls hold Carolyn and keep Pumpkin’s friends at bay.
Kent turns his back as Pumpkin gathers his wits, charging and tackling Kent, knocking him unconscious for a few seconds. Kent gets up, looks around, and runs off crying. Carolyn tries to take Pumpkin inside to the dance, but Julie and the sorority sisters won’t let them in. Carolyn pushes her way through with Pumpkin and they dance alone. Soon, others start to see the love between them and join them on the dance floor.
Pumpkin (2002)
Directed by: Anthony Abrams, Adam Larson Broder
Starring: Christina Ricci, Hank Harris, Brenda Blethyn, Dominique Swain, Marisa Coughlan, Sam Ball, Harry Lennix, Nina Foch, Caroline Aaron, Lisa Banes
Screenplay by: Adam Larson Broder
Production Design by: Richard Sherman
Cinematography by: Tim Suhrstedt
Film Editing by: Richard Halsey, Sloane Klevin
Costume Design by: Edi Giguere
Set Decoration by: Paul Roome
Music by: John Ottman
MPAA Rating: R for language and a scene of sexuality.
Distributed by: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Release Date: June 28, 2002
Visits: 70
