Mr. Jealousy movie storyline. An urbane screwball comedy for the ’90s, Mr. Jealousy, the sophomore effort from director Noah Baumbach (Kicking and Screaming), is filled with numerous obscure references to famous films that will delight film buffs. The story concerns Lester (Eric Stoltz), an ex-television news producer and sometime substitute teacher, who seems to be just wandering through life. He also can’t seem to connect with the right woman.
Opportunities on both fronts finally knock when he gets an offer teaching writing in the Iowa University graduate writing program and through his pals Lucretia (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) and Vince (Carlos Jacott) meets Ramona (Annabella Sciorra), a strong-willed but loopy girl. She and Lester really click, and it looks as though he has finally found his dream girl. Only one thing prevents them from sailing off into the sunset of relationship bliss — Lester is insanely jealous of her last boyfriend, Dashiell (Chris Eigeman), a haughty best-selling author; the other 25 don’t bother him a bit.
Mr. Jealousy is a 1997 romantic comedy film written and directed by Noah Baumbach and starring Eric Stoltz, Annabella Sciorra, Chris Eigeman, Carlos Jacott, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Brian Kerwin, Peter Bogdanovich, Vincent Polidoro and Yvette Brooks Grant.
About the Story
Aspiring writer Lester Grimm (Stoltz) starts going out with Ramona Ray (Sciorra) after being introduced by Lester’s friend Vince (Carlos Jacott) and Vince’s fiancee Lucretia (Marianne Jean-Baptiste). They immediately hit it off, but Ramona mentions on their first date that one of her ex-boyfriends is famous writer Dashiell Frank (Chris Eigeman). Lester becomes slightly jealous.
One day Lester is walking down the street and he spots Dashiell and follows him. He then notices how Dashiell goes to group therapy. He then joins the group, pretending that he is actually his friend, Vince. After several sessions with the group and Dr. Poke (Peter Bogdanovich), Dashiell is complaining about how he has never been faithful when Lester bursts out with some criticism that shocks everyone.
After a couple more sessions, Lester decides to leave the therapy group, which Vince strongly advises against, as he had asked Lester to talk about him to get some personal advice. Vince then convinces Lester to stay for two more sessions, where Lester continues to ‘fight’ Dashiell. During one particular session, Dashiell is talking about a character in one of his books, and says that it was based on a true person. We are then led to believe that he is talking about Ramona.
Lester still continues with the group therapy, even after the two sessions that he said was his last. After a session, Dashiell asks Lester if he would like to go for a drink. They go to a bar where they drink scotch and Dashiell reveals that he likes their arguments in therapy, since no one else speaks their minds.
Lester had arranged to meet Ramona after the session, but has forgotten about it, while Dashiell and Lester become friends. When Lester goes to Ramona’s house later, and apologizes for not meeting her, he lies and said that he went to see The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and that it was shot in color, although if he had seen the film he would have known it was in black and white.
Dashiell invites Lester to come over to his house for a drink, and he agrees. Here we meet Irene (Bridget Fonda), Dashiell’s girlfriend. After the meeting, Lester and Ramona are lying on the bed, where Ramona reveals that a past boyfriend, Steven (Brian Kerwin), had come over and that they had had sex, but that it was before she and Lester were serious. She then says that her relationship with Steven is over, and that the sex hadn’t meant anything.
Later, when Lester is having dinner at Ramona’s house, Ramona reveals her sexual past, which proves that she couldn’t be the character that Dashiell had described earlier. They then talk about the first time they slept together, which leads to an argument.
Mr. Jealousy (1998)
Directed by: Noah Baumbach
Starring: Eric Stoltz, Annabella Sciorra, Chris Eigeman, Carlos Jacott, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Brian Kerwin, Peter Bogdanovich, Vincent Polidoro, Yvette Brooks Grant
Screenplay by: Noah Baumbach
Production Design by: Anne Stuhler
Cinematography by: Steven Bernstein
Film Editing by: J. Kathleen Gibson
Costume Design by: Janie Bryant
Set Decoration by: Candis Heiland
Art Direction by: Roswell Hamrick
Music by: Robert Een, Luna
Distributed by: Lionsgate Films
Release Date: June 5, 1998
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