De-Lovely (2004)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Irwin Winkler

Writer (WGA):

Jay Cocks (written by)

Release Date:

1 October 2004 (UK)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

A love that would never die and music that would live forever.

Plot:

Inspecting a magical biographical stage musical, composer Cole Porter reviews his life and career with his wife, Linda.

Plot Keywords:

Stage | Composer | Hollywood | Marriage | Song

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 8 nominations

Cast

Kevin Kline	...	Cole Porter
Ashley Judd	...	Linda Porter
Jonathan Pryce	...	Gabe
Kevin McNally	...	Gerald Murphy
Sandra Nelson	...	Sara Murphy
Allan Corduner	...	Monty Woolley
Peter Polycarpou	...	L.B. Mayer
Keith Allen	...	Irving Berlin
James Wilby	...	Edward Thomas
Kevin McKidd	...	Bobby Reed
Richard Dillane	...	Bill Wrather
Edward Baker-Duly	...	Boris Kochno
Angie Hill	...	Ellin Berlin
Harry Ditson	...	Dr. Moorhead
Tayler Hamilton	...	Honoria Murphy

Also Known As:

Just One of Those Things (USA) (working title)
She's De Lovely (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content.

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Ireland:12A | Spain:13 | Malaysia:18SX (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | South Korea:12 | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-7 | Germany:o.Al. | Netherlands:MG6 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40304) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (Canadian Home Video rating)

Filming Locations:

Chiswick House, Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London, England, UK

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Ashley Judd was almost never cast because the producers and director thought that she was beyond their budget. Her agent later contacted and informed them that Judd was interested in playing Linda.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the finale scene where Cole is hugging the children, the order of the kids changes with the different angles (the girl skips between the right side and the centre).

Quotes:

Linda Porter: I think a change would be good for us.
Cole Porter: Yes.
Linda Porter: Yes we'll go?
Cole Porter: Yes it would be a big change.

Movie Connections:

Features Night and Day (1946)

Soundtrack:

Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye

I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO SEE A MUSICAL

This biography soars toward the Academy Awards on the backs of its producer, director and actors. Kevin Kline proves you don't have to look like the "Real Person" to bring his spirit to life and Ashley Judd (contrary to some unfair and plain wrong reviews) gives us a strong Linda Porter, a complex and vulnerable Linda Porter who, as is usually the case, finally succumbs to her life choices with an uncommon grace and courage.

Those people in the audience who had no idea about Mr. Porter's sexual preference, oh'd and ah'd in the beginning. Then they learned that all the talent in the world, all the money in the world, all the joyous hedonism of youth in the world - all of it falls in upon itself as age overcomes and destroys the arrogance of youth.

Irwin Winkler has given us an unflinching portrait of an unusually talented man, an unusual life, and a painful end to that life.

My palms were ice cold and I felt drained as this film concluded - not because it failed as a project, but because it succeeded so well.

DE-LOVELY is not an easy movie but it is a brilliant one.