Bill (2007)

Directors:

Bernie Goldmann
Melisa Wallack

Writer (WGA):

Melisa Wallack (written by)

Release Date:

18 June 2008 (Iceland)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A comedy about someone you know.

Plot:

A guy fed up with his job and married to a cheating wife reluctantly mentors a rebellious teen.

Plot Keywords:

Affair | School | Candy Bar | Candy | Franchise

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Aaron Eckhart	...	Bill
Jessica Alba	...	Lucy
Elizabeth Banks	...	Jess
Logan Lerman	...	The Kid
Holmes Osborne	...	Mr. Jacoby
Todd Louiso	...	John Jr.
Timothy Olyphant	...	Chip
Reed Diamond	...	Paul
Kristen Wiig	...	Jane Whittman
Jason Sudeikis	...	Jim Whittman
Andy Zou	...	Donald Choo
Ana Lucasey	...	Sarah Sheldon
Constance Barron	...	Mrs. Jacoby
Conor O'Farrell	...	Principal
Julia Pace Mitchell	...	Dana

Also Known As:

Meet Bill (USA) (new title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some drug use and sex-related material.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

Spanish | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A | USA:R | Finland:K-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Japan:R-15 | Germany:12 | Australia:M | Netherlands:9 | South Korea:18

Filming Locations:

St. Albans, Missouri, USA

Company:

GreeneStreet Films

Trivia:

In the movie Bill's father in law's character is named John Jacobi. Jan Jacobi is the head of the MICDS middle school, where many of the Tate Academy scenes were shot.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Bill is cutting the picture of Chip out of the magazine, he only makes one cut between his legs, but in the next shot there are two cuts between Chip's legs.

Quotes:

Bill: I don't think now is the best time for me to be mentoring someone.
The Kid: Now is the perfect time!

Movie Connections:

References 1 Night in Paris (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

News JK Style

nothing to rave about but has its moments

Bill is in the midst of a full-blown midlife crisis. Not only is he stuck in a job he hates (a made-up position at his father-in-law's bank), but his wife is cheating on him with a local news reporter. Meanwhile, his potbelly seems to be expanding at an increasingly alarming rate, a condition brought on by the massive quantities of donuts and candy bars he consumes daily out of nervousness and force of habit. Bill can't seem to step out of the shadows of either his wife's dad or the brother whom everyone seems to think is brighter, more financially successful and more all-around "together" than Bill is. In fact, the one hope Bill has of turning his life around may well rest with an Alex Keating-type prep school student he's agreed to mentor as part of a program for entrepreneurial teens.

Written and directed by Bernie Goldman and Melisa Walick, "Meet Bill" ranges from the hilarious to the mildly amusing - with just enough dull patches thrown in to keep us from raving too much over its virtues or letting it too much into our hearts. The screenplay is frequently sharp in its comic portrayal of middle-aged angst, but it also feels vaguely rudderless, undernourished and underdeveloped for much of the time.

The real joy of the film lies in Aaron Eckhart's star turn as a man whose career and personal relationships clearly aren't what he'd hoped they'd be at this particular point in his life. He's nicely supported by Elizabeth Banks as his philandering wife; Logan Lerman as his preppie protégé; Jessica Alba as a lingerie salesgirl; Reed Diamond as his overly competitive gay brother-in-law; and SNL stars Kristen Wiig and Jason Sudeikis as donut-shop franchise owners who hope to go into business with Bill.

And speaking of the entrepreneurial spirit, a veritable goldmine awaits anyone savvy enough to market that amazing belly-busting weight-loss program Bill uses to great effect towards the end of the film.