Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

Last updated

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Ghosts of girlfriends past.jpg
Promotional film poster
Directed by Mark Waters
Written by
Produced by
  • Jon Shestack
  • Brad Epstein
Starring
Cinematography Daryn Okada
Edited by Bruce Green
Music by Rolfe Kent
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • May 1, 2009 (2009-05-01)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$37.5 million
Box office$102.4 million [1]

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is a 2009 American romantic comedy film directed by Mark Waters. The script was written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, based on Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol . Filming spanned February 19, 2008 to July 2008 in Rhode Island with stars Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Lacey Chabert, Emma Stone, and Michael Douglas. The film was released on May 1, 2009. [2]

Contents

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past features a wedding day and the day before, rather than the familiar Christmas and Christmas Eve from A Christmas Carol . The three ghosts share similar appearances with the original descriptions, and the film shares the traditional plot points from the book.

Plot

Connor Mead is a famous photographer and womanizer. After breaking up with three women simultaneously on a conference call to save time, he travels to his late uncle Wayne's estate to attend the wedding of his brother Paul to Sandra. There, he becomes reacquainted with Jenny Perotti, the only girl who captured his heart. After delivering a drunken speech at the rehearsal dinner, Connor is visited by the ghost of the inveterate playboy Wayne, who warns Connor that he will be visited by three ghosts who will lead him through his romantic past, present, and future.

The first is the "Ghost of Girlfriends Past" in the form of Allison, his first lover. They revisit scenes from his past, focusing on his relationship with Jenny. She and Connor were very close at school; she gave him his first instant camera which he used to take her picture, promising to keep it forever. By middle school, they were on the verge of romance, but Connor's hesitation at a dance caused Jenny to dance with and kiss another boy.

Wayne advised a heartbroken Connor to avoid romance at all costs in order not to feel such pain again, and began to teach him his techniques as a pickup artist. When he next saw Jenny, he ignored her in favor of Allison. Several years later, Connor and Jenny met again and rekindled their romance. After spending the night together, Connor realized that he was falling in love and panicked, leaving Jenny to wake up alone and broken-hearted.

Back in the present, Connor accidentally destroys the wedding cake and fails to reconcile with Jenny. He is confronted by the "Ghost of Girlfriends Present" in the form of his assistant Melanie, who shows him the other members of the wedding party making fun of his shallow lifestyle. Paul expresses his love for Connor and his hope that he will someday improve, while Jenny is being comforted by Brad, which upsets Connor. Melanie and his newly-jilted trio of lovers discuss his lack of empathy.

Sandra hears of Connor's accidental revelation that Paul slept with one of her bridesmaids early in their relationship, and furiously confronts Paul. A returned Connor attempts to mend the situation, but Paul tells him to leave. He is visited by the "Ghost of Girlfriends Future", who takes him forward in time to see that Jenny marries Brad while Paul remains alone. Further in the future, Paul is the only mourner at Connor's funeral. Wayne appears and tells Connor that this is his fate if he continues on the same path, pushing him into the grave to be buried by his many ex-girlfriends.

Waking up in bed, Connor is relieved to find it is early on the day of the wedding, but discovers that Sandra has called it off and departed. Intercepting her car, Connor convinces her to forgive Paul, saying that the pain of heartbreak is outweighed by the regret of never risking one's heart in the first place. At the restored festivities--where he serves as wedding photographer--Connor reconciles with Jenny by showing her the picture he still carries of her. They kiss and dance in the snow to the same song Connor once hesitated to ask her to dance to.

His work complete, Uncle Wayne strikes out with the Ghost of Girlfriends Future, tries to hit on Melanie before her corporeally-present counterpart dances with Brad, and is finally rejected by Allison, the Ghost of Girlfriends Past, who still appears 16.

Cast

Production

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past was originally set up in 2004 at Touchstone Pictures with Ben Affleck attached to play the lead character and Kevin Smith to direct, but both opted out and Disney cancelled the project. [3] [4] Betty Thomas was also attached to direct at one point, and Affleck's LivePlanet was also on board to produce. [5]

It was primarily filmed at Crane Castle in Ipswich, Massachusetts.[ citation needed ] The church scene with Garner marrying another man was filmed at the Martha-Mary Chapel in Sudbury, MA. It was built by Henry Ford in honor of his mother and mother in law. It is on the same property as the historic Wayside Inn, dating from 1716. It is the oldest operating inn in the country. The film also reunited Michael Douglas and Anne Archer for the first time since the 1987 hit thriller Fatal Attraction , but they shared no scenes together. Christa B. Allen played the younger version of Garner's character, as she did in 13 Going on 30 in 2004.

Soundtrack

  1. "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" - All Too Much featuring Matthew Sweet
  2. "Hush" - Gavin Rossdale and All Too Much
  3. "Got a Lot of Love for You Baby" - The Ralph Sall Experience
  4. "Keep on Loving You" - REO Speedwagon
  5. "You Can't Hurry Love" - The Ralph Sall Experience
  6. "Ladies Night" - Kool & the Gang
  7. "The Safety Dance" - Men Without Hats
  8. "Yeah (Dream of Me)" - All Too Much
  9. "Holding Back the Years" - Simply Red
  10. "Sleep" - All Too Much

Reception

Critical reaction

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 28% based on 144 reviews, with an average rating of 4.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "A retread of A Christmas Carol, featuring Matthew McConaughey in a retread of his Dazed and Confused role, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past lacks originality, humor, and any semblance of charm." [6] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 34 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [7] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. [8]

Box office

On the film's opening weekend, it debuted at #2 with a gross of $15.4 million (3,175 theaters, $4,854 average), far behind X-Men Origins: Wolverine 's $85.1 million gross. [9] The film made $55.3 million in the United States and Canada along with $47.1 million from foreign territories for a worldwide total of $102.4 million. [1]

Home media

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 22, 2009. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ebenezer Scrooge</span> Fictional character in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Ebenezer Scrooge is a fictional character and the protagonist of Charles Dickens's 1843 short novel, A Christmas Carol. Initially a cold-hearted miser who despises Christmas, his redemption by three spirits has become a defining tale of the Christmas holiday in the English-speaking world.

<i>The Muppet Christmas Carol</i> 1992 film directed by Brian Henson

The Muppet Christmas Carol is a 1992 American Christmas musical film directed by Brian Henson from a screenplay by Jerry Juhl. It is the fourth theatrical film featuring the Muppets. Adapted from the 1843 novella A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the film stars Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, alongside Muppet performers Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, and Frank Oz. Although artistic license is taken to suit the aesthetic of the Muppets, The Muppet Christmas Carol otherwise follows Dickens's original story closely. It is the first Muppet film to be produced following the deaths of Muppets creator Jim Henson and performer Richard Hunt; the film is dedicated to both.

<i>Scrooge</i> (1951 film) 1951 film by Brian Desmond Hurst

Scrooge is a 1951 British Christmas fantasy drama film and an adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843). It stars Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge, and was produced and directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, with a screenplay by Noel Langley. It also features Kathleen Harrison, George Cole, Hermione Baddeley, Mervyn Johns, Clifford Mollison, Jack Warner, Ernest Thesiger and Patrick Macnee. Michael Hordern plays Marley's ghost and the older Jacob Marley. Peter Bull narrates portions of Charles Dickens' words at the beginning and end of the film, and appears on-screen as a businessman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Cratchit</span> Fictional character

Robert "Bob" Cratchit is a fictional character in the Charles Dickens 1843 novel A Christmas Carol. The overworked, underpaid clerk of Ebenezer Scrooge, Cratchit has come to symbolise the poor working conditions, especially long working hours and low pay, endured by many working-class people in the early Victorian era.

<i>Christmas Carol: The Movie</i> 2001 animated film by Jimmy Murakami

Christmas Carol: The Movie is a 2001 British live action/animated film based on Charles Dickens's 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. Directed by Jimmy T. Murakami, the film features the voices of numerous actors including Simon Callow, Kate Winslet, Kate's sister Beth Winslet, and Nicolas Cage. The film was a critical and commercial failure upon release.

<i>A Christmas Carol</i> (1984 film) 1984 US television film directed by Clive Donner

A Christmas Carol is a 1984 British-American made-for-television film adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843). The film was directed by Clive Donner, who had been an editor of the 1951 film Scrooge, and stars George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge. It also features Frank Finlay as Marley's ghost, David Warner as Bob Cratchit, Susannah York as Mrs. Cratchit, Angela Pleasence as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Edward Woodward as the Ghost of Christmas Present and Roger Rees as Scrooge's nephew Fred; Rees also narrates portions of Charles Dickens' words at the beginning and end of the film. The movie was filmed in the historic medieval county town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire.

<i>A Christmas Carol</i> (2004 film) 2004 television film based on a 1994 stage musical

A Christmas Carol: The Musical is a 2004 American musical television film based on the 1994 stage musical by Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens inspired by the 1843 novella of the same name by Charles Dickens.

<i>A Christmas Carol</i> (1999 film) 1999 British-American television film by David Jones

A Christmas Carol is a 1999 British-American made-for-television film adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol that was first televised December 5, 1999, on TNT. It was directed by David Jones and stars Patrick Stewart as Ebenezer Scrooge and Richard E. Grant as Bob Cratchit.

<i>Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas</i> 2006 animated film

Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas is a 2006 animated direct-to-DVD Christmas comedy film starring the Looney Tunes characters, directed by Charles Visser, produced by Warner Bros. Animation and animated by Toon City Animation. The film is based on Charles Dickens' novella A Christmas Carol (1843). The special was released on DVD on November 14, 2006, and was then broadcast on Cartoon Network in December 2006. The special was rereleased on DVD as part of the Looney Tunes Holiday Triple Feature on September 1, 2020.

Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge is a musical comedy written by Christopher Durang, a parody of the Charles Dickens 1843 novel A Christmas Carol. Durang was commissioned by Pittsburgh City Theatre Artistic Director Tracy Brigden to write a Christmas comedy. The show premiered November 7, 2002 at the City Theatre with Kristine Nielsen in the title role.

<i>A Christmas Carol</i> (2009 film) Film by Robert Zemeckis

Disney's A Christmas Carol is a 2009 American animated Christmas film produced, written for the screen and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Zemeckis' ImageMovers Digital, and released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is based on Charles Dickens's 1843 novel A Christmas Carol. The film was animated through the process of motion capture, a technique used in ImageMovers' previous animated films including The Polar Express (2004), Monster House (2006), and Beowulf (2007), and stars the voices of Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright Penn and Cary Elwes. It is Disney's third adaptation of the novel, following Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983) and The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992).

Adaptations of <i>A Christmas Carol</i> Works based on Charles Dickenss 1843 novella

A Christmas Carol, the 1843 novella by Charles Dickens (1812–1870), is one of the English author's best-known works. It is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy miser who hates Christmas but who is transformed into a caring, kindly person through the visitations of four ghosts. The classic work has been dramatised and adapted countless times for virtually every medium and performance genre, and new versions appear regularly.

<i>A Christmas Carol</i> (1982 film) 1982 Australian made-for-television animated film

A Christmas Carol is an Australian made-for-television animated Christmas fantasy film from Burbank Films Australia as part of the studio's series of Charles Dickens adaptations from 1982 to 1985. It was originally broadcast in 1982 through the Australian Nine Network. Based on Charles Dickens' classic 1843 English story, A Christmas Carol, the adaptation by Alexander Buzo was produced by Eddy Graham and directed by Jean Tych.

Scrooge: The Musical is a 1992 stage musical with book, music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. Its score and book are closely adapted from the music and screenplay of the 1970 musical film Scrooge starring Albert Finney and Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. Bricusse was nominated for an Academy Award for the song score he wrote for the film, and most of those songs were carried over to the musical.

<i>A Christmas Carol</i> (musical) American stage musical

A Christmas Carol is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and book by Mike Ockrent and Lynn Ahrens. The musical is based on Charles Dickens' 1843 novella of the same name. The show was presented annually at New York City's Theater at Madison Square Garden from December 1, 1994, to December 27, 2003.

<i>Scrooge, or, Marleys Ghost</i> 1901 film directed by Walter R. Booth

Scrooge, or, Marley's Ghost is a 1901 British silent trick film directed by Walter R. Booth, featuring the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge confronted by Jacob Marley's ghost and given visions of Christmas past, present, and future. It is the earliest film adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. It was also believed to be the earliest filmed adaptation of a Dickens work, until the 2012 discovery of the Bleak House-inspired The Death of Poor Joe.

Scrooge is a 1913 British black and white silent film based on the 1843 novella A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It stars Seymour Hicks as Ebenezer Scrooge. In the United States it was released in 1926 as Old Scrooge. It was directed by Leedham Bantock.

<i>Christmas Cupid</i> 2010 television film directed by Gil Junger

Christmas Cupid is a television film starring Christina Milian, Ashley Benson and Chad Michael Murray and directed by Gil Junger. It was premiered on ABC Family on December 12, 2010, as part of their 25 Days of Christmas programming block. It was filmed under the name Ex-Mas Carol.

<i>A Christmas Carol</i> (TV series) 2019 British television drama series

A Christmas Carol is a 2019 British dark fantasy drama television miniseries based on the 1843 novella by Charles Dickens. The three-part series is written by Steven Knight with Tom Hardy and Ridley Scott among the executive producers. It began airing on BBC One in the UK on 22 December 2019 and concluded two days later on 24 December 2019. Prior to this, it aired in the US on FX on 19 December 2019, with all three episodes shown consecutively as a single television film.

A Christmas Carol is a 2020 British Christmas drama dance film directed by Jacqui Morris and David Morris and based on Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. It features the voices of Simon Russell Beale, Siân Phillips, Carey Mulligan, Daniel Kaluuya, Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman and Leslie Caron. It received mixed reviews from critics.

References

  1. 1 2 "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)". Box Office Mojo. August 13, 2009. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Warner Bros. Pictures Presents GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST World Premiere Monday, April 27, 2009". Business Wire. April 16, 2009. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past". Filmfreakcentral.net. May 1, 2009. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  4. ↑ Lussier, Germain (December 24, 2012). "How Kevin Smith Almost Directed Ben Affleck in a Disney Movie and Why 'Fletch Won' Never Happened".
  5. ↑ Spector, Josh (August 6, 2003). "Dis' 'Ghosts' materializes for Thomas". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 19, 2003. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved October 5, 2021. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  7. ↑ "Ghosts of Girlfriend's Past: Reviews". Metacritic . 2009. Archived from the original on February 10, 2010. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
  8. ↑ "Home". CinemaScore . Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. May 4, 2009. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  10. ↑ O'Connell, Sean (May 1, 2009). "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past". filmcritic.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.