Maid to Order

Last updated
Maid to Order
Maidtoorderposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Amy Jones
Written by
  • Amy Jones
  • Perry Howze
  • Randy Howze
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Shelly Johnson
Edited by Sidney Wolinsky
Music by Georges Delerue
Distributed byThe Vista Organization
Release date
  • July 10, 1987 (1987-07-10)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$9,868,521

Maid to Order is a 1987 American comedy/fantasy film. It is a variation on the Cinderella formula, where the fairy godmother is not the means to a better life for the heroine, but rather the nemesis. Though rather than doing so out of malice, the fairy godmother hopes to teach the heroine that life has more of importance than financial security.

Contents

Plot

Jessica "Jessie" Montgomery (Ally Sheedy) is a bratty, hard-partying rich girl in her mid-20s. Jessie's self-indulgent lifestyle (along with a lack of respect for anything or anybody, even herself) has been wearing thin on her father Charles (Tom Skerritt), a widowed philanthropist. When Jessie's boyfriend Brent (Jason Beghe) breaks up with her, out of frustration with her immaturity and utter lack of values, she could not care less. Then, Jessie is arrested for drug possession and DWI with a suspended license (she also attempts to bribe her arresting officers). Charles blames himself for his daughter's downward spiral: Jessie's mother died only a few years after the girl was born; instead of laying down the law, he spoiled Jessie rotten...often leaving her in the care of his valet Woodrow (Theodore Wilson) and other family retainers. Now, hearing that his daughter has been busted and her car impounded, he wishes aloud (ostensibly to Woodrow, but also to himself) that he had never had a daughter. Outside, a star falls. Jessie's identity is magically erased, leaving her fully clothed, but with no resources or possessions, and no family or friends.

Enter Stella Winston (Beverly D'Angelo), a fairy godmother who has been "assigned" to the Montgomery family. Stella pays Jessie's bail and explains what has happened as a result of Charles' wish. Being Jessie, she does not believe a word Stella says. When she walks to her father's mansion, neither he nor any of the servants recognize her; neither does Jimmy, the family dog. When Jessie breaks into the mansion, she is promptly chased out and has to escape when the police show up.

Wandering the streets, Jessie trips over some girls with whom she recently partied. They insist they have never seen Jessie before in their lives, and shove her away. She once again encounters Stella...who spells out all of Jessie's faults and suggests the girl find a job to provide for herself. Having never worked a day in her life (she dropped out of junior college after "six years"), Jessie nonetheless succeeds in finding employment as a live-in maid for an eccentric Malibu family: Stan Starkey (Dick Shawn), his wife Georgette (Valerie Perrine), and their daughter Brie (Rain Phoenix). A few years ago, the Starkeys won several million dollars in the lottery; they now aspire to break into the music industry as talent agents.

Gradually, Jessie bonds with the Starkeys' other retainers: cook Audrey (Merry Clayton), a failed singer; fellow maid Maria (Begoña Plaza); and chauffeur Nick (Michael Ontkean), an aspiring songwriter. Jessie learns the true meaning of friendship, hard work, and self-respect...while falling in love with Nick. When she helps Nick and Audrey break into the music business, Jessie's old life is returned to her; her dad and everyone else recognize her again. However, being a better and more mature person, Jessie continues her relationship with Nick; the ending implies that they ultimately get married.

Cast

Reception

Reviews were negative. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times "found it too easy to anticipate most of the big moments and too hard to believe that Sheedy was really a spoiled, mean-spirited rich bitch." [1] Janet Maslin in The New York Times praised Sheedy, saying her "petulant manner and her air of faint distaste for her surroundings are just right for this role. And she shows herself to be an able physical comedienne." [2]

Maid to Order holds a 42% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 reviews. [3]

Filming locations

Jessie's father's mansion is located at 365 S Hudson Street, Los Angeles, California. The Starkey mansion, where Jessie worked, is located at 32596 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, California. The gas station where Jessie kicks the vending machine was located on Sunset and Swathmore in the Pacific Palisades.

Availability

The movie was released on VHS by International Video Entertainment in 1988 and again in 1991 by Avid Home Entertainment. In 2002, Artisan Entertainment (now known as Lionsgate Home Entertainment) released the film on DVD without bonus features and was presented only in full screen.

Soundtrack

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andie MacDowell</span> American actress and model (born 1958)

Rosalie Anderson MacDowell is an American actress and former fashion model. MacDowell is known for her starring film roles in romantic comedies and dramas. She has modeled for Calvin Klein and has been a spokeswoman for L'Oréal since 1986.

<i>What Women Want</i> 2000 film by Nancy Meyers

What Women Want is a 2000 American romantic fantasy comedy film written by Josh Goldsmith, Cathy Yuspa, and Diane Drake, directed by Nancy Meyers, and starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt.

<i>Maid Marian and Her Merry Men</i> British childrens television series (1989–1994)

Maid Marian and her Merry Men is a British children's television series created and written by Tony Robinson and directed by David Bell. It began in 1989 on BBC1 and ran for four series, with the last episode shown in 1994. The show was a partially musical comedy retelling of the legend of Robin Hood, placing Maid Marian in the role of leader of the Merry Men, and reducing Robin to an 'incompetent' ex-tailor.

<i>Feeling Minnesota</i> 1996 film by Steven Baigelman

Feeling Minnesota is a 1996 American crime comedy film written and directed by Steven Baigelman. It stars Keanu Reeves, Vincent D'Onofrio, Cameron Diaz, Tuesday Weld, Dan Aykroyd, and Delroy Lindo.

<i>2 Days in the Valley</i> 1996 film by John Herzfeld

2 Days in the Valley is a 1996 American neo noir crime black comedy film written and directed by John Herzfeld. The film stars Danny Aiello, Greg Cruttwell, Jeff Daniels, Teri Hatcher, Glenne Headly, Peter Horton, Marsha Mason, Paul Mazursky, James Spader, Eric Stoltz, and Charlize Theron. Marketed in the UK as Two Days in the Valley.

<i>Claras Heart</i> 1988 film by Robert Mulligan

Clara's Heart is a 1988 American drama film, based on Joseph Olshan's novel of the same name, directed by Robert Mulligan, written by Mark Medoff and is also Neil Patrick Harris' debut role.

<i>Robin and Marian</i> 1976 film by Richard Lester

Robin and Marian is a 1976 romantic adventure film from Columbia Pictures, shot in Panavision and Technicolor, that was directed by Richard Lester and written by James Goldman after the legend of Robin Hood. The film stars Sean Connery as Robin Hood, Audrey Hepburn as Lady Marian, Nicol Williamson as Little John, Robert Shaw as the Sheriff of Nottingham, Richard Harris as Richard the Lionheart, and Denholm Elliott as Will Scarlet. It also features comedian Ronnie Barker in a rare film role as Friar Tuck. Robin and Marian was filmed in Zamora, as well as Artajona, Urbasa, Quinto Real and Orgi, all small medieval villages in Navarre, Spain. It marked Hepburn's return to the screen after an eight-year absence.

<i>La Cérémonie</i> 1995 France / Germany film

La Cérémonie is a 1995 French-German psychological thriller film by Claude Chabrol, adapted from the 1977 novel A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell. The film echoes the case of Christine and Lea Papin, two French maids who brutally murdered their employer's wife and daughter in 1933, as well as the 1947 play they inspired, The Maids by Jean Genet.

<i>Sugar Town</i> (film) 1999 American independent film

Sugar Town is a 1999 independent film co-written and co-directed by Allison Anders and Kurt Voss, concerning a tangled web of characters coping with ambition, fame, and the aftermath of fame. The film was named after the 1966 hit single "Sugar Town" by Nancy Sinatra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merry Clayton</span> American soul and gospel singer

Merry Clayton is an American soul and gospel singer. She contributed vocals to numerous tracks and worked with many major recording artists for decades, including a duet with Mick Jagger on the Rolling Stones song "Gimme Shelter". Clayton is prominently featured in 20 Feet from Stardom, the Oscar-winning documentary about background singers and their contributions to the music industry.

<i>The Other Sister</i> 1999 film by Garry Marshall

The Other Sister is a 1999 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Garry Marshall and stars Juliette Lewis, Giovanni Ribisi, Diane Keaton, Tom Skerritt and Sarah Paulson. The film was written by Marshall, Bob Brunner. Malia Scotch Marmo did uncredited rewrites to the script.

<i>The Great Gatsby</i> (1974 film) 1974 film directed by Jack Clayton

The Great Gatsby is a 1974 American historical romantic drama film based on the 1925 novel of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The film was directed by Jack Clayton, produced by David Merrick, and written by Francis Ford Coppola. It stars Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston, Bruce Dern, and Karen Black. The plot concerns the interactions of writer Nick Carraway with enigmatic millionaire Jay Gatsby (Redford) and Gatsby's obsession to reunite with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan (Farrow), amid the riotous parties of the Jazz Age on Long Island near New York City.

<i>Cinderella</i> (TV series) Italian-Japanese anime television series

Cinderella is an Italian-Japanese 1996 anime television series based on the fairytale of the same name by Charles Perrault and The Brothers Grimm. It was produced by Tatsunoko Production and Mondo TV. The series originally aired from April 4 to October 3, 1996, comprising 26 episodes.

<i>Stella Dallas</i> (1937 film) 1937 film by King Vidor

Stella Dallas is a 1937 American drama film based on Olive Higgins Prouty's 1923 novel of the same name. It was directed by King Vidor and stars Barbara Stanwyck, John Boles, and Anne Shirley. At the 10th Academy Awards, Stanwyck and Shirley were nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Actress in a Supporting Role, respectively.

<i>Lady!!</i> Japanese manga series

Lady!! is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Youko Hanabusa. It was published by Akita Shoten in the shōjo manga magazine Hitomi Comics from 1987 to 1993 and collected in 12 tankoubon volumes. The manga series was adapted into two anime television series, entitled, Lady Lady!! and its sequel Hello! Lady Lynn, produced by Toei Animation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Van den Broeck</span>

Ann Van den Broeck is a Flemish actress and musical star. She ended her studies in 2000 at the Koninklijk Conservatorium of Brussels in the musical department.

<i>Beauty and the Beast</i> (1987 film) 1987 American film

Beauty and the Beast is a 1987 American/Israeli musical film, part of the 1980s film series Cannon Movie Tales. It is a contemporary adaptation of the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, borrowing elements from Villeneuve's version, such as the dream sequences. The film was shot entirely in Israel, and the taglines were: "The monster they feared was the prince she loved" and "The classic fairy tale about seeing with your heart".

<i>Stellas Last Weekend</i> 2018 American film

Stella's Last Weekend is a 2018 American comedy film written and directed by Polly Draper and starring her sons, Nat Wolff and Alex Wolff.

<i>Godmothered</i> 2020 film by Sharon Maguire

Godmothered is a 2020 American fantasy comedy film directed by Sharon Maguire, written by Kari Granlund and Melissa Stack, and starring Jillian Bell and Isla Fisher. The Walt Disney Company first began developing the film in September 2019, with Maguire joining the production as director later that month. Principal photography began in January 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, The Montecito Picture Company and Secret Machine Entertainment, it was released on Disney+ on December 4, 2020. The film received mixed reviews from critics.

<i>Clickbait</i> (miniseries) American-Australian television series

Clickbait is a drama television miniseries, created by Tony Ayres and Christian White. Ayres serves as showrunner, while Brad Anderson, Emma Freeman, Ben Young, and Laura Besley are directors. It was released on Netflix on August 25, 2021.

References

  1. ↑ Ebert, Roger (July 31, 1987). "Maid to Order (review)". RogerEbert.com . Archived from the original on May 1, 2005.
  2. ↑ Maslin, Janet (August 28, 1987). "Film: 'Maid to Order,' Starring Ally Sheedy". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Maid to Order". Rotten Tomatoes .
  4. ↑ "Maid to Order (1987) - IMDb" – via www.imdb.com.
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.