Please Give

Last updated
Please Give
Please Give Film.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Nicole Holofcener
Written byNicole Holofcener
Produced byAnthony Bregman
Starring
CinematographyYaron Orbach
Edited by Robert Frazen
Music by Marcelo Zarvos
Production
company
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics
Release dates
  • January 22, 2010 (2010-01-22)(Sundance)
  • April 30, 2010 (2010-04-30)(United States)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3 million [1]
Box office$4.5 million [2]

Please Give is a 2010 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Nicole Holofcener. It stars Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Rebecca Hall, Ann Guilbert, and Sarah Steele. It revolves around married antique-dealers butting heads with the granddaughters of the elderly woman who lives in the apartment the couple owns.

Contents

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2010, and was theatrically released in the United States on April 30, 2010, by Sony Pictures Classics. It grossed over $4.5 million worldwide against a $3 million budget. It received positive reviews from critics, who mostly praised Holofcener's screenplay and the performances of the cast, and was named one of the top 10 independent films of 2010 by the National Board of Review. At the 26th Independent Spirit Awards, the film was given the Robert Altman Award and Holofcener was nominated for Best Screenplay.

Plot summary

Kate and Alex are a couple living in a New York City apartment with their teenage daughter, Abby. Kate and Alex own a furniture store specializing in used modern furniture, which they buy at estate sales. They have bought the apartment adjacent to theirs, but its occupant, the elderly and cranky Andra, will stay in it until she dies. Andra has two granddaughters, the dutiful and generous Rebecca, a mammography technologist, and the cynical, sharp-tongued Mary, a cosmetologist.

Kate is troubled by the profits she makes from furniture sellers who do not know the value of what they are selling; the contrast between homeless people in her neighborhood and her own comfortable life; and the fact that her family will only be able to expand their apartment when Andra dies. She tries to assuage her guilt through volunteer jobs (which leave her weeping) and donations to homeless individuals (which sometimes backfire).

Cast

Release

Please Give was screened out of competition at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival, and had a limited U.S. release on April 30, 2010. It opened with $118,123 in five theaters, averaging $23,625 per cinema. [3]

Filming

Please Give was filmed almost entirely in New York City. The bulk of the film was shot in Chelsea, including the spa scenes at Skintology, a day and medical spa. [4]

Reception

Box office

Please Give grossed $4,033,574 in the United States and Canada, and $533,088 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $4,566,662. [2]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 86% of 142 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10.The website's consensus reads: "Nicole Holofcener's newest might seem slight in places, but its rendering of complex characters in a conflicted economic landscape is varied, natural, and touching all the same." [5] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 78 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [6]

Manohla Dargis of The New York Times opined, "Few American filmmakers create female characters as realistically funny, attractively imperfect and flat-out annoying as does Ms. Holofcener." [7]

Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times stated, "Please Give concerns itself with the free-floating, amorphous guilt that's often characteristic of the modern urban condition. Obviously, it is a fine thing to help, to give, but Please Give wonders whether a good thing can be overdone, whether too much liberal guilt can leave you feeling too bad for too many people to do any real good." [8]

Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the film an "A−" and wrote, "With their shared characteristics of sex, age, motherhood, and brunet hair, Keener has become Holofcener's artistic alter ego. In Please Give, the sharp-eyed filmmaker sends her vibrant representative out into the world to explore what it means for a woman to be lucky and still feel itchy." [9]

Justin Chang of Variety commented, "Like Holofcener's previous pictures, Please Give derives its narrative energy less from a series of plotted incidents than from its keenly observed interplay of clashing personality tics and worldviews." [10]

David Edelstein of New York Magazine described the film as "an engagingly high-strung comedy about lack of empathy and the gnawing guilt that can attend it" and remarked, "Holofcener's plotting can seem casual, but her dialogue is smart, an oscillating mixture of abrasiveness and balm, of harsh satire and compassionate pullback." [11]

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars and noted, "The pitch-perfect performances help Holofcener stir up feelings that cut to the heart of what defines an ethical life. There's no movie around right now with a subject more pertinent. It'll hit you hard." [12]

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and stated, "Please Give is an interesting and refreshing turn for the better. As an ensemble comedy, it has more bounce, more life and more comic oxygen." [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulitzer Prize for Criticism</span> American journalism award

The Pulitzer Prize for Criticism has been presented since 1970 to a newspaper writer in the United States who has demonstrated 'distinguished criticism'. Recipients of the award are chosen by an independent board and officially administered by Columbia University. The Pulitzer Committee issues an official citation explaining the reasons for the award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Miller (filmmaker)</span> Australian filmmaker (born 1945)

George Miller is an Australian filmmaker. Over the course of four decades he has received critical and popular success creating the Mad Max franchise starting in 1979 with two of the films having been hailed as two of the greatest action films of all time. He has also earned numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Peet</span> American actress (born 1972)

Amanda Peet is an American actress. She began her career with small parts on television before making her feature film debut in Animal Room (1995). Her portrayal of Jill St. Claire in The Whole Nine Yards (2000) brought her wider recognition, and she has since appeared in a variety of films, such as Saving Silverman (2001), High Crimes, Changing Lanes, Igby Goes Down, Something's Gotta Give, Identity, Melinda and Melinda (2004), A Lot like Love, Syriana, The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008), 2012 (2009), Gulliver's Travels (2010), Identity Thief, and The Way, Way Back.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine Keener</span> American actress (born 1959)

Catherine Ann Keener is an American actress. She has portrayed disgruntled and melancholic yet sympathetic women in independent films, as well as supporting roles in studio films. She has been nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for Being John Malkovich (1999) and for her portrayal of author Harper Lee in Capote (2005).

<i>Walking and Talking</i> 1996 French film

Walking and Talking is a 1996 independent film written and directed by Nicole Holofcener and starring Catherine Keener, Anne Heche, Todd Field, Liev Schreiber and Kevin Corrigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicole Holofcener</span> American director and screenwriter

Nicole Holofcener is an American film and television director and screenwriter. She has directed seven feature films, including Walking and Talking, Friends with Money and Enough Said, as well as various television series. Along with Jeff Whitty, Holofcener received a 2019 Academy Award nomination for Adapted Screenplay, a BAFTA nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, and won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018).

<i>Please Dont Eat the Daisies</i> (film) 1960 film by Charles Walters

Please Don't Eat the Daisies is a 1960 Metrocolor comedy film in CinemaScope starring Doris Day and David Niven, made by Euterpe Inc., and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The movie was directed by Charles Walters and produced by Joe Pasternak, with Martin Melcher as associate producer.

<i>Synecdoche, New York</i> 2008 film by Charlie Kaufman

Synecdoche, New York is a 2008 American postmodern psychological drama film written and directed by Charlie Kaufman in his directorial debut. It stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as an ailing theater director who works on an increasingly elaborate stage production and whose extreme commitment to realism begins to blur the boundaries between fiction and reality. The film's title is a play on Schenectady, New York, where much of the film is set, and the concept of synecdoche, wherein a part of something represents the whole or vice versa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saoirse Ronan</span> American-born Irish actress (born 1994)

Saoirse Una Ronan is an American-born Irish actress. Primarily known for her work in period dramas since adolescence, she has received various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for four Academy Awards and five British Academy Film Awards.

<i>Colossal Youth</i> (film) 2006 Portuguese film

Colossal Youth is a 2006 docufiction feature film directed by Portuguese director Pedro Costa. It was third feature by Costa set in Lisbon's Fontainhas neighborhood, and the first to feature the recurring character Ventura.

<i>Remember Me</i> (2010 film) 2010 American film

Remember Me is a 2010 American coming-of-age romantic drama film directed by Allen Coulter and written by Will Fetters. It stars Robert Pattinson, Emilie de Ravin, Chris Cooper, Lena Olin, and Pierce Brosnan. The film received mostly negative reviews from critics, with much of the criticism centered on its twist ending which divided audiences.

<i>The Beaches of Agnès</i> 2008 French film

The Beaches of Agnès is a 2008 French documentary film directed by Agnès Varda. The film is an autobiographical essay where Varda revisits places from her past, reminisces about life and celebrates her 80th birthday on camera. Varda said it would most likely be her last film, but released the Oscar-nominated documentary Faces Places a decade later.

<i>Coriolanus</i> (film) 2011 film directed by Ralph Fiennes

Coriolanus is a 2011 British film adaptation of William Shakespeare's tragedy Coriolanus. It is directed by and stars Ralph Fiennes as the title character, with Gerard Butler as Tullus Aufidius, Vanessa Redgrave as Volumnia, and Brian Cox as Menenius. This is Fiennes' directorial debut. It places Shakespeare's original text and plot into a contemporary, pseudo-Balkan setting, reminiscent of the Yugoslav Wars.

<i>Sleep Tight</i> (film) 2011 Spanish film

Sleep Tight is a 2011 Spanish psychological thriller film directed by Jaume Balagueró from a screenplay by Alberto Marini which stars Luis Tosar alongside Marta Etura. In the film, César (Tosar), a concierge of an apartment building, is unable to reach happiness no matter what happens to him, and he has a goal to make the tenants upset. Clara (Etura) proves to César that making her upset is harder than he expected and things turn to a twisted event when her boyfriend Marcos visits her. Sleep Tight was considered one of the most anticipated films to be premiered at the 44th Sitges Film Festival.

The 26th Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best independent films of 2010, were presented on February 26, 2011. The nominations were announced on November 30, 2010. The ceremony was hosted by Joel McHale.

<i>Starlet</i> (film) 2012 film

Starlet is a 2012 independent drama film directed by Sean Baker and starring Dree Hemingway and newcomer Besedka Johnson. Starlet explores the unlikely friendship between 21-year-old Jane and 85-year-old Sadie, two women whose lives intersect in California's San Fernando Valley.

<i>Enough Said</i> 2013 American romantic comedy-drama film by Nicole Holofcener

Enough Said is a 2013 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Nicole Holofcener. The film stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Toni Collette and Ben Falcone. Louis-Dreyfus plays Eva, a divorced masseuse who begins a relationship with Albert (Gandolfini), only to discover that he is the former husband of her client and friend Marianne (Keener).

<i>Office</i> (2015 Hong Kong film) 2015 Hong Kong film

Office is a 2015 Hong Kong-Chinese musical comedy-drama film produced and directed by Johnnie To and starring Chow Yun-fat, Sylvia Chang, Eason Chan and Tang Wei. The film is an adaptation of the 2008 play Design for Living, which was created by and starred Chang. Office premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival and was theatrically released in China on 2 September 2015 and in Hong Kong in 3D on 24 September 2015.

<i>Wonder Wheel</i> (film) 2017 film by Woody Allen

Wonder Wheel is a 2017 American period drama film written and directed by Woody Allen and starring Kate Winslet, Jim Belushi, Juno Temple, and Justin Timberlake. Set in the early 1950s at an amusement park on Coney Island, the film takes its title from the park's Ferris wheel. The story follows the second wife and the estranged daughter of a carousel operator as they both pursue affairs with a lifeguard.

<i>You Hurt My Feelings</i> (2023 film) American film by Nicole Holofcener

You Hurt My Feelings is a 2023 American comedy-drama film written, directed and produced by Nicole Holofcener. It stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Michaela Watkins, Arian Moayed and Jeannie Berlin.

References

  1. Ryzik, Melena (April 23, 2010). "Relationships and Other Possessions". The New York Times . Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Please Give". The Numbers . Nash Information Services, LLC. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  3. "Please Give (2010)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  4. "Please Give Film Locations". onthesetofnewyork.com. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  5. "Please Give". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media. Archived from the original on November 23, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  6. "Please Give". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  7. Dargis, Manohla (April 29, 2010). "Holding Up a Mirror to Women, Thorns and All". The New York Times . Archived from the original on June 16, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  8. Turan, Kenneth (April 30, 2010). "Movie review: 'Please Give'". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  9. Schwarzbaum, Lisa (April 30, 2010). "Please Give". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  10. Chang, Justin (January 23, 2010). "Please Give". Variety . Archived from the original on June 28, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  11. Edelstein, David (April 23, 2010). "The Selfish Altruist". New York Magazine . Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  12. Travers, Peter (April 29, 2010). "Please Give". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  13. Bradshaw, Peter (June 17, 2010). "Please Give". The Guardian . Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2024.