Simply Irresistible (film)

Last updated
Simply Irresistible
Simply irresistible.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Mark Tarlov
Written byJudith Roberts
Produced by
  • Jon Amiel
  • Joseph M. Caracciolo Jr.
  • John Fiedler
Starring
Cinematography Robert M. Stevens
Edited byPaul Karasick
Music by Gil Goldstein
Production
company
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date
  • February 5, 1999 (1999-02-05)(United States)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6 million [1]
Box office$4.4 million [1]

Simply Irresistible is a 1999 American romantic comedy film directed by Mark Tarlov and was written by Judith Roberts, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Sean Patrick Flanery. It is Regency Enterprises' first film to be released by 20th Century Fox, instead of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Contents

Plot

Amanda Shelton inherits her late mother's restaurant, but lacks the ability to cook. The restaurant is failing when Amanda meets a mysterious and possibly magical man at the local market. He introduces himself as Gene O'Reilly and claims to be an old friend of her mother's. He sells her crabs, one of which escapes cooking to become her personal mascot. While chasing the crab, Amanda meets Tom Bartlett, a department store manager at Henri Bendel on Fifth Avenue, who is opening an ambitious new restaurant inside his store. Though they are clearly attracted to each other, Tom is involved with a clingy but beautiful woman named Chris.

Later that day, Tom and Chris are on their way to lunch, where Tom plans to break up with Chris, but the cab driver drops them at the wrong location— Amanda's restaurant, the Southern Cross. Tom sees Amanda outside, and decides they should have lunch there instead.

For unclear reasons, Amanda begins cooking her feelings into her food, and she miraculously becomes an impressive, creative chef. Chris, driven by Amanda's negative feelings toward her cooked into her own food, breaks up with Tom and begins smashing plates in the restaurant. Tom, however, is unbothered as he is more focused on how delicious his crab dish is, with Amanda aspiring to make a truly amazing dish.

Amanda visits Tom at Henri Bendel so that he can replace the plates that Chris broke. When he eats éclairs that Amanda baked her passion for Tom into and he feeds her one, they end up in a trance together. He shows her the space where the new restaurant will be, where they have a shared fantasy wherein they dance flirtatiously, and they begin a romance.

Meanwhile, after Tom's assistant Lois steals an éclair from Tom that Tom himself had stolen from one of Amanda's patrons and is enamored by how delicious it is, she buys as many éclairs from Amanda's restaurant as she can so she can seduce Jonathan Bendel, the owner of Henri Bendel.

As a result of her food improving overnight, the Southern Cross becomes increasingly successful. One night, Tom visits Amanda after the restaurant has closed and after tasting a dish of hers, they begin to kiss and start floating. Tom panics and breaks things off with Amanda, believing she is some kind of witch who is manipulating his feelings with magic.

When Amanda goes to confront Tom one last time at his office, she witnesses the violent tantrum and resignation of a celebrity French chef hired for Tom's new restaurant. When Jonathan realizes that Amanda cooked the eclairs Lois had fed him, he demands that Tom hire her for the opening, despite his protests.

On opening night, Amanda is initially shunned by the snobbish French staff and that, coupled with her continued heartbreak over Tom, causes her to unknowingly cook her sorrow into one of the first courses, causing the entire restaurant to sob uncontrollably. She eventually overcomes her self-doubt and reaches her full potential as a chef, and the opening is a complete success.

Stunned but enchanted by the remarkable effect Amanda's food has had on the guests, Tom goes after Amanda as she's leaving the opening. He convinces her to come back and admits his love for her, and the two reconcile on the dance floor, not noticing Gene is gleefully conducting the orchestra behind them, implying the magic that sparked in Amanda came from him.

Cast

Production

According to Mark Tarlov, the director, the conception of the film arose from "intersection of eating and drinking and romance [...] part of my interest with the movie was this idea of being able to bend reality. How food and wine actually bends time and space [...] the whole Einsteinian view of bending time and space based on your position relative to the events that are happening." [2]

Tarlov's wife, Judith Roberts, wrote the screenplay based on a story co-developed by Roberts and Tarlov. [2] According to Tarlov, "the script was about a middle-aged young woman [...] who had never found romance before because she never found her passion. And when she found her passion—which was cooking—romance followed." [2]

The director pitched the film to Holly Hunter, who he intended to play the lead role, but the studio did not want her to play the part. Sarah Jessica Parker was then wanted, but the studio felt she was too old for the part. The character was then rewritten to a 20 year old woman with Sarah Michelle Gellar landing the role. The studio wanted to cash in on her success from Buffy the Vampire Slayer .

Reception

Critical response

Simply Irresistible was poorly received by critics. Though the acting has received praise, the screenplay has received criticism. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 16%, based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 3.95/10. The site's consensus states: "Simply Irresistible is simply not." [3] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 27 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [4] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade B−. [5]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three out of four stars, and stated "Old-fashioned and obvious, yes, like a featherweight comedy from the 1950s. But that's the charm". [6] John Petrakis from the Chicago Tribune gave the film a negative review: "Falls prey to the all-too-contemporary problem of complicating the tale until the ending is not only obvious, but prayed for between yawns".[ citation needed ] Tom Meek from Film Threat described the film as "Insipid, maudlin mush".[ citation needed ]

Box office

The film opened at #9 at the North American box office making $2.2 million USD in its opening weekend. [1]

Soundtrack

[7]

  1. "Little King" – The Hollowbodies
  2. "Busted" – Jennifer Paige
  3. "Falling" – Donna Lewis
  4. "Got the Girl (Boy from Ipanama)" – Reiss
  5. "The Angel of the Forever Sleep" – Marcy Playground
  6. "Take Your Time" – Lori Carson
  7. "Beautiful Girls" – Chris Lloyd
  8. "Once in a Blue Moon" – Sydney Forest
  9. "Parkway" – The Hang Ups
  10. "Our Love Is Going to Live Forever" – Spain
  11. "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" – Katalina
  12. "That Old Black Magic" (Harold Arlen) – Jessica

Astaire references

The film contains references to four musical films of Fred Astaire:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Michelle Gellar</span> American actress (born 1977)

Sarah Michelle Prinze is an American actress. After being spotted at the age of four in New York City, she made her acting debut in the television film An Invasion of Privacy (1983). A leading role in the syndicated teen drama series Swans Crossing (1992) was followed by her breakthrough as Kendall Hart in the ABC daytime soap opera All My Children (1993–1995), for which she won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series.

<i>Cruel Intentions</i> 1999 American romantic drama film by Roger Kumble

Cruel Intentions is a 1999 American teen romantic drama film written and directed by Roger Kumble and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair. The film is a modern retelling of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' 1782 novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, set in New York City among rich high schoolers.

<i>Mystic Pizza</i> 1988 film by Donald Petrie

Mystic Pizza is a 1988 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Donald Petrie in his feature directorial debut, and starring Annabeth Gish, Julia Roberts and Lili Taylor. It follows the coming-of-age of three young Portuguese-American friends who work at a pizza parlor in a seaside Connecticut town. The film received positive reviews, with Roger Ebert declaring at the time, "I have a feeling that Mystic Pizza may someday become known for the movie stars it showcased back before they became stars says Douglas Warner in reference to friend Julia Roberts." It marked Matt Damon's film debut.

<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.

<i>Shes All That</i> 1999 film directed by Robert Iscove

She's All That is a 1999 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Robert Iscove. It stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard, and Paul Walker. After being dumped by his girlfriend, Zack Siler boasts he could make any girl at his high school popular. It is a modern adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion and George Cukor's 1964 film My Fair Lady.

<i>The Grudge</i> 2004 supernatural horror film remake

The Grudge is a 2004 supernatural horror film directed by Takashi Shimizu, written by Stephen Susco, and produced by Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, and Takashige Ichise. A remake of Shimizu's 2002 Japanese horror film Ju-On: The Grudge, it stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr, KaDee Strickland, Clea DuVall, and Bill Pullman, and is the first installment in The Grudge film series, which is based on the Japanese Ju-On films. Takako Fuji, Yuya Ozeki, and Takashi Matsuyama portray the characters Kayako Saeki, Toshio Saeki, and Takeo Saeki from the original films. The plot is told through a nonlinear sequence of events and includes several intersecting subplots.

<i>The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover</i> 1989 film by Peter Greenaway

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover is a 1989 crime drama art film written and directed by Peter Greenaway, starring Richard Bohringer, Michael Gambon, Helen Mirren and Alan Howard in the title roles. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and France, the film's graphic violence and nude scenes, as well as its lavish cinematography and formalism, were noted at the time of its release.

<i>Carefree</i> (film) 1938 American musical film by Mark Sandrich

Carefree is a 1938 American musical comedy film directed by Mark Sandrich and starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Ralph Bellamy. With a plot similar to screwball comedies of the period, Carefree is the shortest of the Astaire-Rogers films, featuring only four musical numbers. Carefree is often remembered as the film in which Astaire and Rogers shared a long on-screen kiss at the conclusion of their dance to "I Used to Be Color Blind," all previous kisses having been either quick pecks or simply implied.

<i>Saturday Kitchen</i> British TV series or programme

Saturday Kitchen Live is a British cookery programme, that is broadcast live on BBC One every Saturday between 10.00am and 11.30am produced by Cactus TV.

<i>The Next Iron Chef</i> American cooking competition show

The Next Iron Chef is a limited-run series on the Food Network that aired its fifth season in 2012. Each season is a stand-alone competition to select a chef to be designated an Iron Chef, who will appear on the Food Network program Iron Chef America.

<i>Letters to Juliet</i> 2010 American romantic drama film directed by Gary Winick

Letters to Juliet is a 2010 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Amanda Seyfried, Christopher Egan, Gael García Bernal, Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero. This was the final film of director Gary Winick before his death on February 27, 2011. The film was released theatrically in North America and other countries on May 14, 2010. The idea for the film was inspired by the 2006 non-fiction book Letters to Juliet, by Lise Eve Friedman and Ceil Jann Friedman, which chronicles the phenomenon of letter-writing to Shakespeare's most famous romantic character.

Karen Davis (<i>The Grudge</i>) Fictional character

Karen Davis is a fictional character from The Grudge. Being the central character, she uncovers the Saeki house's dark past and is the only one to survive the first film. She returns in The Grudge 2 and compels her sister, Aubrey, to put a stop to the curse. Her portrayal was met with acclaim by critics and the films crew. She makes a cameo appearance in The Grudge 3 with a flashback scene.

Molly Tarlov is an American actress. She played the role of Sadie Saxton on MTV's TV series Awkward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angela Hartnett at The Connaught</span> Restaurant in London, England

Angela Hartnett at The Connaught, also known as MENU, was a restaurant owned by Gordon Ramsay Holdings and run by chef Angela Hartnett. It was located within The Connaught in Mayfair, London. The restaurant was opened following Ramsay's successful opening of Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's, within the Claridge's hotel, which is owned by the same equity group. Ramsay had originally been asked to move Restaurant Gordon Ramsay into the space, but suggested that Hartnett should run a new operation there instead. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in the 2004 guide and held it until it closed in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Street Café</span> Restaurant in United Kingdom

Union Street Café was a restaurant, owned by chef Gordon Ramsay, in Southwark, London. It was the first of Ramsay's restaurants to be opened without the involvement of Chris Hutchinson, and at one point was backed by footballer David Beckham. The Café served Mediterranean cuisine, with mostly Italian dishes. The head chef, Davide Degiovanni, designed the menu, which was changed daily. Before the Café was opened, it received more than 10,000 booking requests, with seating filled to the end of the year. Food critics' reviews have been mixed, with differing opinions of the veal saltimbocca but agreement in dislike of a dish of octopus, borlotti bean, and 'nduja sausage. Union Street Café was replaced by Gordon Ramsay Restaurants in December 2020 with their third Street Pizza Location, joined at that address in May 2021 by their second Bread Street Kitchen & Bar location for London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Shivers</span> Fictional character

Helen Shivers is a fictional character in the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise. She was created by American writer Lois Duncan and originates from Duncan's 1973 suspense novel I Know What You Did Last Summer as a young woman involved in a hit and run accident. In this version, she is known as Helen Rivers.

<i>Ninnila Ninnila</i> 2021 film by Ani. I. V. Sasi

Ninnila Ninnila is a 2021 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by debutant Ani I. V. Sasi and produced by B. V. S. N. Prasad under the banner of Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra. The film stars Ashok Selvan, Ritu Varma, and Nithya Menon while Nassar and Satya play supporting roles.

<i>A Tourists Guide to Love</i> 2023 film by Steven K. Tsuchida

A Tourist's Guide to Love is a 2023 romantic comedy film directed by Steven K. Tsuchida and written by Eirene Tran Donohue. It stars Rachael Leigh Cook, Scott Ly, Missi Pyle, Ben Feldman, Nondumiso Tembe and Andrew Barth Feldman.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Simply Irresistible". Box Office Mojo .
  2. 1 2 3 "Conversation with Mark Tarlov, Director of Simply Irresistible [HDTGM]". slashfilm.com. July 4, 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-07-04.
  3. "Simply Irresistible". Rotten Tomatoes .
  4. "Simply Irresistible Reviews". Metacritic .
  5. SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE (1999) CinemaScore
  6. Ebert, Roger (February 5, 1999). "Simply Irresistible". Chicago Sun-Times . RogerEbert.com.
  7. "Gil Goldstein, Various Artists - Soundtracks - Simply Irresistible: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Amazon.com Music". Amazon. 1999. Retrieved 2020-03-25.