Suburban Girl

Last updated

Suburban Girl
Suburban girl poster.jpg
DVD cover
Directed byMarc Klein
Screenplay byMarc Klein
Based on"My Old Man" and "The Worst Thing a Suburban Girl Could Imagine"
by Melissa Bank
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySteven Fierberg
Edited byJoan Sobel
Music by Heitor Pereira
Production
company
Distributed by Image Entertainment
Release dates
  • April 27, 2007 (2007-04-27)(Tribeca)
  • January 15, 2008 (2008-01-15)(United States)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$113,324 (foreign) [1] [2]

Suburban Girl is a 2007 American romantic comedy film directed by Marc Klein and produced by Gigi Pritzker and Deborah Del Prete. It stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alec Baldwin, with Maggie Grace, James Naughton, and Chris Carmack in supporting roles. It is adapted from the short stories "My Old Man" and "The Worst Thing a Suburban Girl Could Imagine" from Melissa Bank's 1999 best-selling book The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing . [3]

Contents

The film had its premiere at New York's Tribeca Film Festival on April 27, 2007. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States on January 15, 2008.

Plot

Brett Eisenberg is an ambitious yet unconfident New York City assistant book editor living in the literary hotbed of Manhattan's Upper East Side. Struggling to become a full-fledged editor, she is shocked when she learns that her mentor and boss is fired and replaced by the glamorous Faye Falkner. At a book signing, Brett meets the notorious and much older publishing playboy Archie Knox. After spending time with him she realises how unhappy she is with her immature boyfriend Jed and breaks off their relationship in order to pursue one with Archie.

Archie is an alcoholic, although he is almost three years sober, suffers from diabetes, and has an estranged daughter. The age gap between Brett and him is made clear through their different lifestyles, such as his lack of understanding how to use a Blackberry and Brett taking him to a candy shop. Although this does not affect their relationship in the beginning — Brett appreciates the advice and confidence he gives her to stand up to Faye — she soon begins to resent his patronizing attitude. Brett and Archie fight about him treating her like his daughter, and him not telling her that he used to date Faye. He eventually begins drinking again and sleeps with another woman in order to break off their relationship.

Brett is incredibly close to her father, explaining her situation to him and asking for his advice. While visiting her family home she is shocked to discover that he has cancer and that her family didn't tell her but told her brother Ethan, because her father felt she could not handle the news. Feeling depressed and unwell, Brett makes an awful impression on a celebrity client until Archie appears and rescues the situation. They decide to give their relationship another try and Brett introduces him to her family, who are uneasy with the age difference; her father especially after learning that Archie is an alcoholic when he is admitted to hospital. Brett's father tells her that she shouldn't have to spend her life taking care of Archie.

After her father dies, Brett realizes she must finally deal with her problems without his support. Archie proposes using the Blackberry that Brett bought him but she turns him down, telling him that they see each other as teacher and student and not as equals. She says she needs time to be happy and grow up on her own.

Brett, finally confident in herself, wears a pair of leather pants she was previously too scared to wear. She begins to edit her work in a decisive way by using a pen instead of a pencil, as she used to do throughout the film.

Cast

Production

The film was produced by Odd Lot Entertainment in association with Catch 23 Productions. Deborah Del Prete, Gigi Pritzker and Daryl Taja served as producers. [4] It was the directorial debut of Marc Klein, who had written the screenplay for Serendipity (2001). [5] By November 2005, both Gellar and Baldwin had been cast in the leading roles. [6] It was filmed in various locations around New York City as well as Toronto, Canada, starting in May 2006. [7]

During pre-production and filming, the filmmakers behind Suburban Girl used the title of the book, The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing, for the project. However, director Francis Ford Coppola had the rights to the title and short story of that name, while his company American Zoetrope was to develop a film which was adapted from the book. [8] The film's title was officially changed to Suburban Girl for its release.

Reception

The film received generally mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 50%, based on 8 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10. [9]

Variety described it as "a blend of Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada ", and a "pseudo-sophisticated romantic comedy". [3] Gellar's onscreen chemistry with Baldwin was praised, with Eye for Film commenting, "The film works best when Baldwin and Gellar are together — aside from the fact that Gellar seriously needs to eat a bun or two." [10] Film website moviepicturefilm.com stated, "Gellar and Baldwin both give wonderful performances and make their chemistry incredibly real and ultimately, quite heartbreaking. Containing a ton of laughs and killer fashion that could give The Devil Wears Prada a run for its money, this movie has something uncommon in most romantic comedies, tons of style and a huge heart." [11]

Soundtrack

No official soundtrack was released but tracks within the film include: [12]

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 by a talent agent as a young child, she made her film debut at age six in the television film An Invasion of Privacy (1983). A leading role in the short-lived teen drama series Swans Crossing (1992) was followed by her breakthrough as Kendall Hart on the ABC soap opera All My Children (1993–1995), for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alec Baldwin</span> American actor (born 1958)

Alexander Rae Baldwin III is an American actor. He is known for his leading and supporting roles in a variety of genres, from comedy to drama, and has received numerous accolades including three Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and Tony Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Baldwin</span> American actor (born 1963)

William Joseph Baldwin is an American actor and the second-youngest of the four Baldwin brothers. He has starred in the films Flatliners (1990), Backdraft (1991), Sliver (1993), Virus (1999), The Squid and the Whale (2005), Forgetting Sarah Marshall, in which he portrayed himself, and the Netflix show Northern Rescue (2019). Baldwin is married to singer Chynna Phillips.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Basinger</span> American actress (born 1953)

Kimila Ann Basinger is an American actress. She has garnered acclaim for her work in film, for which she has received various accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Initially a TV starlet, she shot to fame as a Bond girl in 1983 and enjoyed a long heyday over the next two decades. In 2011 Los Angeles Times Magazine ranked her third on the "50 Most Beautiful Women In Film".

<i>I Know What You Did Last Summer</i> 1997 film by Jim Gillespie

I Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Jim Gillespie and written by Kevin Williamson. It stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Freddie Prinze Jr., with supporting roles played by Johnny Galecki, Bridgette Wilson, Anne Heche, and Muse Watson. The first installment in a franchise, it is loosely based on the 1973 novel of the same name by Lois Duncan. The film centers on four teenage friends, who are stalked by a hook-wielding killer one year after covering up a car accident in which they supposedly killed a man. It also draws inspiration from the urban legend known as "The Hook", as well as the slasher films Prom Night (1980) and The House on Sorority Row (1982).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aron Eisenberg</span> American actor and podcaster (1969–2019)

Aron Eisenberg was an American actor and podcaster known for his role as Nog on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

<i>The Gangs All Here</i> (1943 film) 1943 film by Busby Berkeley

The Gang's All Here is a 1943 American Twentieth Century Fox Technicolor musical film starring Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda and James Ellison. The film, directed and choreographed by Busby Berkeley, is known for its use of musical numbers with fruit hats. Included among the 10 highest-grossing films of that year, it was at that time Fox's most expensive production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Bank</span> American author (1961–2022)

Melissa Susan Bank was an American author. She published two books—The Wonder Spot, a volume of short stories, and The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing—and won the 1993 Nelson Algren Award for short fiction. She taught at Stony Brook University.

<i>13</i> (musical) Musical by Jason Robert Brown, Dan Elish, and Robert Horn

13 is a musical with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown and book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn.

<i>The Promise</i> (1979 film) 1979 film by Gilbert Cates

The Promise is a 1979 American romantic drama film released by Universal Pictures which starred Kathleen Quinlan, Stephen Collins, and Beatrice Straight. It was directed by Gilbert Cates and produced by Fred Weintraub and Paul Heller. Weintraub and Heller also wrote the source story, which Garry Michael White dramatized; the resultant film was novelized by Danielle Steel. It was remade in India as the Hindi film Yeh Vaada Raha (1982).

<i>The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing</i> 1999 collection of short stories by Melissa Bank

The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing is a 1999 collection of linked short stories by Melissa Bank. The stories follow the main character Jane Rosenal, starting with her life at age 14.

<i>My Best Friends Girl</i> (2008 film) 2008 American film

My Best Friend's Girl is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Howard Deutch, written by Jordan Cahan, and starring Dane Cook, Kate Hudson, Jason Biggs, Diora Baird, Alec Baldwin, Riki Lindhome and Lizzy Caplan. It was released on September 19, 2008, by Lionsgate. The film received generally unfavorable reviews from critics and grossed $41 million. As of 2024, it is the last film Deutch has directed.

<i>On the Avenue</i> 1937 film by William A. Seiter, Roy Del Ruth

On the Avenue is a 1937 American musical film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Dick Powell, Madeleine Carroll, Alice Faye, George Barbier, and The Ritz Brothers. Many of the songs were composed by Irving Berlin. Many of the plot details were used in Let's Make Love. Initially, the movie was called Out Front.

<i>Lymelife</i> 2008 American film

Lymelife is a 2008 American comedy-drama film written by brothers Derick Martini and Steven Martini, and directed by Derick Martini, depicting aspects of their life in 1970s Long Island from a teenager's perspective. It stars Alec Baldwin, Rory Culkin, Kieran Culkin and Emma Roberts. Martin Scorsese served as an executive producer. The film debuted at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival in September 2008, and won the International Federation of Film Critics Award (FIPRESCI). After its theatrical release in 2009, writer director Derick Martini was nominated for a Gotham Award for Breakthrough Director.

"The Break-Up" is the eighth episode of the first season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producers Brett Baer and Dave Finkel, and directed by Scott Ellis. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on December 14, 2006. Guest stars in this episode include Rachel Dratch, Chris Hansen, Keith Powell, Lonny Ross, and Dean Winters.

<i>Hick</i> (film) 2011 film by Derick Martini

Hick is a 2011 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Derick Martini from a screenplay by Andrea Portes, based on Portes' 2007 novel of the same name. The film stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Eddie Redmayne, Rory Culkin, Juliette Lewis, Ray McKinnon, Anson Mount, Blake Lively, and Alec Baldwin. It follows Luli (Moretz), a 13-year-old Nebraskan girl who runs away from her neglectful parents and sets out for Las Vegas. Along the way, she meets a drifter (Redmayne) and a troubled young woman (Lively).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ireland Baldwin</span> American fashion model (born 1995)

Ireland Eliesse Baldwin, also known as Ireland Basinger Baldwin, is an American fashion model. Baldwin started modeling and acting in 2013 and appeared in the film Grudge Match and in editorials for magazines such as Grazia. Baldwin is also a vocal advocate for animal rights and posed for PETA 24 years after her mother did.

The Green-Eyed Monster is a two-part British television crime drama film, written and directed by Jane Prowse, that first broadcast on BBC1 on 9 September 2001. The film, which stars Emma Fielding, Matt Day and Hugo Speer in the title roles, follows the murder of Liam (Day) by his neighbour Ray (Speer), amidst accusations of infidelity and deception from fellow residents of the quiet suburban street where he and his wife Marni (Fielding) are residing.

On October 21, 2021, at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Bonanza City, New Mexico, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot and director Joel Souza was injured on the set of the film Rust when a live round was discharged from a prop revolver that actor Alec Baldwin was using.

Andrea Rowley Reeb is an American attorney and politician serving as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives for the 64th district. Elected in November 2022, she assumed office on January 1, 2023.

References

  1. "Erkekleri Tavlama Sanatı (Suburban Girl)". Box Office Türkiye.
  2. "Suburban Girl". Box Office Mojo.
  3. 1 2 Scheib, Ronnie (May 15, 2007). "Suburban Girl". Variety.
  4. Mitchell, Wendy (September 9, 2007). "Odd Lot's Suburban Girl moves in with Image Entertainment". Screen Daily .
  5. Wray, James (October 12, 2004). "The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing Heads to be Adapted". Monsters and Critics. Archived from the original on March 5, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2007.
  6. "Alec Baldwin Set for the Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing". MovieWeb. November 4, 2005.
  7. "Suburban Girl". onthesetofnewyork.com. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  8. Risen, Clay (August 5, 2022). "Melissa Bank, Author Whose 'Girls' Guide' Was a Phenomenon, Dies at 61". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  9. "Suburban Girl". Rotten Tomatoes .
  10. Wilkinson, Amber (June 5, 2007). "Suburban Girl Movie Review". Eye for Film.
  11. Hoffman, Scott. "Review Of The Day: Suburban Girl (Tribeca Film Festival 2007)". moviepicturefilm.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2007.
  12. "Suburban Girl". ringostrack.com. Retrieved September 28, 2023.