The Roommate

Last updated
The Roommate
Roommate poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Christian E. Christiansen
Written by Sonny Mallhi
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Phil Parmet
Edited byRandy Bricker
Music by John Frizzell
Production
company
Distributed by Screen Gems
Release date
  • February 4, 2011 (2011-02-04)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$16 million [1]
Box office$52.5 million [2]

The Roommate is a 2011 American psychological thriller film directed by Christian E. Christiansen and written by Sonny Mallhi. The film stars Leighton Meester, Minka Kelly, Cam Gigandet, Danneel Harris, Matt Lanter, and Aly Michalka.

Contents

The Roommate was released in the United States on February 4, 2011. [3]

Plot

Sara Matthews is starting her freshman year of college in Los Angeles. She meets party girl Tracy, frat boy Stephen—her love interest—and Rebecca, her wealthy but shy college roommate who bears an uncanny resemblance to her. The girls begin to bond and Rebecca learns that Sara had an older sister, Emily, who died when Sara was nine, and an ex-boyfriend, Jason, who keeps calling her in attempts to reconcile.

Over time, Rebecca's obsession with Sara grows, which causes her to drive away anyone who could come between them. Claiming that she is a bad influence, Rebecca attacks Tracy in the shower, pins her down, rips out her belly button ring, and threatens to kill her unless she stays away from Sara.

Tracy moves to another dorm, fearful of Rebecca. An old friend of Sara's named Irene invites Sara to move in with her when Sara's cat Cuddles is discovered by an RA. Rebecca kills Cuddles, lying to Sara that the cat ran away, inflicts injuries upon herself, and says she was assaulted by a thug.

Feeling sympathetic, Sara decides to spend Thanksgiving with Rebecca. When Sara's fashion design professor, Roberts, kisses her, Rebecca plans to get the professor out of the picture by seducing him while recording their dialogue on a tape recorder to make it sound like he was trying to rape her.

During her Thanksgiving stay, Sara overhears a conversation between Rebecca and her father, hinting Rebecca has had trouble making friends in the past. After Rebecca's mother mentions that Rebecca is supposed to be taking medication, Sara and Stephen find a bottle of unused Zyprexa pills, used to treat schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Sara decides to move in with Irene; however, that evening at a club, Rebecca seduces Irene and they go back to Irene's place. The following morning, Sara goes to Irene's apartment, but she is not there. Meanwhile, Rebecca gets Sara's sister's name tattooed in the same place on her breast as Sara.

Alarmed, Sara finally realizes Rebecca is obsessed with her and removes her belongings from the dorm. Jason arrives at Sara's dorm and slips a note under her door, saying that he wants to see her. Rebecca intercepts it, and disguises herself as Sara. She then goes to Jason's hotel room and stabs him to death.

Sara receives a text message from Irene saying she needs to meet with her right away, and she calls Stephen so he can meet her there. She arrives and finds a gagged Irene handcuffed to the bed. Rebecca reveals herself and points a gun at Sara, proclaiming her love and loyalty, before tearfully revealing she was responsible for what happened to Tracy, Cuddles, Professor Roberts, Irene, and Jason, and that she did it all to win Sara's friendship.

Rebecca moves to smother Irene, and Sara attempts to stop her. Sara tries to call for help, but the phone is dead. Bound and helpless, Irene pleads for Sara to save herself. Sara tries to get out the window to get help. Rebecca breaks back into the room and aims the gun at the cuffed and helpless Irene, only to be stopped by Stephen who briefly disarms her but is knocked unconscious. Climbing back into the room, Sara is strangled by an enraged Rebecca. While choking, Sara stabs Rebecca with a box cutter, killing her after saying "You were never my friend".

Sara moves back into her dorm and moves the extra bed out of her room with the help of Stephen, proclaiming that she does not want anyone as a roommate for a while.

Cast

Production

Sonny Mallhi first thought of shooting the film in New York City but it was eventually shot on location at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and at Loyola Marymount University. [4] Leighton Meester was originally set to play Sara but was replaced by Minka Kelly and Leighton played Rebecca. [5] Billy Zane and Frances Fisher had both starred together in Titanic fourteen years earlier, though in this film they shared no scenes.

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 3% based on 86 reviews, with an average rating of 2.86/10. The website's critics' consensus reads: "Devoid of chills, thrills, or even cheap titillation, The Roommate isn't even bad enough to be good." [6] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 23 out of 100, based on 16 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]

Keith Staskiewicz of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a D, saying it "is really just a far-below-par thriller that desperately wishes it were a different movie – a longing it shares with the audience," but praises Meester for bringing "the slightest trace of something fascinating to her role. When she smiles, it's perfectly located between a sweet display of affection and a snarling warning." [9] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave it a half star, stating that "The Roommate – the umpteenth uncredited remake of 1992's Single White Female  – sucks bad, real bad" and that "Danish director Christian E. Christiansen has no flair for suspense". [10] Meester's performance garnered praise from other top critics, including the Los Angeles Times , which states: "Here, her performance often has the feeling of a sports car in neutral. When she punches it for quick changes of tone from manic to wounded or around the bend, she shows how much more she is capable of." [11]

Box office

Opening in 2,534 theaters, the film grossed $15.6 million on its opening weekend to take first place at the box office. Its distributor estimated that females under the age of 21 accounted for two-thirds of its audience. [12] By the end of its run, the film grossed $37.3 million in the United States and Canada and $15.2 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $52.5 million. [2]

Accolades

AwardCategoryRecipientResultRefs
MTV Movie Award Best Scared-As-S**t Performance Minka Kelly Nominated [13]
Best Villain Leighton Meester Nominated
Teen Choice Award Choice Movie: Villain Leighton MeesterNominated [14]
Choice Movie: Female Scene Stealer Aly Michalka Nominated
Choice Movie Actress: Drama Minka KellyNominated
Choice Movie Actor: Drama Cam Gigandet Nominated
Choice Movie: Drama The RoommateNominated

Use of a photo featuring a Southwestern College building

Some of the promotional posters and displays for the film used the Christy Administration Building from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas as its backdrop. The college administration voiced concern that permission to use the photograph of the building was not properly obtained and investigated the legality of its use. [15]

Primary concerns hinged that the image of the college (particularly the image of the building) could be damaged, while other concerns were that the college's primary iconic image was being used for the promotion of an unrelated business venture. [16]

Though the film successfully earned $15.6 million in receipts to top the box office during its debut weekend in the United States, concerns continued. By that time, the image of the building had been replaced on the film's official website and on subsequent promotional material. The photo of the building reportedly was licensed from iStockPhoto based in Calgary, Alberta. As of February 8, 2011, no lawsuits had been filed but discussions had taken place. [17]

Students at the school reported "mixed feelings" about the topic – some believed that it may have been helpful for the college and others reported that they saw how it could have been harmful to the school's image. [18]

Home media

The Roommate was released on Blu-ray and DVD on May 17, 2011.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Brody</span> American actor (born 1979)

Adam Jared Brody is an American actor. His breakout role was as Seth Cohen on the Fox television series The O.C. (2003–2007). Brody appeared in films including Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Thank You for Smoking (2005), In the Land of Women (2007), and Jennifer's Body (2009). In the 2010s, Brody had supporting roles in comedies including Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) and Sleeping with Other People (2015), and dramatic films such as Lovelace (2013). He appeared in a number of television series during this time, and starred in and produced the television series StartUp (2016–2018).

<i>Thirteen</i> (2003 film) 2003 film by Catherine Hardwicke

Thirteen is a 2003 drama film directed by Catherine Hardwicke, written by Hardwicke and Nikki Reed, and starring Holly Hunter, Evan Rachel Wood and Reed with Jeremy Sisto, Brady Corbet, Deborah Kara Unger, Kip Pardue, Sarah Clarke, D. W. Moffett, Vanessa Hudgens, and Jenicka Carey in supporting roles. Loosely based on Reed's early life, the film's plot follows Tracy, a seventh-grade student in Los Angeles who begins dabbling in substance abuse, sex and crime after being befriended by a troubled classmate.

<i>Higher Learning</i> 1995 film by John Singleton

Higher Learning is a 1995 American drama film written and directed by John Singleton and starring an ensemble cast. The film follows the changing lives of three incoming freshmen at the fictional Columbus University: Malik Williams, a track star who struggles with academics; Kristen Connor, a shy and naive girl; and Remy, a lonely and confused man seemingly out of place in his new environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blair Waldorf</span> Fictional character in Gossip Girl

Blair Cornelia Waldorf is one of the main characters of Gossip Girl, introduced in the original series of novels and also appearing as the lead in the television adaptation; she also appears in the comic adaptation. Described as "a girl of extremes" by creator Cecily von Ziegesar, she is a New York City socialite and a comical overachiever who possesses both snobbish and sensitive sides. Due to her position as queen bee of Manhattan's social scene, Blair's actions and relations are under constant scrutiny from the mysterious Gossip Girl, a popular blogger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leighton Meester</span> American actress (born 1986)

Leighton Marissa Meester is an American actress and singer. She is known for her starring role as Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl, which ran from 2007 to 2012. She has also appeared in films such as Killer Movie (2008), Country Strong (2010), The Roommate (2011), Monte Carlo (2011), The Oranges (2011), The Judge (2014), The Weekend Away (2022), and EXmas (2023). She portrayed Angie D'Amato on the ABC sitcom Single Parents (2018–2020). Meester made her Broadway debut in Of Mice and Men (2014).

iStock Microstock photography website

iStock is an online royalty free, international micro stock photography provider based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

<i>Son in Law</i> (film) 1993 film

Son in Law is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Steve Rash, written by Fax Bahr, Adam Small, and Shawn Schepps, and starring Pauly Shore, Carla Gugino, and Lane Smith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cam Gigandet</span> American actor (born 1982)

Cam Gigandet is an American actor whose credits include a recurring role on The O.C. and appearances in feature films Twilight, Pandorum, Never Back Down, Burlesque, Easy A, Priest, and The Magnificent Seven. He also starred in the CBS legal drama series Reckless. From 2016 to 2018, Gigandet starred in the Audience Network drama series Ice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danneel Ackles</span> American actress

Danneel Ackles, credited professionally before 2012 as Danneel Harris, is an American actress. She played the role of Shannon McBain on the American daytime soap opera One Life to Live and Rachel Gatina on the WB/CW television drama series One Tree Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minka Kelly</span> American actress (born 1980)

Minka Kelly is an American actress and philanthropist. She rose to fame for her role as Lyla Garrity on the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights (2006–2009). In 2011, Kelly starred in the films The Roommate and Searching for Sonny, had a recurring role as Gaby on NBC's family drama series Parenthood (2010–2011) and a main role as Eve French in the revival of ABC's action series Charlie's Angels (2011). Kelly portrayed Dawn Granger / Dove on the first three seasons of the DC Universe/Max superhero series Titans (2018–2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somebody to Love (Leighton Meester song)</span> 2009 single by Leighton Meester featuring Robin Thicke

"Somebody to Love" is a song by American actress and singer Leighton Meester featuring Robin Thicke. Written by Meester, Thicke, Mike Caren, Ollie Goldstein, Rico Love and Shahine Ezell, and produced by Caren, the song was released as Meester's debut single on October 14, 2009, by Universal Republic Records.

<i>Monte Carlo</i> (2011 film) 2011 film by Thomas Bezucha

Monte Carlo is a 2011 American adventure-romantic comedy film based on the 2001 novel Headhunters by Rankin/Bass co-founder Jules Bass. It was directed by Thomas Bezucha. Denise Di Novi, Alison Greenspan, Nicole Kidman, and Arnon Milchan produced the film for Fox 2000 Pictures and Regency Enterprises. It began production in Harghita, Romania on May 5, 2010. Monte Carlo stars Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy as three friends posing as wealthy socialites in Monte Carlo, Monaco. The film was released on July 1, 2011. It features the song "Who Says" by Selena Gomez & the Scene and numerous songs by British singer Mika. Monte Carlo received mixed reviews from critics, but earned $39.7 million on a $20 million budget. Fox Home Entertainment released Monte Carlo on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on October 18, 2011.

<i>Country Strong</i> 2010 American film

Country Strong is a 2010 American drama film starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund, and Leighton Meester. The film, about an emotionally unstable country music star who attempts to revive her faltering career, was directed and written by American filmmaker Shana Feste. It premiered in Nashville, Tennessee on November 8, 2010, and had a wide release in the United States on January 7, 2011. This is the second film in which McGraw and Hedlund have worked together, the first being Friday Night Lights in 2004. At the 83rd Academy Awards, the film was nominated for Best Original Song.

<i>The Oranges</i> (film) 2011 American film

The Oranges is a 2011 American romantic comedy-drama directed by Julian Farino and starring Hugh Laurie, Leighton Meester, Catherine Keener, Oliver Platt, Allison Janney, Alia Shawkat, and Adam Brody. The film chronicles how two families deal with a scandal involving a married man and his friend's daughter. Set in The Oranges area of Essex County, New Jersey, The Oranges was primarily filmed in New Rochelle, New York. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2011, and was released in the United States on October 5, 2012, by ATO Pictures. The film received mostly negative reviews upon its release and criticism and attacks for its ageist themes and tropes.

"The Freshman" is the 45th episode of the CW television series Gossip Girl. It was also the second episode of the show's third season. The episode was written by Amanda Lasher and directed by Norman Buckley. It originally aired on Monday, September 21, 2009 on the CW.

<i>Country Strong</i> (soundtrack) 2010 soundtrack album by Various artists

Country Strong is a soundtrack album for the film of the same name. It was released by RCA Nashville on October 26, 2010. It is preceded by two singles: the title track, performed by the film's star Gwyneth Paltrow, which was released on July 26, 2010, and "A Little Bit Stronger", performed by Sara Evans and released on September 27, 2010. In addition to Paltrow, the film's co-stars Garrett Hedlund, Tim McGraw and Leighton Meester all sing on the soundtrack, which also features country music stars Lee Ann Womack, Hank Williams Jr., and Faith Hill, among others. The album has sold 479,000 copies in the US as of February 2013. A follow-up album Country Strong , was released on December 21, 2010, originally as digital download only. The second album has sold 36,349 in the US as of January 2011.

<i>Life Partners</i> 2014 film by Susanna Fogel

Life Partners is a 2014 American romantic comedy drama film directed by Susanna Fogel and co-written with Joni Lefkowitz. It is Fogel's feature film directorial debut. The film stars Leighton Meester, Gillian Jacobs, Adam Brody, Greer Grammer, Gabourey Sidibe, and Julie White. The film premiered on April 18, 2014, at the Tribeca Film Festival in the Spotlight section. The film was released on demand platforms on November 6, 2014, and in select theaters on December 5, 2014.

<i>Like Sunday, Like Rain</i> 2014 American film

Like Sunday, Like Rain is a 2014 American drama film written and directed by Frank Whaley, and distributed by Monterey Media. The film stars Leighton Meester, Debra Messing, Billie Joe Armstrong, and Julian Shatkin in his film debut. The film follows a cello prodigy, Reggie, and his latest caretaker, Eleanor, as they develop a friendship over the course of a summer in New York City.

"Words I Couldn't Say" is a song written by Steve Robson, Tammi Kidd, and Gregory Becker and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts for their fourth studio album, Me and My Gang (2006). The song found renewed popularity in 2010 after it was featured in the drama film Country Strong as performed by American actress and singer Leighton Meester. Her cover, from the soundtrack album released by RCA Records Nashville, appeared on multiple Billboard sales charts in 2011.

<i>The Weekend Away</i> 2022 film by Kim Farrant

The Weekend Away is a 2022 American thriller film directed by Kim Farrant from a screenplay by Sarah Alderson, based on Alderson's 2020 novel of the same name. It follows a woman named Beth, who travels to Croatia for a weekend getaway with her best friend Kate. However, Kate suddenly goes missing and Beth is forced to figure out what happened to her. The film was released on Netflix on March 3, 2022.

References

  1. ↑ Fritz, Ben; Kaufman, Amy (February 3, 2011). "Movie Projector: 'The Roommate' and 'Sanctum' won't score on Super Bowl weekend". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on March 19, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  2. 1 2 "The Roommate (2011)". The Numbers. Archived from the original on February 14, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Sony Screen Gems' Major Date Shifts, 3D Maneuvers". Bloody Disgusting. 5 February 2010. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  4. ↑ "The Roommate – Production Notes – On The Dark Side Of The City Of Angels". CinemaReview.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  5. ↑ "First Ever Look at Screen Gems' 'The Roommate', Hi-Res 'Priest' Teaser". Bloody Disgusting. 22 December 2009. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  6. ↑ The Roommate at Rotten Tomatoes
  7. ↑ "The Roommate Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  8. ↑ Kaufman, Amy; Fritz, Ben (February 6, 2011). "Box office: 'Roommate' beats 'Sanctum' on slow Super Bowl weekend [Updated]". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on February 8, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  9. ↑ Staskiewicz, Keith (February 4, 2011). "The Roommate Review". Entertainment Weekly . New York City: Meredith Corporation. Archived from the original on September 8, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  10. ↑ Travers, Peter (February 4, 2011). "The Roommate". Rolling Stone . San Francisco, California: Wenner Media LLC. Archived from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  11. ↑ Olsen, Mark (February 5, 2011). "Movie review: 'The Roommate'". Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California. Archived from the original on March 3, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Roommate thriller tops US box office". BBC News. February 7, 2011. Archived from the original on August 20, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  13. ↑ "2011 MTV Movie Awards: The Full Nomination List". MTV. May 3, 2011. Archived from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Teen Choice Awards 2011 Nominees Announced: Harry Potter vs Twilight". Huffington Post. June 29, 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  15. ↑ Twitchell, Allen (December 3, 2010). "Image of SC building on movie poster". The Winfield Daily Courier . Winfield, Kansas: Winfield Publishing Company. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
  16. ↑ Hawkins, Korie (December 9, 2010). "Christy photo on movie poster causes concern". Southwestern College Student Media. Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
  17. ↑ Twitchell, Allen (February 8, 2011). "Movie poster image remains a concern for SC administration". The Winfield Daily Courier . Winfield Publishing Company. Archived from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
  18. ↑ Andres, Craig (February 11, 2011). "Southwestern College unhappy with national movie poster (with video)". KSN TV 3. Archived from the original on February 11, 2011. Retrieved March 9, 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.