All About Steve (film)
Encyclopedia
All About Steve is a 2009 American comedy film
, directed by Phil Traill
, which stars Sandra Bullock
, Thomas Haden Church
and Bradley Cooper
. It is distributed by 20th Century Fox
. The title is a pun on the 1950 film All About Eve
, also made by 20th Century Fox.
), a crossword puzzle writer for the Sacramento Herald, is socially awkward and considers her pet hamster her only true friend.
Her parents decide to set her up on a blind date. Mary's expectations are low, as she tells her hamster. However, she is extremely surprised when her date turns out to be handsome and charming Steve Muller (Bradley Cooper
), a cameraman for the television news network CCN. However, her feelings for Steve are not reciprocated. After an attempt at an intimate moment fails, in part because of her awkwardness and inability to stop talking about vocabulary, Steve fakes a phone call about covering the news out of town. Trying to get Mary out of his truck, he tells her he wishes she could be there.
Mary believes him and decides to pursue him. Mary's obsession gets her fired when she creates a crossword titled "All About Steve". Following her termination, Mary decides to tail Steve around the country in the hopes of winning his affection. She is encouraged by CCN news reporter Hartman Hughes (Thomas Haden Church
), who hopes to use Mary's encyclopedic knowledge in his reports to help himself get a promotion to become an anchor.
On the road, Mary annoys some bus passengers so much, the driver abandons her. She hitchhikes with a trucker, then meets and travels with a pair of protesters, Elizabeth (Katy Mixon
), a dumb but sweet and likeable girl, and Howard (DJ Qualls), who sells apples he carves into celebrities. She gradually grows close to the two.
Steve and crew end up covering a breaking news story: an old mine collapsed with several deaf children stuck inside. Initially, it appears that the children are rescued. Mary, who arrives on the scene, accidentally falls into the mine shaft while making a beeline for Steve. It turns out that not all the children have been rescued, and Mary is trapped with the one left behind. Steve begins to realize that Mary, in her own unique way, is a beautiful person. Just as Mary figures a way out, the two are joined by Hartman, who is made to feel guilty by Elizabeth and Howard for getting Mary into this predicament. Mary's rescue plan works, but she lets Hartman take the credit. Mary finally realizes she does not need Steve to be happy. She states, "If you love someone, set him free; if you have to stalk him, he probably wasn't yours in the first place."
in Pasadena
, California
.
Scenes featuring the collapsed mine and sink hole were filmed at The Walt Disney Company
’s Golden Oak Ranch
in Canyon Country, California.
Originally scheduled for release on March 6, 2009, the film was not released until September 4, 2009.
ranked the film 96th in the 100 worst reviewed films of the 2000s, with a rating of 6% based on 126 reviews and the consensus: "All About Steve is an oddly creepy, sour film, featuring a heroine so desperate and peculiar that audiences may be more likely to pity than root for her." According to another review aggregator, Metacritic
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 17%, based on 25 reviews, indicating "Overwhelming dislike".
, including Worst Picture
, Worst Director
(Phil Traill), Worst Actress
(Sandra Bullock), Worst Screenplay
(Kim Barker), and Worst Screen Couple
(Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper).
Sandra Bullock
accepted a Razzie award for worst actress, giving out a copy of All About Steve to each member of the audience, promising to attend next year if they all watched to consider if it was "Truly the worst performance." Bullock went on to win an Academy Award for Best Actress
for The Blind Side
the next day, making her the first person to win an Academy Award and a Razzie Award in the same year.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
, directed by Phil Traill
Phil Traill
Phil Traill is an American television and film director. Although born in the USA, Phil was brought up in London, England He directed the movies All About Steve and Chalet Girl with Felicity Jones and Brooke Shields...
, which stars Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
, Thomas Haden Church
Thomas Haden Church
Thomas Haden Church is an American actor. After co-starring in the 1990s sitcom Wings, Church became well known for his film roles, including his Academy Award-nominated performance in Sideways and his role as the Sandman in Spider-Man 3.-Early life:Church, the fourth of six children, was born...
and Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper is an American film, theater, and television actor. He is known for his roles in the films The Hangover, The A-Team, and Limitless. In 2011, People magazine named Cooper "Sexiest Man Alive".-Early life:...
. It is distributed by 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
. The title is a pun on the 1950 film All About Eve
All About Eve
All About Eve is a 1950 American drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve", by Mary Orr.The film stars Bette Davis as Margo Channing, a highly regarded but aging Broadway star...
, also made by 20th Century Fox.
Plot
Mary Horowitz (Sandra BullockSandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
), a crossword puzzle writer for the Sacramento Herald, is socially awkward and considers her pet hamster her only true friend.
Her parents decide to set her up on a blind date. Mary's expectations are low, as she tells her hamster. However, she is extremely surprised when her date turns out to be handsome and charming Steve Muller (Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper is an American film, theater, and television actor. He is known for his roles in the films The Hangover, The A-Team, and Limitless. In 2011, People magazine named Cooper "Sexiest Man Alive".-Early life:...
), a cameraman for the television news network CCN. However, her feelings for Steve are not reciprocated. After an attempt at an intimate moment fails, in part because of her awkwardness and inability to stop talking about vocabulary, Steve fakes a phone call about covering the news out of town. Trying to get Mary out of his truck, he tells her he wishes she could be there.
Mary believes him and decides to pursue him. Mary's obsession gets her fired when she creates a crossword titled "All About Steve". Following her termination, Mary decides to tail Steve around the country in the hopes of winning his affection. She is encouraged by CCN news reporter Hartman Hughes (Thomas Haden Church
Thomas Haden Church
Thomas Haden Church is an American actor. After co-starring in the 1990s sitcom Wings, Church became well known for his film roles, including his Academy Award-nominated performance in Sideways and his role as the Sandman in Spider-Man 3.-Early life:Church, the fourth of six children, was born...
), who hopes to use Mary's encyclopedic knowledge in his reports to help himself get a promotion to become an anchor.
On the road, Mary annoys some bus passengers so much, the driver abandons her. She hitchhikes with a trucker, then meets and travels with a pair of protesters, Elizabeth (Katy Mixon
Katy Mixon
Katy Elizabeth Mixon is an American actress. She is best known for her role as April Buchanon on HBO's Eastbound & Down and Victoria Flynn on the CBS television series Mike and Molly.-Life and career:...
), a dumb but sweet and likeable girl, and Howard (DJ Qualls), who sells apples he carves into celebrities. She gradually grows close to the two.
Steve and crew end up covering a breaking news story: an old mine collapsed with several deaf children stuck inside. Initially, it appears that the children are rescued. Mary, who arrives on the scene, accidentally falls into the mine shaft while making a beeline for Steve. It turns out that not all the children have been rescued, and Mary is trapped with the one left behind. Steve begins to realize that Mary, in her own unique way, is a beautiful person. Just as Mary figures a way out, the two are joined by Hartman, who is made to feel guilty by Elizabeth and Howard for getting Mary into this predicament. Mary's rescue plan works, but she lets Hartman take the credit. Mary finally realizes she does not need Steve to be happy. She states, "If you love someone, set him free; if you have to stalk him, he probably wasn't yours in the first place."
Cast
- Sandra BullockSandra BullockSandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
as Mary Horowitz - Bradley CooperBradley CooperBradley Cooper is an American film, theater, and television actor. He is known for his roles in the films The Hangover, The A-Team, and Limitless. In 2011, People magazine named Cooper "Sexiest Man Alive".-Early life:...
as Steve Muller - Thomas Haden ChurchThomas Haden ChurchThomas Haden Church is an American actor. After co-starring in the 1990s sitcom Wings, Church became well known for his film roles, including his Academy Award-nominated performance in Sideways and his role as the Sandman in Spider-Man 3.-Early life:Church, the fourth of six children, was born...
as Hartman Hughes - Ken JeongKen JeongKendrick Kang-Joh "Ken" Jeong , also known as "Dr. Ken," is an American comedian, actor, and physician. Currently, he appears as Ben Chang on the NBC comedy series Community.-Early life and medical career:...
as Angus Tran - DJ Qualls as Howard
- Katy MixonKaty MixonKaty Elizabeth Mixon is an American actress. She is best known for her role as April Buchanon on HBO's Eastbound & Down and Victoria Flynn on the CBS television series Mike and Molly.-Life and career:...
as Elizabeth - Beth GrantBeth GrantBeth Grant is an American actress. She is known for often playing characters who are conservatives, religious zealots or sticklers for rules....
as Mrs. Horowitz - Howard HessemanHoward HessemanHoward Hesseman is an American actor best known for playing disc jockey Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati and schoolteacher Charlie Moore on Head of the Class.-Early life:...
as Mr. Horowitz - LuenellLuenellLuenell Campbell , known professionally as Luenell, is an American comedienne and actress.She was born in Tollette, Arkansas and uses only her first name. She is the youngest of eight children...
as Protester's Wife - Jordan Morris as Protester Winston
- Keith DavidKeith DavidKeith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
as Danny - Noah MunckNoah MunckNoah Bryant Munck is an American actor and comedian. His roles include Gibby Gibson in iCarly and Bobby Sinclair, the junior lawn-mowing entrepreneur in the TruGreen commercials.-Early life:...
as Student - Patrick BrownPatrick BrownPatrick Brown may refer to:* Patrick Brown , journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation* Patrick Brown , Canadian politician* Patrick "Sleepy" Brown, American R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer* Patrick O...
as Horowitz House Reporter 2
Production
Production began in July 2007. Parts of the film were shot at Mayfield Senior SchoolMayfield Senior School
Mayfield Senior School is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school founded in 1931 for young women grades 9-12, sponsored by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus and a member of the Holy Child Network of Schools and guided by the educational philosophy of the Society's foundress, Cornelia...
in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Scenes featuring the collapsed mine and sink hole were filmed at The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
’s Golden Oak Ranch
Golden Oak Ranch
The Walt Disney Company’s Golden Oak Ranch is a movie ranch that serves as an interior and exterior filming location. The ranch is off of Placerita Canyon Road in Canyon Country, California, less than an hour north of Los Angeles; its entrance is about from Placerita Canyon Road's intersection...
in Canyon Country, California.
Originally scheduled for release on March 6, 2009, the film was not released until September 4, 2009.
Reception
Critical reaction
The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics. Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
ranked the film 96th in the 100 worst reviewed films of the 2000s, with a rating of 6% based on 126 reviews and the consensus: "All About Steve is an oddly creepy, sour film, featuring a heroine so desperate and peculiar that audiences may be more likely to pity than root for her." According to another review aggregator, Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 17%, based on 25 reviews, indicating "Overwhelming dislike".
Box office
All About Steve opened at number three, behind the previous two weeks' No. 1 openers, The Final Destination and Inglourious Basterds with $11.2 million. The film ultimately grossed $33.8 million domestically, making a profit at the box office.Awards and nominations
The film was nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards30th Golden Raspberry Awards
The 30th Golden Raspberry Awards or Razzies were held on March 6, 2010 in Hollywood to honor the worst films of 2009. The nominations were announced on February 1...
, including Worst Picture
Razzie Award for Worst Picture
The Razzie Award for Worst Picture is an award given out at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst film of the past year. Following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, including each film's distribution company and producer.-1980s:...
, Worst Director
Razzie Award for Worst Director
The Razzie Award for Worst Director is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst director of the previous year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, along with the film for which they were nominated....
(Phil Traill), Worst Actress
Razzie Award for Worst Actress
The Razzie Award for Worst Actress is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst actress of the previous year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, along with the film for which they were nominated....
(Sandra Bullock), Worst Screenplay
Razzie Award for Worst Screenplay
The Razzie Award for Worst Screenplay is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards for the worst film screenplay of the past year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, including each screenplay's author...
(Kim Barker), and Worst Screen Couple
Razzie Award for Worst Screen Couple
The Razzie Award for Worst Screen Couple is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst movie pairing of the previous year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, along with the film for which they were nominated. The category has been created...
(Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper).
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
accepted a Razzie award for worst actress, giving out a copy of All About Steve to each member of the audience, promising to attend next year if they all watched to consider if it was "Truly the worst performance." Bullock went on to win an Academy Award for Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
for The Blind Side
The Blind Side (film)
The Blind Side is a 2009 American semi-biographical drama film. It is written and directed by John Lee Hancock, and based on the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. The storyline features Michael Oher, an offensive lineman who plays for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL...
the next day, making her the first person to win an Academy Award and a Razzie Award in the same year.