How Do You Know (film)
Encyclopedia
How Do You Know is a 2010 romantic comedy
drama film
directed, written and produced by James L. Brooks
. It stars Reese Witherspoon
, Paul Rudd
, Owen Wilson
and Jack Nicholson
.
The film was shot in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
It was released on December 17, 2010. This marks the third film to feature Witherspoon and Rudd following 2009's Monsters vs. Aliens
and 1998's Overnight Delivery
.
The film suffered huge losses at the box office worldwide, grossing only 40 percent of its $120 million budget back.
) is devastated when she is left off the Team USA
roster. Unsure what to do next, Lisa has begun dating Matty Reynolds (Owen Wilson
), a pitcher for the Washington Nationals
. She also receives an intriguing phone call from a young executive, George Madison (Paul Rudd
), who was advised by a girlfriend of Lisa's to give her a call. George calls out of politeness because he wants to explain that his relationship with his girlfriend has just become more serious. But life takes an abrupt turn for the worse for George when he suddenly finds himself the target of a federal criminal investigation for corporate malfeasance at a company run by his father, Charles Madison (Jack Nicholson
). George is fired from his job and abandoned by the company, with the exception of his father and his pregnant secretary, Annie (Kathryn Hahn
).
Still reeling from this blow, George goes to his girlfriend for sympathy and is stunned when she immediately breaks up with him. Meanwhile, Lisa moves in with Matty, who has a penthouse in the same upscale building where George's father lives. Matty is rich, well-meaning and fun, but is also immature and insensitive, and continues to have casual affairs with other women. On a whim, George calls again to invite Lisa to dinner and she accepts. It turns out to be a disaster; George is so overwhelmed with his troubles that Lisa eventually asks that they just eat in silence. They part ways not expecting to see one another again.
George is indicted and could face prison time. Annie is so loyal that she tries to give him inside information in advance, but he urges her not to lose her own job. Matty tries to do better in Lisa's eyes, promising to consider seeing fewer women on the side. He inadvertently offends her, so Lisa moves out and spends a pleasant, tipsy evening at George's modest new apartment. George's father then drops one last bombshell on his son: It was he who committed the illegal act for which George is being charged. Due to a previous conviction, Charles would spend at least 25 years — basically, the rest of his life — in prison, whereas George would only do three years at most.
On the night Annie's baby is born and her boyfriend proposes, Lisa begins to reconsider her previous reluctance to settle down. George is clearly smitten with her, but Matty pleads for another chance and she accepts. George makes a proposition to his father: He will take one more shot at persuading Lisa to be with him; If she will, Charles must go to jail, and if she won't, George will take the rap for his dad. At a birthday party that Matty throws for her, George confesses his feelings for Lisa and goes outside to give her time to think it over, Charles looking on from above. Finally, Lisa says goodbye to Matty and joins George outside. At the end of the movie, they are seen boarding a bus together.
and Jack Nicholson
's characters for this concept. Filming finished in November 2009, although Brooks later reshot the film's opening and ending. Nicholson's role was intended for Bill Murray
.
The total production cost of the film was $120 million, with the net figure at about $100 million after tax rebate
s from Pennsylvania
and the District of Columbia. The combined salaries
for the director Brooks (about $10 million) and the four major stars Witherspoon ($15 million), Nicholson ($12 million), Wilson ($10 million) and Rudd ($3 million) totaled about $50 million. Brooks' "slow and meticulous" production and post-production also explained the size of the budget.
gives the film a score of 30%, making it "Rotten". The site's consensus is: "How Do You Know boasts a quartet of likeable leads – and they deserve better than this glib, overlong misfire from writer/director James L. Brooks".
and Canada
, making it eighth in the box office at its first weekend. The movie fell off the chart by its third weekend. On its opening day, December 17, 2010, it debuted at #5 behind Tron: Legacy, Yogi Bear
, The Fighter
and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
. By December 22, it was #11 in the box office.
How Do You Know grossed a total of $48,668,907 worldwide, failing to recoup its $120 million budget. As a result, it was a massive box-office bomb.
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed, written and produced by James L. Brooks
James L. Brooks
James Lawrence Brooks is an American director, producer and screenwriter. Growing up in North Bergen, New Jersey, Brooks endured a fractured family life and passed the time by reading and writing. After dropping out of New York University, he got a job as an usher at CBS, going on to write for the...
. It stars Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon , better known as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and film producer. Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the film The Man in the Moon in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable movie Wildflower...
, Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd
Paul Stephen Rudd is an American actor and screenwriter. He has primarily appeared in comedies, and is known for his roles in the films Clueless, Wet Hot American Summer, Anchorman, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Dinner for Schmucks, The Object of My...
, Owen Wilson
Owen Wilson
Owen Cunningham Wilson is an American actor and writer, known for his roles in the films The Haunting, The Royal Tenenbaums, Zoolander, Meet the Parents, Wedding Crashers, You, Me and Dupree, Bottle Rocket, the Cars series, The Darjeeling Limited, Marley & Me, Midnight in Paris, Shanghai Noon,...
and Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
.
The film was shot in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
It was released on December 17, 2010. This marks the third film to feature Witherspoon and Rudd following 2009's Monsters vs. Aliens
Monsters vs. Aliens
Monsters vs. Aliens is a 2009 American computer-animated 3-D science fiction film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures...
and 1998's Overnight Delivery
Overnight Delivery
Overnight Delivery is a 1998 romantic comedy film directed by Jason Bloom and was rated PG-13 by the MPAA and released direct-to-video. It featured Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd, prior to both becoming considerably bigger film stars.-Plot:...
.
The film suffered huge losses at the box office worldwide, grossing only 40 percent of its $120 million budget back.
Plot
Softball player Lisa Jorgenson (Reese WitherspoonReese Witherspoon
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon , better known as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and film producer. Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the film The Man in the Moon in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable movie Wildflower...
) is devastated when she is left off the Team USA
United States women's national softball team
|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle |bgcolor=white|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle |bgcolor=white...
roster. Unsure what to do next, Lisa has begun dating Matty Reynolds (Owen Wilson
Owen Wilson
Owen Cunningham Wilson is an American actor and writer, known for his roles in the films The Haunting, The Royal Tenenbaums, Zoolander, Meet the Parents, Wedding Crashers, You, Me and Dupree, Bottle Rocket, the Cars series, The Darjeeling Limited, Marley & Me, Midnight in Paris, Shanghai Noon,...
), a pitcher for the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
. She also receives an intriguing phone call from a young executive, George Madison (Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd
Paul Stephen Rudd is an American actor and screenwriter. He has primarily appeared in comedies, and is known for his roles in the films Clueless, Wet Hot American Summer, Anchorman, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Dinner for Schmucks, The Object of My...
), who was advised by a girlfriend of Lisa's to give her a call. George calls out of politeness because he wants to explain that his relationship with his girlfriend has just become more serious. But life takes an abrupt turn for the worse for George when he suddenly finds himself the target of a federal criminal investigation for corporate malfeasance at a company run by his father, Charles Madison (Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
). George is fired from his job and abandoned by the company, with the exception of his father and his pregnant secretary, Annie (Kathryn Hahn
Kathryn Hahn
Kathryn Hahn is an American actress best known for her role as Lily Lebowski on the television series Crossing Jordan.-Personal life:...
).
Still reeling from this blow, George goes to his girlfriend for sympathy and is stunned when she immediately breaks up with him. Meanwhile, Lisa moves in with Matty, who has a penthouse in the same upscale building where George's father lives. Matty is rich, well-meaning and fun, but is also immature and insensitive, and continues to have casual affairs with other women. On a whim, George calls again to invite Lisa to dinner and she accepts. It turns out to be a disaster; George is so overwhelmed with his troubles that Lisa eventually asks that they just eat in silence. They part ways not expecting to see one another again.
George is indicted and could face prison time. Annie is so loyal that she tries to give him inside information in advance, but he urges her not to lose her own job. Matty tries to do better in Lisa's eyes, promising to consider seeing fewer women on the side. He inadvertently offends her, so Lisa moves out and spends a pleasant, tipsy evening at George's modest new apartment. George's father then drops one last bombshell on his son: It was he who committed the illegal act for which George is being charged. Due to a previous conviction, Charles would spend at least 25 years — basically, the rest of his life — in prison, whereas George would only do three years at most.
On the night Annie's baby is born and her boyfriend proposes, Lisa begins to reconsider her previous reluctance to settle down. George is clearly smitten with her, but Matty pleads for another chance and she accepts. George makes a proposition to his father: He will take one more shot at persuading Lisa to be with him; If she will, Charles must go to jail, and if she won't, George will take the rap for his dad. At a birthday party that Matty throws for her, George confesses his feelings for Lisa and goes outside to give her time to think it over, Charles looking on from above. Finally, Lisa says goodbye to Matty and joins George outside. At the end of the movie, they are seen boarding a bus together.
Cast
- Reese WitherspoonReese WitherspoonLaura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon , better known as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and film producer. Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the film The Man in the Moon in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable movie Wildflower...
as Lisa Jorgenson - Paul RuddPaul RuddPaul Stephen Rudd is an American actor and screenwriter. He has primarily appeared in comedies, and is known for his roles in the films Clueless, Wet Hot American Summer, Anchorman, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Dinner for Schmucks, The Object of My...
as George Madison - Owen WilsonOwen WilsonOwen Cunningham Wilson is an American actor and writer, known for his roles in the films The Haunting, The Royal Tenenbaums, Zoolander, Meet the Parents, Wedding Crashers, You, Me and Dupree, Bottle Rocket, the Cars series, The Darjeeling Limited, Marley & Me, Midnight in Paris, Shanghai Noon,...
as Matty Reynolds - Jack NicholsonJack NicholsonJohn Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
as Charles Madison - Dean NorrisDean NorrisDean Joseph Norris is an American actor currently starring as DEA agent Hank Schrader, the brother-in-law of main character Walter White in the AMC series Breaking Bad, which premiered on January 20, 2008.-Biography:...
as Tom - Kathryn HahnKathryn HahnKathryn Hahn is an American actress best known for her role as Lily Lebowski on the television series Crossing Jordan.-Personal life:...
as Annie - Yuki MatsuzakiYuki Matsuzakiis a Japanese actor who has appeared in movies and on television.Matsuzaki appeared in Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima and in The Pink Panther 2 where he portrayed Kenji Mazuto, a technology "wiz-kid". He appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides as a character named...
as Tori - Andrew WilsonAndrew Wilson (actor)Andrew Cunningham Wilson is an American film actor and director. He is the older brother of actors Owen and Luke Wilson.-External links:...
as Matty's Teammate - Shelley ConnShelley Conn-Early life and education:Conn was born in Barnet, Greater London of British and Sri Lankan descent. The great niece of actress Merle Oberon , Conn trained at Bretton Hall...
as Terry - Tony ShalhoubTony ShalhoubAnthony Marcus "Tony" Shalhoub is an American actor of Lebanese descent. His television work includes the roles of Antonio Scarpacci on Wings and sleuth Adrian Monk on the TV series Monk. He has won three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for his work in Monk...
as Psychiatrist - Domenick LombardozziDomenick LombardozziDomenico "Domenick" Lombardozzi is an American actor best known for his role as Thomas "Herc" Hauk on The Wire. Lombardozzi was inspired to act by the film State of Grace.-Filmography:...
as Bullpen Pitcher - Ron McLartyRon McLartyRon McLarty is an American actor, playwright and author. He began his career in theatre during the early 1970s with one his earliest professional performances being the role of Lucky in Michael Weller's Moonchildren for the play's American premiere at the Arena Stage in Washington D.C. in November...
as George's Lawyer - Lenny VenitoLenny VenitoLenny Venito is an American actor who has made appearances in movies such as Gigli, Men in Black II, and War of the Worlds.Starting in 2006, Venito has been featured in The Sopranos as the character nicknamed "Murmur," who helped shake down actor Ben Kingsley and violently mug actress Lauren Bacall...
as Al - Mark Linn-BakerMark Linn-BakerMark Linn-Baker is an American actor and director famous for his role as Larry Appleton on the television sitcom Perfect Strangers.-Early life and career:...
as Ron - Molly PriceMolly Price-Personal life:Price was born in North Plainfield, New Jersey, and graduated from North Plainfield High School in 1984.She is a graduate of Rutgers University. She is married to a New York City Fire Department firefighter Derek Kelly...
as Coach Sally
Production
Brooks began work on the film in 2005, wishing to create a film about a young female athlete. While interviewing numerous women for hundreds of hours in his research for the film, he also became interested in "the dilemmas of contemporary business executives, who are sometimes held accountable by the law for corporate behavior of which they may not even be aware." He created Paul RuddPaul Rudd
Paul Stephen Rudd is an American actor and screenwriter. He has primarily appeared in comedies, and is known for his roles in the films Clueless, Wet Hot American Summer, Anchorman, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Dinner for Schmucks, The Object of My...
and Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
's characters for this concept. Filming finished in November 2009, although Brooks later reshot the film's opening and ending. Nicholson's role was intended for Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
.
The total production cost of the film was $120 million, with the net figure at about $100 million after tax rebate
Tax refund
A tax refund or tax rebate is a refund on taxes when the tax liability is less than the taxes paid. Taxpayers can often get a tax refund on their income tax if the tax they owe is less than the sum of the total amount of the withholding taxes and estimated taxes that they paid, plus the...
s from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and the District of Columbia. The combined salaries
Salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis....
for the director Brooks (about $10 million) and the four major stars Witherspoon ($15 million), Nicholson ($12 million), Wilson ($10 million) and Rudd ($3 million) totaled about $50 million. Brooks' "slow and meticulous" production and post-production also explained the size of the budget.
Critical response
The film received mostly 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...
gives the film a score of 30%, making it "Rotten". The site's consensus is: "How Do You Know boasts a quartet of likeable leads – and they deserve better than this glib, overlong misfire from writer/director James L. Brooks".
Box office
The film opened very poorly at $7.6 million in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, making it eighth in the box office at its first weekend. The movie fell off the chart by its third weekend. On its opening day, December 17, 2010, it debuted at #5 behind Tron: Legacy, Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear (film)
Yogi Bear is a 2010 American live-action film adaptation of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series The Yogi Bear Show directed by Eric Brevig. The film stars Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake, Tom Cavanagh, Anna Faris, T. J. Miller, Nate Corddry, and Andrew Daly....
, The Fighter
The Fighter (film)
The Fighter is a 2010 biographical sports drama film directed by David O. Russell, and starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo and Amy Adams. The film centers on the life of professional boxer "Irish" Micky Ward and his older half-brother Dicky Eklund . The film also stars Amy Adams as...
and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a 2010 3D fantasy-adventure film based on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third novel in C. S. Lewis's epic fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia . It is the third installment in The Chronicles of Narnia film series from Walden Media...
. By December 22, it was #11 in the box office.
How Do You Know grossed a total of $48,668,907 worldwide, failing to recoup its $120 million budget. As a result, it was a massive box-office bomb.
External links
- How Do You Know at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.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,...