The Accidental Husband
Encyclopedia
The Accidental Husband is a 2008 American/Irish romantic comedy film
directed by Griffin Dunne
and starring Uma Thurman
, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
, Colin Firth
, Isabella Rossellini
, and Sam Shepard
. The film is written
by Mimi Hare, Clare Naylor and Bonnie Sikowitz, and is produced
by Jennifer Todd, Jason Blum, and Uma Thurman. It was released on February 29, 2008 in the UK and was scheduled to be released on March 27, 2009 in the United States
before being shelved indefinitely following the bankruptcy
of its distributor, Yari Film Group
's releasing division. It was released direct-to-DVD in the United States on November 10, 2009. The film features several Indian songs
, including A. R. Rahman
's "Yaro Yarodi", "Swasamae" and "Rang De" (from the films Alaipayuthey
, Thenali
and Thakshak
respectively) as well as Punjabi Hit Squad's "Kuriyeh".
firefighter Patrick Sullivan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan
) had no idea his seemingly idyllic life was about to go up in smoke — especially as the unwitting, second-hand recipient of advice from famed love expert and radio host Dr. Emma Lloyd (Uma Thurman
). One day he is a happy-go-lucky guy looking forward to a life with his soon-to-be-bride. Then, his fiancée, Sophia (Justina Machado
), is seeking couples counseling on the radio from Dr. Lloyd. Lloyd questions Sophia’s concept of romantic love and advises her to break their engagement, which she swiftly does.
Patrick is so upset that when he hears that Emma is about to be married herself, he allows his young neighbour, an India
n computer whiz-kid to hack into public records and create a fake marriage between himself and Emma, because he wants to force a confrontation. Emma is told she cannot marry her perfect-gentleman fiancé, Richard (Colin Firth
), because she is already married. She has no choice but to confront Patrick, who after stringing her along with lie upon lie, finds out that he is attracted to her, and makes a play for her romantically. He proceeds to inject himself into her life, causes her to have to lie herself, to her beloved fiancé. Emma is drawn to his immense charisma but tries to ignore it.
Emma needs Patrick’s help desperately because he has to sign the annulment
papers so that she can marry Richard. Patrick delays this process long enough so that he can get enough time to spend with Emma. At one point, Patrick acts as her fiancé Richard and Emma doesn’t deny the pretence because of some people watching them while tasting a wedding cake. Unknown to Emma, one of the ladies there happens to be the wife of a man Richard is doing business with. This particular man decides to stop his deals with Richard and is planning to tell him in so during a banquet where both Richard and Emma are attending. This lady (after finding out her husband’s plans) meets Emma during the banquet and tells her of the same. Emma wants to save Richard’s business, but she is in a dilemma because the lady believes Patrick to be Richard. It so happens that Patrick arrives there at the banquet. Not knowing what else to do, Emma continues to pretend that Patrick is her fiancé Richard and that Richard is her brother Carl. Matters get worse when Patrick and Emma are invited to dinner with Richard’s business partner and his wife. But the funny side is that Patrick charms the businessman so much that he decides to change his decision and continue business with "Richard".
Later, Emma and Patrick go to dinner with the businessman. Patrick then takes them on a surprise visit to a special event. Patrick stays with an India
n family and is quite close to them. They support and encourage him through his difficult times. It is to a Hindu
"sacred thread ceremony" (Upanayana
) rite-of-passage ritual, that Patrick takes Emma and the businessman’s family. The computer whiz-kid is the one getting initiated. Emma and the other guests have a really good time there, and it is there that she sees a whole new side of Patrick, who had been repulsive to her so far. There is a slight spark of attraction, but Emma flees the scene before anything else can happen.
Patrick continues to pursue her later, and even comes to visit her in her radio studio. There they have a confrontation and then board a lift, continuing their argument. Suddenly Patrick asks the other occupants of the lift to leave and they do so after seeing his fireman’s badge. He then locks the lift and then proceeds to kiss Emma. They have quite a passionate time, not knowing that they are being viewed by the security staff on the camera at the top of the lift. Soon Emma can not deny her attraction to Patrick anymore and decides to call off her wedding. She goes to Patrick’s lodgings and they make love that night. It is only the next morning that she finds out that Patrick had been keeping tabs on her and stalking her. Patrick then confesses that he had initially wanted to teach her a lesson about love but then fell for her. She is so hurt that he had been using her. She then goes back to the honourable Richard, who still loves her and says that she wants to marry him. Richard tells Patrick to leave Emma alone. Patrick also decides to let Emma go because by this point, he feels he will always have to question her resolve and honesty.
But both Patrick and Emma are miserable with their separate lives. One day before her wedding, Patrick calls her at the radio station and tells her that he loves her. She does not answer him. She confides in her father and asks his advice. He tells her that the decision is hers. At the next day, Emma and her guests arrive early to the church and are getting ready for the wedding. There, Richard tells her that he wants her to be happy and decides to let her marry the man she has fallen in love with. Richard had also heard the radio show the night before and recognized Patrick telling Emma of his love for her. Richard then walks away while Emma activates the sprinkler system with a burning paper. The sprinklers drench the guests who then leave the church to dry. During this time, Emma’s father calls the fire department where Patrick works and asks them to come to the church. When Patrick arrives there, they get married, and live happily ever after. The final scene shifts to a year later where it is shown that Emma is pregnant, and that she and Patrick are still very much in love. The movie ends with a Tamil
song ""Swasame"" from the movie Thenali
in the background.
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"...
directed by Griffin Dunne
Griffin Dunne
-Personal life:Dunne was born Thomas Griffin Dunne in New York City, New York, the son of Ellen Beatriz Dunne and Dominick Dunne. His mother founded the victims' rights organization Justice for Homicide Victims and his father was a producer, writer, and actor...
and starring Uma Thurman
Uma Thurman
Uma Karuna Thurman is an American actress and model. She has performed in leading roles in a variety of films, ranging from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action movies. Among her best-known roles are those in the Quentin Tarantino films Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill...
, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is an American actor, best known to television and movie audiences as Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy, patriarch John Winchester on Supernatural, and as The Comedian in the 2009 superhero film Watchmen....
, Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
, Isabella Rossellini
Isabella Rossellini
Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini is an Italian actress, filmmaker, author, philanthropist, and model. Rossellini is noted for her 14-year tenure as a Lancôme model, and for her roles in films such as Blue Velvet and Death Becomes Her.-Background and early life:Rossellini is a...
, and Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is the author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child...
. The film is written
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
by Mimi Hare, Clare Naylor and Bonnie Sikowitz, and is produced
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
by Jennifer Todd, Jason Blum, and Uma Thurman. It was released on February 29, 2008 in the UK and was scheduled to be released on March 27, 2009 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
before being shelved indefinitely following the bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
of its distributor, Yari Film Group
Yari Film Group
The Yari Film Group is an independent film company founded in 2002, and headed by producer Bob Yari, which deals in financing, production, acquisition, sales and distribution of theatrical feature films....
's releasing division. It was released direct-to-DVD in the United States on November 10, 2009. The film features several Indian songs
Music of India
The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, classical music and R&B. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and developed over several eras. It remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as...
, including A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
's "Yaro Yarodi", "Swasamae" and "Rang De" (from the films Alaipayuthey
Alaipayuthey
Alaipayuthey is a 2000 Tamil romantic drama film directed by Mani Ratnam, starring Madhavan and Shalini, the film explores the tensions of married life and the maturing of love. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by A. R...
, Thenali
Thenali
Thenali is a 2000 Tamil feature film directed and produced by K. S. Ravikumar and written by Crazy Mohan. The film featured Kamal Haasan playing the title role, and also starred Jayaram, Devayani and Jyothika. The film's music was composed by A. R. Rahman, whilst cinematography was handled by Priyan...
and Thakshak
Thakshak
Thakshak is a 1999 action-drama Hindi film written and directed by director Govind Nihalani. Touted as Nihalani's attempt at popular cinema, this film starred Ajay Devgan, Tabu and Rahul Bose in the lead roles. The soundtrack was composed by A. R...
respectively) as well as Punjabi Hit Squad's "Kuriyeh".
Plot
New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
firefighter Patrick Sullivan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is an American actor, best known to television and movie audiences as Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy, patriarch John Winchester on Supernatural, and as The Comedian in the 2009 superhero film Watchmen....
) had no idea his seemingly idyllic life was about to go up in smoke — especially as the unwitting, second-hand recipient of advice from famed love expert and radio host Dr. Emma Lloyd (Uma Thurman
Uma Thurman
Uma Karuna Thurman is an American actress and model. She has performed in leading roles in a variety of films, ranging from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action movies. Among her best-known roles are those in the Quentin Tarantino films Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill...
). One day he is a happy-go-lucky guy looking forward to a life with his soon-to-be-bride. Then, his fiancée, Sophia (Justina Machado
Justina Machado
Justina Machado is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Vanessa Diaz in the HBO drama series Six Feet Under.-Early life:...
), is seeking couples counseling on the radio from Dr. Lloyd. Lloyd questions Sophia’s concept of romantic love and advises her to break their engagement, which she swiftly does.
Patrick is so upset that when he hears that Emma is about to be married herself, he allows his young neighbour, an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n computer whiz-kid to hack into public records and create a fake marriage between himself and Emma, because he wants to force a confrontation. Emma is told she cannot marry her perfect-gentleman fiancé, Richard (Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
), because she is already married. She has no choice but to confront Patrick, who after stringing her along with lie upon lie, finds out that he is attracted to her, and makes a play for her romantically. He proceeds to inject himself into her life, causes her to have to lie herself, to her beloved fiancé. Emma is drawn to his immense charisma but tries to ignore it.
Emma needs Patrick’s help desperately because he has to sign the annulment
Annulment
Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost as if it had never taken place...
papers so that she can marry Richard. Patrick delays this process long enough so that he can get enough time to spend with Emma. At one point, Patrick acts as her fiancé Richard and Emma doesn’t deny the pretence because of some people watching them while tasting a wedding cake. Unknown to Emma, one of the ladies there happens to be the wife of a man Richard is doing business with. This particular man decides to stop his deals with Richard and is planning to tell him in so during a banquet where both Richard and Emma are attending. This lady (after finding out her husband’s plans) meets Emma during the banquet and tells her of the same. Emma wants to save Richard’s business, but she is in a dilemma because the lady believes Patrick to be Richard. It so happens that Patrick arrives there at the banquet. Not knowing what else to do, Emma continues to pretend that Patrick is her fiancé Richard and that Richard is her brother Carl. Matters get worse when Patrick and Emma are invited to dinner with Richard’s business partner and his wife. But the funny side is that Patrick charms the businessman so much that he decides to change his decision and continue business with "Richard".
Later, Emma and Patrick go to dinner with the businessman. Patrick then takes them on a surprise visit to a special event. Patrick stays with an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n family and is quite close to them. They support and encourage him through his difficult times. It is to a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
"sacred thread ceremony" (Upanayana
Upanayana
Upanayana is the initiation ritual by which initiates are invested with a sacred thread, to symbolize the transference of spiritual knowledge .- Significance of the sacred thread :...
) rite-of-passage ritual, that Patrick takes Emma and the businessman’s family. The computer whiz-kid is the one getting initiated. Emma and the other guests have a really good time there, and it is there that she sees a whole new side of Patrick, who had been repulsive to her so far. There is a slight spark of attraction, but Emma flees the scene before anything else can happen.
Patrick continues to pursue her later, and even comes to visit her in her radio studio. There they have a confrontation and then board a lift, continuing their argument. Suddenly Patrick asks the other occupants of the lift to leave and they do so after seeing his fireman’s badge. He then locks the lift and then proceeds to kiss Emma. They have quite a passionate time, not knowing that they are being viewed by the security staff on the camera at the top of the lift. Soon Emma can not deny her attraction to Patrick anymore and decides to call off her wedding. She goes to Patrick’s lodgings and they make love that night. It is only the next morning that she finds out that Patrick had been keeping tabs on her and stalking her. Patrick then confesses that he had initially wanted to teach her a lesson about love but then fell for her. She is so hurt that he had been using her. She then goes back to the honourable Richard, who still loves her and says that she wants to marry him. Richard tells Patrick to leave Emma alone. Patrick also decides to let Emma go because by this point, he feels he will always have to question her resolve and honesty.
But both Patrick and Emma are miserable with their separate lives. One day before her wedding, Patrick calls her at the radio station and tells her that he loves her. She does not answer him. She confides in her father and asks his advice. He tells her that the decision is hers. At the next day, Emma and her guests arrive early to the church and are getting ready for the wedding. There, Richard tells her that he wants her to be happy and decides to let her marry the man she has fallen in love with. Richard had also heard the radio show the night before and recognized Patrick telling Emma of his love for her. Richard then walks away while Emma activates the sprinkler system with a burning paper. The sprinklers drench the guests who then leave the church to dry. During this time, Emma’s father calls the fire department where Patrick works and asks them to come to the church. When Patrick arrives there, they get married, and live happily ever after. The final scene shifts to a year later where it is shown that Emma is pregnant, and that she and Patrick are still very much in love. The movie ends with a Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
song ""Swasame"" from the movie Thenali
Thenali
Thenali is a 2000 Tamil feature film directed and produced by K. S. Ravikumar and written by Crazy Mohan. The film featured Kamal Haasan playing the title role, and also starred Jayaram, Devayani and Jyothika. The film's music was composed by A. R. Rahman, whilst cinematography was handled by Priyan...
in the background.
Cast
- Uma ThurmanUma ThurmanUma Karuna Thurman is an American actress and model. She has performed in leading roles in a variety of films, ranging from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action movies. Among her best-known roles are those in the Quentin Tarantino films Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill...
as Dr. Emma Lloyd - Jeffrey Dean MorganJeffrey Dean MorganJeffrey Dean Morgan is an American actor, best known to television and movie audiences as Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy, patriarch John Winchester on Supernatural, and as The Comedian in the 2009 superhero film Watchmen....
as Patrick Sullivan - Colin FirthColin FirthSirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
as Richard Bratton - Isabella RosselliniIsabella RosselliniIsabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini is an Italian actress, filmmaker, author, philanthropist, and model. Rossellini is noted for her 14-year tenure as a Lancôme model, and for her roles in films such as Blue Velvet and Death Becomes Her.-Background and early life:Rossellini is a...
as Mrs. Greta Bollenbecker - Keir DulleaKeir DulleaKeir Dullea is an American actor best known for the character of astronaut David Bowman, whom he portrayed in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey and in 1984's 2010: The Year We Make Contact...
as Karl Bollenbecker - Sam ShepardSam ShepardSam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is the author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child...
as Wilder - Kristina KlebeKristina KlebeKristina Klebe is an American and German actress.-Biography:Born in New York City, Kristina Klebe spent much time overseas with her family in Germany, France and Italy. With an ability to speak all of the above languages due to her European heritage, she jokes she sometimes can't decide whether...
as Katerina Bollenbecker - Lindsay SloaneLindsay SloaneLindsay Sloane is an American actress. She is known for her role as Big Red in the first Bring It On and as Valerie Birkhead on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch .-Personal life:...
as Marcy - Justina MachadoJustina MachadoJustina Machado is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Vanessa Diaz in the HBO drama series Six Feet Under.-Early life:...
as Sofia - Sarita ChoudhurySarita ChoudhurySarita Catherine Louise Choudhury is an English actress.-Biography:Choudhury was born in Blackheath, London, England, of half Bengali-Indian and half English descent. Her parents, Prabhas Chandra Choudhury, a scientist, and Julia Patricia Spring, married in 1964 in Lucea, Jamaica...
as Sunny - Brooke Adams as Carolyn
- Michael MosleyMichael MosleyMichael Mosley is an American television and film actor, best known for playing Drew in the revamped version and final season of the American medical comedy Scrubs.-Early life:...
as Declan - Ajay NaiduAjay NaiduAjay Kalahastri Naidu is an American actor.Naidu was born in Evanston, Illinois He attended Evanston Township High School. As an actor, he trained with the American Repertory Theater's Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University.His first professional acting job was the film ...
as Deep