The Favor
Encyclopedia
The Favor is a romantic comedy
film
directed by Donald Petrie
and written by Sara Parriott and Josann McGibbon
.
in the U.S. and Canada
on April 29, 1994
. A further release to home video
on the DVD
format occurred for Region 1 on December 29, 2001
, through Orion Home Video. The movie received a 27% tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes
, with an average rating of 4.9/10.
The film was not without its controversies; the film makes a tip of the hat to the existence of massively obese persons in society in a brief and amusing but lighthearted and poignant "breathing-room-on-the-footbridge" scene between Kathy (Kozak) and a massively obese fisherman friend of Tom's (uncredited).
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Donald Petrie
Donald Petrie
Donald Mark Petrie is an American film director.Petrie was born in New York City, New York, the son of Dorothea , a television producer, actor, and novelist, and Daniel Petrie, a director. Petrie has acted and guest-starred on television programs. His first directorial job was on the set of The...
and written by Sara Parriott and Josann McGibbon
Josann McGibbon
Josann McGibbon's first major success as a screenwriter was the early Brad Pitt film, The Favor. Her biggest hits since then include Three Men and a Little Lady and Runaway Bride. In 2007, she co-wrote and produced the hit Debra Messing miniseries, The Starter Wife...
.
Plot
Kathy has seemingly been happily married to Peter, but their relationship has grown routine. She cannot help but wonder what would happen if she ever got together with her high school sweetheart, Tom, who she had never slept with. Being married prevents her from acting on that, so she asks her friend, Emily, to look Tom up when she goes to Denver, and to sleep with him, then tell Kathy what it was like. Emily does this, but when she tells Kathy that Tom is awesome and they had sex all night, their friendship suffers, as does Kathy's marriage. Things become even more complicated when Emily learns she is pregnant, and is uncertain if Tom or her boyfriend, Elliot is the father.Reception
The Favor went into wide releaseWide release
Wide release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing nationally . Specifically, a movie is considered to be in wide release when it is on 600 screens or more in the United States and Canada.In the US, films holding an NC-17 rating almost never have a...
in the U.S. 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...
on April 29, 1994
1994 in film
1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
. A further release to home video
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
on the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
format occurred for Region 1 on December 29, 2001
2001 in home video
-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:-TV show releases:The following television shows were released on video on the following dates:-Documentary home video releases:...
, through Orion Home Video. The movie received a 27% tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten 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...
, with an average rating of 4.9/10.
The film was not without its controversies; the film makes a tip of the hat to the existence of massively obese persons in society in a brief and amusing but lighthearted and poignant "breathing-room-on-the-footbridge" scene between Kathy (Kozak) and a massively obese fisherman friend of Tom's (uncredited).
Cast
- Harley Jane KozakHarley Jane Kozak-Life and career:Kozak was born Susan Jane Kozak in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Dorothy , a university music teacher, and Joseph Aloysius Kozak, an attorney. She has seven siblings: brothers John, Joseph, Peter and Andrew and sisters Dorothy, Mary and Ann. Harley is the youngest of...
– Kathy Whiting - Elizabeth McGovernElizabeth McGovern-Early life:McGovern was born in Evanston, Illinois, the daughter of Katharine Wolcott , a high school teacher, and William Montgomery McGovern, Jr., a university professor. Her paternal grandfather was adventurer William Montgomery McGovern and her maternal great-grandfather was U.S. diplomat...
– Emily - Bill PullmanBill PullmanWilliam James "Bill" Pullman is an American film, television, and stage actor. Pullman made his film debut in the supporting role of Earl Mott in the 1986 film Ruthless People. He has since gone on to star in other films, including Spaceballs, Independence Day, Lost Highway, Casper and Scary Movie 4...
– Peter - Brad PittBrad PittWilliam Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
– Elliot Fowler - Ken WahlKen WahlKen Wahl is an American film and television actor, popular in the 1980s and 1990s. He twice won the title of Sexiest Man on TV, earned an Emmy nomination and won a Golden Globe.-Career:...
- Tom Andrews - Uncredited CameoCameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
- Massively Obese Fisherman on the footbridgeFootbridgeA footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction... - Larry MillerLarry Miller (actor)Lawrence J. "Larry" Miller is an American actor, voice artist, comedian, podcaster, and columnist.-Early life:Miller was born in Valley Stream, New York, attended Valley Stream South High School graduating in 1971. He attended Amherst College...
– Joe Dubin