Recently added item(s)
- Book Store Admin
- DVD's
- Comments Off on Melinda and Melinda
Melinda and Melinda is a 2004 American comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. It premiered at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. The film is set in Manhattan and stars Radha Mitchell as the protagonist Melinda, in two storylines; one comic, one tragic. The film began a limited release in the United States on March 18, 2005.
Synopsis
The premise of the film is stated by a group of four writers conversing over dinner at the beginning of the film. The question arises: Is life naturally comic or tragic? One of the four proposes a simple story (a distraught woman knocks on a door and disrupts a dinner party) and the two prominent playwrights in the group begin telling their versions of this story, one being comic and one tragic.
Cast
- Radha Mitchell as Melinda Robicheaux
- Chloë Sevigny as Laurel
- Jonny Lee Miller as Lee
- Will Ferrell as Hobie
- Amanda Peet as Susan
- Chiwetel Ejiofor as Ellis Moonsong
- Wallace Shawn as Sy
- Josh Brolin as Greg Earlinger
- Vinessa Shaw as Stacey Fox
- Steve Carell as Walt
- Arija Bareikis as Sally Oliver
- Matt Servitto as Jack Oliver
- Zak Orth as Peter
- Brooke Smith as Cassie
- Daniel Sunjata as Billy Wheeler
- Larry Pine as Max
- Andy Borowitz as Doug
Radha Mitchell plays Melinda in both versions. Chloë Sevigny, Jonny Lee Miller, and Chiwetel Ejiofor star with her in the tragedy, while Will Ferrell and Amanda Peet star with her in the comedy. Steve Carell has a small part as Ferrell s character s friend.
Production
Woody Allen said in Conversations with Woody Allen that he wanted to cast Winona Ryder in the title role. He had to replace her with Radha Mitchell because no one would insure Ryder due to her arrest for shoplifting – this would have made it impossible to obtain a film completion bond. Allen stated he was sad because he had written the part for Ryder after working with her on Celebrity. In the same interview, he also claimed to have intended Ferrell s part for Robert Downey, Jr., but, again, insurance got in the way due to Downey s history of arrests and drug abuse.
The film also stars Wallace Shawn (alluding to his dinner-philosophy argument in My Dinner with Andre) as the comic playwright, Larry Pine as the tragedian, and Brooke Smith as Cassie. All three had appeared in the 1994 film Vanya on 42nd Street, directed by Louis Malle.
Critical reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes lists a 51% positive score, based on 144 reviews. Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 54 out of 100, based on 40 reviews. Leonard Maltin gave the film two stars, calling it meandering,” with echoes… of earlier, better Allen movies .
Box office
Melinda and Melinda opened on March 18, 2005, in one New York City cinema, where it grossed $74,238 in its first three days, the 21st highest limited release opening in American history. In weekend two, it expanded to 95 theatres to gross $740,618, seeing its per screen average drop to $7,795.
Overseas, it grossed an additional $16,259,545, bringing its worldwide total to $20,085,825.
Soundtrack
| Melinda and Melinda | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album | |
| Released | March 8, 2005 (UK) |
| Genre | Swing, Big Band |
| Label | Milan |
| Producer | Emmanuel Chamboredon |
Accompanying the movie is its soundtrack, released on March 8, 2005 on Milan Records. It mostly features a selection of swing music and big band tracks, which is typical for Allen s films.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Performer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Take the A Train | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra | 4:38 |
| 2. | Best Things In Life Are Free | Erroll Garner | 4:11 |
| 3. | Somebody Stole My Gal | Erroll Garner | 3:25 |
| 4. | I Let A Song Go Out of My Heart | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra | 4:45 |
| 5. | Memories of You/Moonglow/No Moon at All/Darn that Dream | Dick Hyman | 5:27 |
| 6. | Concerto in D for String Orchestra: 2.Arioso: Andantino | English Chamber Orchestra | 4:51 |
| 7. | String Quartet No. 4 | Shanghai Quartet | 4:33 |
| 8. | Prelude 2 Well Tempered Clavier | Dick Hyman | 3:15 |
| 9. | Love Me | Dick Hyman | 2:35 |
| 10. | Don t Get Around Much Anymore | Dick Hyman | 4:39 |
| 11. | In a Mellow Tone | Duke Ellington | 4:47 |
| 12. | Will You Still Be Mine? | Erroll Garner | 4:12 |
| Year | 2004 |
| ReleaseDate | 2005-04-08 |
| RuntimeMins | 99 |
| RuntimeStr | 1h 39min |
| Plot | Two alternating stories, one comedy and the other tragedy, about Melinda’s attempts to straighten out her life. |
| Directors | Woody Allen |
| Writers | Woody Allen |
| Stars | Will Ferrell, Vinessa Shaw, Chiwetel Ejiofor |
| Produced by | Letty Aronson, Charles H. Joffe, Helen Robin, Jack Rollins, Stephen Tenenbaum |
| Cinematography by | Vilmos Zsigmond |
| Film Editing by | Alisa Lepselter |
| Casting By | Juliet Taylor |
| Production Design by | Santo Loquasto |
| Art Direction by | Tom Warren |
| Set Decoration by | Regina Graves |
| Costume Design by | Judy L. Ruskin |
| Makeup Department | Robert Fama, Wayne Herndon, Lori Hicks, Nuria Sitja, Fern Feller, Lorraine Godfrey |
| Production Management | Helen Robin |
| Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | Dean Garvin, Richard Patrick, Kevin Shaw, Kathleen E. Kearney, Danielle Rigby |
| Art Department | Julia Barraclough, Michael J. Cerullo, Ed Ferraro, Danielle Giovanniello, Rafael Gonell, Daniel K. Grosso, John Kouromihelakis, Glenn Lloyd, Wayne Moss, Ron Petagna, Chinyere Ryan, Cliff Schorr, R. Vincent Smith, James Sorice, Paul Weathered, Frank Weysos, Floc h, Vincent Guarriello, Sarah Maine |
| Sound Department | Gary Alper, Coll Anderson, Michael Barry, Nancy Cabrera, Ryan Collison, Frank Graziadei, Robert Hein, Thomas Kodros, Michelle Mader, Sylvia Menno, Dave Paterson, Glenfield Payne, Marilyn Teorey, David Wahnon, Akil Wilson, John Soukup |
| Special Effects by | John Ottesen |
| Camera and Electrical Department | Matt Balzarini, David E. Baron, John Gabriele, Michael Green, Scott Gregoire, Brian Hamill, Elizabeth Hedges, Xavier Henselmann, Petr Hlinomaz, Gary Martone, Jessica Miglio, Tally Morse, Charles Quinlivan, Kyle Rudolph, David J. Thompson, Tim Davies, Glenn Fishel, Anna Novick, Jon W. Rosenbloom |
| Casting Department | Patricia DiCerto, Karen E. Etcoff, Julie Schubert, Bill Tripician |
| Costume and Wardrobe Department | Michael Adkins, Stephanie Biear, Mark Cronogue, Winsome G. McKoy, Yleana Nunez, Frankie Ritacco |
| Editorial Department | Fred Chandler, Sara Corrigan, Elise DuRant, Morgan Neville, Joe Violante |
| Location Management | Greg Conroy, Eduardo Garabal, Janet Henry, Brian Lamia, Derek J. Manganelli, Christie Mullen, John Spady, Eric Wrolstad, Ged Dickersin |
| Music Department | Jill Meyers, Roy B. Yokelson, Dick Hyman |
| Script and Continuity Department | Sheila Waldron |
| Transportation Department | Peter Tavis, Timothy J. Wood, David Conelli |
| Additional Crew | Sarah Allentuch, Abby Bailey, Daniela Barbosa, Edgar de la O., Leo Driver, Tracy Ershow, James Feldman, Steve Guilbaud, Pino Insegno, Scott Kordish, Adam Leon, Pietro Lorino Jr., Daniel Lowe, Gil McKinney, Irwin J. Tenenbaum, Amy R. Trachtman, Carl Turnquest Jr., Leslee Dart, Michael J. Harker, Joe James, Justin Pandolfino, Christine Putnam, William Sepulveda, Eugene Stamos |
| Thanks | Greg Johnson, Jessica Rose |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama, Romance |
| Companies | Fox Searchlight Pictures, Gravier Productions, LF Hungary Film Rights Exploitation |
| Countries | USA |
| Languages | English |
| ContentRating | PG-13 |
| ImDbRating | 6.4 |
| ImDbRatingVotes | 32391 |
| MetacriticRating | 54 |
| Keywords | forenames as title,central park manhattan new york city,pill,dinner party,party |