HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN TEN DAYS
US, 2003, 117 minutes, Colour.
Kate Hudson, Matthew Mc Conaughy, Kathryn Hahn, Annie Parisse, Adam Goldberg, Thomas Lennon, Robert Kline, Bebe Neuwirth, Celia Weston, Liliana Montevecchi.
Directed by Donald Petrie.
How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days is a romantic comedy – in reverse. The film focuses on two characters who work for magazines. Matthew Mc Conaughey plays a rather narcissistic, good-looking young man who boasts that he can make anyone fall in love with him in ten days. He takes on a woman whom he sees in a bar. However, it is a set-up. Kate Hudson plays a journalist who makes a bet that she can lose a guy in ten days. The film shows the progress (or lack of progress) over the period. The film has a lot of situational comedy, poking fun at the pretensions of men and women, particularly men.
The film has a good supporting cast including Bebe Neuwirth as the editor.
The film was directed by Donald Petrie, son of Daniel Petrie, who had directed a number of television series and a few low-key popular comedies including Mystic Pizza and Opportunity Knocks.
1. A romantic comedy of the early 21st century? In the tradition of romantic comedies and screwball comedies? Realistic/fantasy? The world of glossy magazines and glossy images?
2. The target audience and its age, the male audience, female? Each identifying with central characters? Lifestyles? Appearances?
3. The title, the popular magazine article? Its forming the basis of the plot, Andie having to lose the guy, counterbalanced with Ben having to keep the girl?
4. The world of the magazine, "Composure", its status, statistics of its readership, its style, gloss, Lana as editor, the dominant personality, her conducting of the meetings, her seeming sympathy for her staff yet her bossiness? The public relations, the success of the magazine, her ruthlessness, especially with Andie and forcing her to write the article after Andie had volunteered to save Michelle?
5. Andie, Kate Hudson's comic style (with the style of her mother, Goldie Hawn)? Her background, her articles, her wanting to be a serious journalist? Her close friends, sharing her success? Their supporting each other, getting each other to meetings, especially the lovelorn Michelle? The meetings, the discussion, Michelle's story and her grief, the project, Lana accepting it and demanding that Andie do it?
6. The contrast with Ben, seeing him at home, his lifestyle, going to work, his two friends at the office, the women executives and their eyeing him? Staff meetings, his wanting to get the campaign, the boss and his presiding at the meetings, advertising? His challenge to his rivals?
7. The two women and their going to Composure to discuss the campaign with Lana? Their knowing about Andie's project? Seeing her in the bar, arranging that Ben choose her to be the woman that he had to make fall in love with him?
8. Andie, with her girlfriends, looking around the bar, picking a man, the married man, Ben? Ben and Andie and their meeting, their agendas, discussions about diamonds?
9. The film's charting of the relationship, the irony of each of them trying to outdo the other, their outings, her gaucheness, Ben and his forgiveness? Making allowances? Andie and her mood swings, the insults, stocking his bathroom, not wanting to eat his food after he had carefully prepared it, vegetarian, going to the café, her tears? The importance of the basketball games, leaving her bag behind, his finding the tickets, the phone call? Her wanting him to get the drink, diet, making him miss the key points, her watching it on the monitor? The next match, her forcing him to go out and miss the match again?
10. Each of them with their change of heart, the visit to the family on Staten Island, the family down-to-earth, the parents and their geniality, the playing of the card game and the declaration of "Bullshit"? Each of them being real to the other, Andie being welcomed into the family?
11. The build-up to the showdown at the party, audience tension, the de Lauers and Mrs de Lauer flirting with Ben? The diamonds, the contract? Lana and her inadvertently letting Ben know the truth? Andie finding out from his friends about Ben's bet? Philip and his testing of Andie, accepting that she was in love with Ben and giving him the contract? The build-up to the song, the actual Marvin Hamlisch there to play the piano? The singing of "He's So Vain", and Andie being off-key? Mrs de Lauer and her delight?
12. The article, Andie having to write it, Ben reading it, it being a different article from what she intended? His going to her, the reconciliation in the taxi? On the bridge?
13. The characters of the friends, Michelle, her advice, falling in love, her being abandoned? Her performance as the psychologist? Her friend coming back and taking her on a date?
14. Thayer and Tony, their support of Ben, meeting with Andie, their telling her the truth?
15. The issue of the account, the rival girl's missing out on the account, Philip and his shrewd assessment of the situation?
16. Ben's family, an air of genial realism to counterbalance the Manhattan and magazine lifestyle?
17. The de Lauers, Mrs de Lauer and her performance - and her doing the commercial?
18. A film about contemporary lifestyles, openness, lack of commitment, bets - but underlying it all, conventional dreams of happiness, commitment and marriage?
