Some Kind of Beautiful (Canadian title: How to Make Love Like an Englishman, UK title: Lessons in Love, European title: Teach Me Love) is a 2014 American romantic comedy film written by Matthew Newman, directed by Tom Vaughan, and starring Pierce Brosnan, Jessica Alba and Salma Hayek. It was produced by Kevin Frakes and Richard Lewis.
| Some Kind of Beautiful | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Tom Vaughan |
| Written by | Matthew Newman |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | David Tattersall |
| Edited by | Matthew Friedman |
| Music by | |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Lionsgate |
Release dates |
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Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editRichard Haig sits across from his young son Jakey, explaining some difficult news. He tells him about his childhood, in which he so much admired his philandering university professor father, he followed in his footsteps.
Also a successful and well-respected Cambridge English professor, outside the classroom Richard indulges in a steady stream of beautiful undergraduates. One of them is Kate, a stunning, athletic, 25-year-old American.
The evening Richard is to meet Kate and her father in a hotel bar, he strikes up a conversation with a woman. As they are flirting Kate arrives, revealing she's her sister Olivia who's come as a surprise. As they are chatting, the women explain their shared father was a secret polygamist. When they met they became best friends, and made a total honesty pact.
After Olivia insists Richard is most likely just seeing her because Kate's leaving for LA, she theorizes that Kate sees him as a father-figure. His girlfriend then tells them she is pregnant, and he is shocked. Visiting his father, looking for support he vehemently opposes Richard's idea of settling down.
This opposition inspires Richard to put his wandering eye behind him, he marries her and agrees to move to Los Angeles to start their family. He is only able to get an unfulfilling job at a local community college where his students are disinterested.
When Jakey is a young boy, he spots Kate riding with someone in a Hummer. So she tells Richard she loves someone else. They separate, and Brian moves in moves into the pool house.
Two years later, Richard is now telling Jakey about the recent slew of events leading to the present. Having severely hurting his teeth while playing ball with him, a dentist prescribes a medication incompatible with alcohol. Disregarding the warning, at an evening gathering to meet ULA staff Richard drinks, causing him to act strangely at the function, then drive erratically. He's pulled over by the police, who take away his license.
Meanwhile, Olivia catches her author husband Alan cheating, so Kate invites her to stay and help Richard look after Jakey as she is going away with Brian for four days. She has to the driving, while he tries to attend all ten of his mandatory AA meetings, as his immigration meeting to renew his green card is in a few days.
As Richard and Olivia interact while looking after Jakey, their mutual attraction grows. She's impressed by his fathering skills, while he finds himself jealous of Tim, who is in fact her publisher. The chemistry they've had since first meeting resurges and they have a night of passion in the pool house.
Kate and Brian return earlier than expected, taking them by surprise. Sneaking out of Richard's, she jumps naked into the pool, pretending she had been skinny-dipping. Richard comes out nonchalantly to greet them. Next his father shows up, who noone's met, neither his ex daughter-in-law nor his grandson.
When Richard finishes his tenth AA meeting, the coordinator refuses to certify he's done so as he hasn't been repentant. Then the ULA rep sits on his lecture to his disinterested students, so he mixes it up. Thinking he's screwed it up, as Richard's leaving his father a voice message to that effect, the rep presents him with a job offer.
Elated, Richard bursts in at the house, telling Olivia and alluding to their intimate connection, not realizing both Brian and Kate have heard everything. Kate both kicks him out and refuses to support him in the immigration interview, so he loses his case.
As the hour of explaining to Jakey the circumstances of his deportation is up, Richard and he have a tearful goodbye. Deported back to the UK, he resumes lecturing. Soon, his father is hospitalized. When Robert visits him he admires him for his parenting and suggests he go after Olivia.
The will stipulates his ashes be scattered in LA, so Richard sneaks back, making peace with Kate. Then the family go together to Olivia's book launch, where the sisters reconcile. After spreading his father's ashes, he proposes to Olivia.
Cast
edit- Pierce Brosnan as Richard Haig
- Oliver Bell as young Richard
- Salma Hayek as Olivia
- Jessica Alba as Kate
- Ben McKenzie as Brian
- Fred Melamed as Piggott
- Ivan Sergei as Tim
- Malcolm McDowell as Gordon Haig
- Lombardo Boyar as Ernesto
- Merrin Dungey as Angela
- Duncan Joiner as Jake
- Lee Garlington as Wendy
- Robert Mailhouse as Alan
- Marlee Matlin as Cindy
Production
editJessica Alba, Pierce Brosnan and Kristin Scott Thomas were the first to be cast in May.[1] Thomas later dropped out and was replaced by Salma Hayek.[2] Ben McKenzie joined the cast on October 17.[3]
Filming
editThe film was shot for 25 days, production started filming in Los Angeles on October 14, 2013 and ended on November 9, 2013.[3]
Release
editThe film had its world premiere at the AFM on November 6, 2014.[4] The film was released in Denmark on June 4, 2015. The film was released on DirecTV on July 23, 2015, prior to being released in a limited release and through video on demand on August 21, 2015.[5][6]
Reception
editThe film received overwhelmingly negative reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 6% rating based on 34 reviews, with an average rating of 3.25/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Stranding Pierce Brosnan as a charmless cad, this tone-deaf romantic comedy is Some Kind Of something, but it definitely isn't beautiful."[7] Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 11% based on reviews from 9 critics, indicating "overwhelming dislike".[8]
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References
edit- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (8 May 2013). "Pierce Brosnan To Show How To Make Love Like An Englishman (Isn't He Irish?)". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (7 October 2013). "Salma Hayek Lands Lead In How To Make Love Like An Englishman". Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ a b Kroll, Justin (17 October 2013). "Ben McKenzie Joins Cast of How To Make Love Like an Englishman (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ The Deadline Team. "'Mr Right' Rights Sell To Lakeshore & Sierra/Affinity – AFM Briefs - Deadline". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Ross A. Lincoln. "[WATCH] 'Some Kind Of Beautiful Trailer – Brosnan, Hayek Fall In Love - Deadline". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ "Lionsgate Publicity". lionsgatepublicity.com.
- ^ "Some Kind of Beautiful (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
- ^ "Some Kind Of Beautiful Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
External links
edit- Some Kind of Beautiful at IMDb
- Some Kind of Beautiful at Rotten Tomatoes
- Some Kind of Beautiful at Metacritic
- "CANNES: First Image of Pierce Brosnan-Salma Hayek Comedy How to Make Love Like an Englishman". Variety. 19 May 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
- Lincoln, Ross A. (17 July 2015). "Some Kind Of Beautiful Trailer – Pierce Brosnan's Charming Mid Life Crisis". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
