Kate & Leopold (2001)

Director:

James Mangold

Writers (WGA):

Steven Rogers (story)
James Mangold (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

25 December 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

If they lived in the same century they'd be perfect for each other.

Plot:

Kate and her actor brother live in N.Y. in the 21st Century. Her ex-boy friend, Stuart, lives above...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Bridge | 1870s | Brooklyn Bridge | Chrysler Building New York City

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Meg Ryan	...	Kate McKay
Hugh Jackman	...	Leopold
Liev Schreiber	...	Stuart Besser
Breckin Meyer	...	Charlie McKay
Natasha Lyonne	...	Darci
Bradley Whitford	...	J.J. Camden
Paxton Whitehead	...	Uncle Millard
Spalding Gray	...	Dr. Geisler
Josh Stamberg	...	Colleague Bob
Matthew Sussman	...	Ad Executive Phil
Charlotte Ayanna	...	Patrice
Philip Bosco	...	Otis
Andrew Jack	...	Roebling
Stan Tracy	...	Photographer
Kristen Schaal	...	Miss Tree

Also Known As:

Kate and Leopold (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Runtime:

118 min | USA:123 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:Livre | Canada:PG | Finland:K-7 | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:AL | Peru:PT | Philippines:G | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #38679)

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Konrad Pictures

Trivia:

According to the DVD commentary, several of the film's actual crew members appear in the crew of the margarine commercial.

Goofs:

Plot holes: Leopold is credited for inventing the elevator, so when he disappears in time, elevators vanish yet their shafts remain for some reason, such as the one Stuart falls into. Also, in the modern-day alternate future, people trudge up the stairs in 50-story buildings. Had Leopold not invented the elevator, buildings would likely never have been built so high, or more likely the elevator would simply have been invented by someone else, say Elisha Otis, who founded his elevator company in 1853.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Roebling: Time. Time, it has been proposed, is the fourth dimension. And yet, for mortal man, time has no dimension at all. We are like horses with blinders, seeing only what lies before us. Forever guessing the future and fabricating the past.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Adam & Eva (2003)

Soundtrack:

Honeysuckle Rose

Charming romantic comedy...with time travel weaknesses...

If you can accept the totally ridiculous premise of KATE AND LEOPOLD and enjoy romantic fantasies of this sort, you'll find yourself drawn into the plot because of the very charismatic HUGH JACKMAN. He is the main reason for watching and carries the film on his sturdy shoulders, so adept is he at being a "knight in shining armor".

As for MEG RYAN, she is giving her usual Meg Ryan schtick--a sort of slightly brighter version of Goldie Hawn--but here it doesn't matter because Jackman manages to steal every scene he's in. BRECKIN MEYER is excellent as her boorish brother who learns a few things from his 18th Century friend about manners and etiquette. But it's the time travel aspect of the story that is its weakest link.

Highly recommended as a romantic comedy that owes much of its charm to the performance of its leading man--an actor of remarkable skill whose hunky presence dominates much of the movie.

It's the sort of romantic fluff that would have starred JEAN ARTHUR and GARY COOPER had it been made in the '30s. The New York location photography is excellent.