The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy (2000)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Greg Berlanti

Writer (WGA):

Greg Berlanti (written by)

Release Date:

1 February 2001 (Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

The shortest distance between friends isn't always a straight line.

Plot:

In the palm-shaded oasis of West Hollywood, we meet Dennis, a promising photographer. As he prepares to celebrate his twenty-eighth birthday...

Plot Keywords:

Gay | Lesbian | Birthday | Break Up | Dating

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Ben Weber	...	Patrick
Timothy Olyphant	...	Dennis
Matt McGrath	...	Howie
Zach Braff	...	Benji
Nora Burns	...	Female Shopper
Dean Cain	...	Cole
Chris Payne Gilbert	...	Larry
John Brandon	...	Mickey
Diane McBain	...	Josephine
Robert Peters	...	Cop
Billy Porter	...	Taylor
John Mahoney	...	Jack
Nia Long	...	Leslie
Mary McCormack	...	Anne
Justin Theroux	...	Marshall

Also Known As:

8x10's (USA) (working title)
The Broken Hearts Club (USA) (working title)
The Broken Hearts League (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:AL (VHS/DVD rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:14A | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIB | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R | South Korea:18 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Laurel Hardware Company - 7984 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA

Company:

Banner Entertainment

Trivia:

Greg Berlanti originally turned down the role of director, and he said in interviews that the studio offered the director position to him at least three times because they couldn't find the right director. By the fourth or fifth time they'd asked him, he accepted.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Leslie is giving her speech after Patrick tells her and Anne that he won't donate his sperm, she puts her backpack on her shoulder. When we see her from the back she doesn't have it on. She then has to put her backpack on again.

Quotes:

Kevin: So, what - you're not attracted to me?
Dennis: Of course I'm attracted to you. I've been crazy about you ever since you lit the candles. Kevin, you were the wish.

Movie Connections:

References "Access Hollywood" (1996)

Worth Joining

Greg Berlanti's film is worthy of a lot of praise in a society where gay men tend to only fulfill certain stereotypes. A character, Howie mentions how he would like to see gay men being represented as something other than the woman's best friend, the hustler, the aids victim or the sex addict and this film does tend to try hard to avoid these stereotypes. The script is brilliantly written and sparkles when it is at its peak. At its worst, it may be a little bit cliche ridden but hey..it also has originality ( I have taken "Meanwhile" and now its commonplace down ere!) and is not afraid to portray gay men as just a group of lads who are falling in and out of relationships, liek any other group of young men. However certain characters do tend to bring the pace down a little and it does sometimes seem to have the sentiment that gay men have got it so bad compared to everyone else in the world. Timothy Olyphant stands out here in an able cast, made up primarily of TV actors. My only grumble was the inclusion of the lesbian couple who seemed to only be there to represent the ladies and also to give Howie a meatier role. 4/5