The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy (2000)

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 | Softball | Break Up

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
Andrew Keegan	...	Kevin
Christopher Wiehl	...	J. Crew Guy (as Chris Wiehl)
Jennifer Coolidge	...	Betty
Ken Kerman	...	Umpire
Kerr Smith	...	Catcher
Robert Arce	...	Purple Guy
Brian Gaskill	...	Brian
Christian Kane	...	Idaho Guy (as Chris Kane)
David Youse	...	Barry
Michael Bergin	...	Kip Rogers
Chris Weitz	...	Director
Marc Avalon	...	Ned
Kevin Cooney	...	Obstetrician
Matt Reid	...	Glen
Paul Weitz	...	Assistant Director
Charlie Weber	...	Newbie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gary Weeks
David Downs	...	Therapist (uncredited)
Garry Guerrier	...	Fireman Softball Team (uncredited)

Directed by
Greg Berlanti

Writing credits (WGA)
Greg Berlanti		(written by)

Produced by
Connie Dolph	....	line producer
Sam Irvin	....	co-producer
Mickey Liddell	....	producer
Joseph Middleton	....	producer
Julie Plec	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Christophe Beck

Cinematography by
Paul Elliott

Film Editing by
Todd Busch

Casting by
Joseph Middleton
Michelle Morris		(as Michelle Morris-Gertz)

Production Design by
Charles Daboub Jr.

Set Decoration by
Mark Macauley

Costume Design by
Mas Kondo

Makeup Department
Saundra Jordan	....	key hair stylist
Saundra Jordan	....	key makeup artist
Thomas Kolarek	....	hair stylist
Thomas Kolarek	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Connie Dolph	....	production manager
Matthew R. Hannon	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Brian Hennessy	....	first assistant director
Ashley Johnson	....	second second assistant director
Mitch Kelleher	....	second assistant director
Thomas Kuk	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Scott Bauer	....	property master
Mick Cummings	....	lead man
Krit Fagtongpun	....	swing gang
Cindy Kelleher	....	art department photography
Roland D. Rowe	....	props
Scott Sener	....	assistant props

Sound Department
Brad Bryan	....	additional boom operator
David Chornow	....	sound mixer
Gino Conway	....	assistant sound assistant
Evan Daum	....	assistant sound assistant
Paula Fairfield	....	sound supervisor
David Lee Fein	....	foley artist
Alan Freedman	....	adr mixer
Jason George	....	supervising sound editor
Robert Getty	....	assistant sound assistant
Steven D. Grothe	....	second boom operator (as Steven Grothe)
George Haddad	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kevin Hamilton	....	dialogue editor
Chato Hill	....	assistant sound assistant
David Jobe	....	foley mixer
Craig Jurkiewicz	....	foley editor
Diane Marshall	....	foley artist (as S. Diane Marshall)
Michael Mullane	....	background sound editor
William Munroe	....	boom operator
Carla Murray	....	sound designer
Carla Murray	....	sound effects editor
Yuri Reese	....	adr mixer
Sarah Smith	....	foley editor
William Smith	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lucy Sustar	....	foley mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Thomas Bango	....	first assistant camera
Joe Celeste	....	key grip (as Joseph Celeste)
Louis DiCesare	....	gaffer
Suzanne Dietz	....	grip
Tim Durr	....	best boy electric
Rodney James	....	grip
Cindy Kelleher	....	still photographer
Michael Krajci	....	second assistant camera
Carlos Lopez Calleja	....	second assistant camera
Gary McBride	....	dolly grip
Kevin P. Patterson	....	electrician
Marie Pedersen	....	first assistant camera
Simon Schorno	....	camera loader
Moulaye Sene	....	electrician
Uriel Uribe	....	electrician
Mark Wright	....	grip

Casting Department
Dena Berman	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nancy Diaz	....	wardrobe assistant
Jennifer Starzyk	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Cynthia Moore	....	assistant editor
Harry Muller	....	color timer

Music Department
Joe Guthrie	....	music coordinator
Julianne Jordan	....	music supervisor (as Julianne Kelley)
Mary Beth Maziarz	....	composer: song "Close To You"
Alexandra Patsavas	....	music supervisor
Richard Ziegler	....	music editor (as Rick Ziegler)

Transportation Department
P. Gerald Knight	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Todd Armstrong	....	production assistant
Newton Bass	....	location scout
David Burdett	....	location assistant
Jordan Burwick	....	location manager
David Cordova	....	production assistant
Candace Crump	....	assistant production coordinator
Jim Frazier	....	production assistant
Jack Skeets Gleeson	....	production assistant
Emrys Hanley	....	production assistant
Michelle Hoffman	....	craft service
M. Stephen Itzkowitz	....	location assistant
Jesse Long	....	script supervisor
Shawn McClintock	....	production assistant
Marguerite O'Donoghue	....	production coordinator
Jamie Park	....	assistant: Mr. Liddell
Marilyn Penn	....	production accountant (as Marilyn Penn-Lindley)
Robert Rothmann	....	production assistant
Dan Suderman	....	location assistant
Sarah Watson	....	assistant: Mr. Berlanti
Laura Wolner	....	assistant: Mr. Berlanti

Production Companies

• Banner Entertainment
• Meanwhile Films

Distributors

• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (2000-2002) (worldwide) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2000) (USA) (theatrical)
• Screen Gems (2000) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (2001) (France) (theatrical) (Paris Gay and Lesbian Film Festival)
• Columbia TriStar Films de España (2001) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2001) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (2002) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Egmont Entertainment (2000) (Finland) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Video (2001) (Japan) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2002) (Finland) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Netter Digital Entertainment

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:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

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:

It was down to the wire trying to get rights to use scenes from the 'Joan Crawford' film Straight-Jacket as well as rights to the Carpenters music.

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:

Howie: Meanwhile, don't look now but (Patrick looks). I could kill you!
Patrick: What? You act like he would never know we were checking him out.
Howie: He wouldn't even know I was a fag if I wasn't here with you and your cart full of kitchenwares.
Patrick: What planet are you living on? There isn't a person in this entire store who wouldn't pick you off the homo tree in a second!
Howie: Oh keep telling yourself that.
Patrick: Excuse me, Miss. (woman walks over) This man, you've never seen him before in your life. Tell me, fag, not a fag?
Woman: Oh I'd have to say big fag.

Movie Connections:

References "The Waltons" (1972)

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