Sweet November (2001)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Pat O'Connor

Writers (WGA):

Herman Raucher (1968 screenplay)
Paul Yurick (story) ...

Release Date:

16 February 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

She Just Needed A Month To Change His Life For Ever.

Plot:

Nelson is a man devoted to his advertising career in San Francisco. One day, while taking a driving test at the DMV...

Plot Keywords:

Advertising | Department Of Motor Vehicles | San Francisco California | Terminal Illness | Remake

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Keanu Reeves	...	Nelson Moss
Charlize Theron	...	Sara Deever
Jason Isaacs	...	Chaz Watley
Greg Germann	...	Vince Holland
Liam Aiken	...	Abner
Robert Joy	...	Raeford Dunne
Lauren Graham	...	Angelica
Michael Rosenbaum	...	Brandon / Brandy
Frank Langella	...	Edgar Price
Jason Kravits	...	Manny
Ray Baker	...	Buddy Leach
Tom Bullock	...	Al
Adele Proom	...	Osiris
L. Peter Callender	...	Don Watson, DMV Proctor
June Carryl	...	Beatrice (as June Lomena)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and language.

Runtime:

119 min | Germany:115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Australia:M (original rating) | Australia:PG (cable rating) | France:U | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:15 | Mexico:C | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:15 (original rating) (cut) | South Korea:18 (DVD rating) | Spain:7 | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (edited for re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Daly City, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The footage of the radio-controlled submarine under the water was taken from The Hunt for Red October (1990). The first scene of the sub shows a Soviet Alpha class attack submarine captained by a former student of the Red October's skipper (Sean Connery) and now hunting Red October with orders to destroy it, while the second scene is of the USS Dallas.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Nelson stops to let Sara out, his fog lights alternate between off and on between shots.

Quotes:

Brandon: A little lovin' from the oven. Cous cous for everyone.
Sara: Wow. Did you make that?
Brandon: Uh huh.
Chaz: Excuse me. What did you just say?
Brandon: Well making, buying, it's all a very thin line.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Burly Man Chronicles (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Cellophane

I liked it.

Nelson Moss (Keanu Reeves) is obsessed with his career (he's in advertising - one of the most overused occupations in movies) and he's kind of a cold fish. Sara Deever (Charlize Theron) sees this and makes him her latest "project" - she spends one month with a guy (each guy actually has to move in with her) and helps him to make positive changes. Not surprisingly, there turn out to be some complications this time.

Sweet and simple romantic comedy / drama that doesn't seem to have any arty pretensions. It's just subtle, (mostly) believable stuff that would be hard to hate (unless you can't stand this type of movie to begin with). It's certainly hard to hate any film with a cute dog - yes, I am vulnerable to that sort of manipulation. Theron is simply wonderful and Reeves is actually better than usual. The use of two standard genre clichés (one of them is the Gay Best Friend, amusingly played by the always entertaining Jason Isaacs) is kind of corny, though.

Overall, though, I thought this was above-average for its genre and I gave it eight out of ten.