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| {{Short description|2015 American comedy film}} | |||
| {{Use American English|date = October 2019}} | {{Use American English|date = October 2019}} | ||
| {{Use mdy dates|date = October 2019}} | {{Use mdy dates|date = October 2019}} | ||
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| | caption = Theatrical release poster | | caption = Theatrical release poster | ||
| | director = ] (as Stephen Greene) | | director = ] (as Stephen Greene) | ||
| | producer = {{Unbulleted list|Kia Jam|Judd Payne|Matthew Rhodes}} | | producer = {{Unbulleted list|Kia Jam|Judd Payne|]}} | ||
| | screenplay = {{Plainlist| | | screenplay = {{Plainlist| | ||
| * ]{{efn|Gore is credited as a writer twice; first by herself, and again as part of a team with Silverstein and Jeser.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://directories.wga.org/project/950944/nailed/|title=Nailed|work=]|date=August 13, 2013|access-date=November 22, 2024}}</ref>}} | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ** (as Stephen Greene) | |||
| * ] | |||
| ⚫ | * ] | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| ⚫ | * ] | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| | based_on = {{based on|''Sammy's Hill''|Kristin Gore}} | | based_on = {{based on|''Sammy's Hill''|Kristin Gore}} | ||
| | starring = {{Plainlist| | | starring = {{Plainlist|<!--- per poster billing block ---> | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| Line 22: | Line 21: | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| }} | }} | ||
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| | country = United States | | country = United States | ||
| | language = English | | language = English | ||
| | budget = $26 million | |||
| | budget = $26 million<ref name="NUM">{{cite web |url= https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Accidental-Love |title= Accidental Love |work= The-Numbers.com |access-date= March 24, 2015 }}</ref> | |||
| | gross = $139,436 | |||
| | gross = $139,936<ref name="indiewire1">{{cite web|url= https://www.indiewire.com/article/specialty-box-office-david-o-russells-shelved-love-bombs-it-follows-keeps-scaring-up-dollars-20150322 |title=Specialty Box Office: David O. Russell's Shelved 'Love' B |website=IndieWire |date=2015-03-23 |access-date=2015-05-04}}</ref><ref name="NUM" /> | |||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''''Accidental Love''''' is a 2015 American ] film directed by ] (under a pseudonym) and written by |
'''''Accidental Love''''' is a 2015 American ] film directed by ] (under a pseudonym) and written by ], ], and ], based on Gore's 2004 novel ''Sammy's Hill''. The film stars ] and ], and includes ] in her final film role.<!--- though filmed in 2008, it was still her final production as a character, having played herself in 2013's Syrup, as well as her last film to be released ---> | ||
| Production started in 2008 under the title ''Nailed'', but filming was frequently halted due to financial difficulties, leading to Russell quitting the project in 2010. The film was completed without his involvement and he has since disowned it, leaving the finished product credited to "]". The film was released online on February 10, 2015, before a ] on March 20, 2015, by ].<ref name="indiewire1"/> ''Accidental Love'' was panned by critics. | Production started in 2008 under the title ''Nailed'', but filming was frequently halted due to financial difficulties, leading to Russell quitting the project in 2010. The film was completed without his involvement and he has since disowned it, leaving the finished product credited to "]". The film was released online on February 10, 2015, before a ] on March 20, 2015, by ].<ref name="indiewire1"/> ''Accidental Love'' was panned by critics and was a massive ], grossing a mere $139,436 against a $26 million production budget. | ||
| ==Premise== | |||
| Alice, a waitress in small-town ], is accidentally shot in the head by a ]. Her lack of health insurance renders her unable to have the nail removed, leading to mood swings and hypersexual behavior as a result of brain damage. Alice then heads to ] to campaign for those with bizarre injuries, with the support of an unprincipled Congressman. | |||
| ==Plot== | ==Plot== | ||
| Alice |
Alice is a waitress in a small Indiana town. She and her boyfriend, Indiana State Trooper Scott, are on a dinner date. Just as he pulls out a ring and starts proposing to her, a repairman using a nail gun in the middle of the fancy restaurant falls and fires a nail into her head. | ||
| Doctors refuse to operate, because she does not have health insurance. They inform her that the nail will influence her psychologically, making her sexually uninhibited, prone to fits of anger and rage, and randomly speak Portuguese. Scott temporarily rescinds his proposal, not wanting to marry a woman prone to bouts of anger. | |||
| Alice's parents |
Alice's parents hold a fundraiser to cover her operation, but only come up with $600. Aunt Rita, the local vet, performs a free but unsuccessful operation. Alice reacts with a temper tantrum, and Scott breaks things off; he starts dating Alice's co-worker. | ||
| Alice is consoled by |
Alice is consoled by local pastor Reverend Norm, who is suffering from an experimental drug's effect which caused a perpetual erection. He is accompanied by Keyshawn, who has a problem with a prolapsed anus that is also pending treatment. Neither of them has healthcare coverage. | ||
| Alice |
Alice sees junior Congressman Howard Birdwell speak on television about how he wants to serve the people of Indiana, inviting his constituents to bring their issues to him. Alice decides to go to Washington, D.C., with Reverend Norm and Keyshawn. | ||
| They reach Howard's office, but are sent away when ] Pam Hendrickson arrives. Hendrickson is bullying Howard into helping her become ], and also raise funds for her military Moon-base initiative. | |||
| Alice leaves in the church bus with Reverend Norm & Keyshawn for Washington DC. As soon as she arrives she is refused access to the congressman (Birdwell) because it turns out that Rep Howard is controlled by his party seniors particularly Rep Pam Hendrickson who wants to take control as Speaker of the House & wants funding for her military moon-base so she can protect America & keep it "un blown". | |||
| Keyshawn falls in love with Congress security guard Rakeesha and departs with her on a date, while Reverend Norm goes back to their motel to nurse his erection. Alice waits in the hallway for Howard. Just when they meet, her lack of sexual inhibition kicks in, with the two having sex in a cloakroom. Howard promises to help Alice if she agrees to support the Moon-base funding. | |||
| Hendrickson has garnered the support of the ], who are falsely promised an appearance by ] at their national jamboree. | |||
| ⚫ | Alice |
||
| ⚫ | Alice and the Squaw Girls do their bit to promote the Moon-base at a press event. However, House Speaker Buck McCoy is so impressed with the Moon-base hype that he makes it "his" project, taking credit while enjoying the Squaw Girl cookies that were baked in honor of the Moon-base. McCoy chokes on his cookie and though they try to revive him with a defibrillator, Hendrickson secretly unplugs it and McCoy dies. | ||
| ⚫ | At the funeral Alice hijacks the podium and convinces |
||
| ⚫ | At the funeral, Alice hijacks the podium and convinces those present that McCoy wanted everyone to have healthcare and did not care about the Moon-base. The Squaw Girls, upset with the betrayal over Shakira, promote the Moon-base cookies as toxic and start promoting the "Alice's Law" healthcare bill. | ||
| Rep Pam is upset and plots revenge. Her henchman decides to afflict the girl scouts with poison ivy & promote the false impression that girl scouts are promoting child hood lesbianism. Rep Howard disappears & Rep Pam brings Officer Scott from Indiana to convince Alice to return to Indiana as his girlfriend. Alice discovers the ruse & asks Officer Scott to help her. Officer Scott tracks down Congressman Howard who is at a retreat trying to regain his manhood. Officer Scott convinces Howard to return. Meanwhile when congress convenes and Rep Pam is promoted to Speaker Pam she accuses Rep Howard of sleeping with lobbyists to promote his own interests & accuses him of doing the same with Alice. Rep Howard confesses & decides to change his tune about leaving the party & promoting the health care bill & repentant he returns to the party fold. Alice tries to ask congress to consider her plight but they all overwhelmingly vote against the health care bill. | |||
| Hendrickson plots revenge. She has her aide, Edwin, afflict the Squaw Girls with poison ivy and create a false narrative that they are promoting childhood lesbianism. Howard disappears and Hendrickson brings Scott from Indiana to convince Alice to return home as his girlfriend. Alice discovers the ruse and asks Scott to help her. Scott finds Howard at a retreat, trying to regain his manhood, and convinces Howard to return. | |||
| As Alice is disillusioned an packing to leave it is revealed that Rep Howard has betrayed the party by tacking the health care bill to the moon-base bill. Alice & her friends will be covered by insurance because the other congress folk do not really read the bills that are approved. Alice returns to Rep Howard and they have a wedding where Keyshawn marries the security guard Rakeesha & Alice marries Rep Howard , all officiated by Reverend Norm. | |||
| When congress convenes and Hendrickson is promoted to Speaker, she reveals that Howard slept with multiple female lobbyists to promote his own issues, doing the same with Alice. Howard confesses, drops the health care bill and returns to the party fold. Alice tries to ask congress to consider her plight, but they overwhelmingly vote against the health care bill. | |||
| Alice is packing to leave when it is revealed that Howard successfully tacked a health care bill{{snd}}tightly specified to cover the maladies of Alice and her friends{{snd}}to the moon-base bill. The bill passed, with Hendrickson admitting to reporters that members of Congress rarely read the bills. Howard is forced to resign. | |||
| Reverend Norm officiates the wedding of Rakeesha and new congressional candidate Keyshawn. Alice is about to propose to Howard when Keyshawn damages her eye with a champagne cork. | |||
| ==Cast== | ==Cast== | ||
| <!--- ] - cast and order per opening tombstone stand-alone credits, roles per closing credits scroll ---> | |||
| {{castlist| | {{castlist| | ||
| * ] as Alice Eckle | * ] as Alice Eckle | ||
| * ] as |
* ] as Howard Birdwell | ||
| * ] as Rep. Pam Hendrickson | * ] as Rep. Pam Hendrickson | ||
| * ] as Scott |
* ] as Scott | ||
| * ] as Keyshawn | * ] as Keyshawn | ||
| ⚫ | * ] as ] Buck McCoy | ||
| * ] as Edwin | * ] as Edwin | ||
| ⚫ | * ] as Aunt Rita | ||
| * ] as Rep. Harshtone | |||
| * ] as Reverend Norm | |||
| * ] as Rakeesha Jackson | |||
| * ] as Helen Eckle | * ] as Helen Eckle | ||
| * |
* ] as Reverend Norm | ||
| * |
* ] as Rakeesha | ||
| * ] as |
* ] as Congressman Harshtone | ||
| ⚫ | * ] as Aunt Rita | ||
| ⚫ | * ] as ] Buck McCoy | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| ==Production== | ==Production== | ||
| ]' ] and ] first developed the property, hiring ] (daughter of ]) to adapt the screenplay based on her 2004 novel ''Sammy's Hill''.<ref name="kimmasters">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/david-o-russell-quits-long-25461|title=David O. Russell quits long-delayed 'Nailed'| |
]' ] and ] first developed the property, hiring ] (daughter of ]) to adapt the screenplay based on her 2004 novel ''Sammy's Hill''.<ref name="kimmasters">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/david-o-russell-quits-long-25461|title=David O. Russell quits long-delayed 'Nailed'|first=Kim|last=Masters|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=July 13, 2010 |access-date=9 January 2015}}</ref> In 2008, Russell was named the director of the film, then titled ''Nailed''. Russell, Wick, and Fisher were reportedly promised a budget of $26 million by ], a production company led by then-Hollywood newcomer ].<ref name=Labrecque>{{cite magazine|last1=Labrecque|first1=Jeff|title=The David O. Russell Film You Were Never Supposed to See|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/02/06/david-o-russell-film-you-were-never-supposed-see|magazine=]|access-date=21 June 2015}}</ref> ] began in April 2008, in ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2008/05/updated-sag-orders-actors-on-david-o-russell-film-to-leave-jessica-biel-jake-gyllenhall-sidelined-5767/|title=ON SET DRAMA UPDATE: SAG Orders Actors On David O. Russell Film To Leave; Jessica Biel & Jake Gyllenhaal Sidelined|first=Nikki|last=Finke|work=Deadline|date=May 10, 2008 |access-date=9 January 2015}}</ref> That month, ] dropped out of the film, after "creative differences" over his character's death scene.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2008/04/23/james-caan-quits-david-o-russells-nailed/|title=Caan Quits David O. Russell's 'Nailed'|magazine= ] |access-date=9 January 2015}}</ref> Production was shut down frequently—as many as 14 times—for nonpayment of the cast and crew, leading to walk-outs by stars Biel and Gyllenhaal as well as several crew members. Bergstein attributed the film's financial woes to the 2008 financial collapse, but the filmmakers believed they were being "intentionally squeezed." In a dispute over control of the film, and to prevent the possibility of Capitol releasing an unpolished version of the film, Wick and Fisher decided to withhold film negatives and postpone shooting the crucial sequence in which Biel's character is injured with a nail gun until the final day of filming. As a result of one of the unions pulling support for the film with only two days left to shoot, the sequence was not shot and the film was left incomplete.<ref name=Labrecque/> | ||
| In early 2010, the film's financier, ], who controlled the film's rights along with Bergstein, paid millions of dollars to get several films, including ''Nailed'', out of a foreclosure action. Bergstein hired an editor to assemble a cut of the film that was shown to Russell when he was asked to return and film reshoots. Russell and Tutor were unable to strike a deal and Russell permanently left the production in July. According to '']'', Russell's primary grievance was Wick and Fisher being pushed to accept 50% pay cuts. The producers, who also left the film, called the requested concessions "unfair, unprofessional and detrimental to the movie."<ref name="kimmasters"/> Russell said of quitting the film: "This has been a painful process for me. The multiple production delays and stoppages, which were caused by David Bergstein and preceded Ron Tutor's direct involvement with me, have now spanned two years, and the circumstances under which the film would now be completed are much different on several fundamental levels than when we embarked several years ago. I, unfortunately, am no longer involved in the project and cannot call it 'my' film. I wish Ron Tutor well."<ref name="kimmasters"/> Contractual agreements required Biel and Tracy Morgan to film reshoots, which did not involve Russell.<ref name="kimmasters"/> | In early 2010, the film's financier, ], who controlled the film's rights along with Bergstein, paid millions of dollars to get several films, including ''Nailed'', out of a foreclosure action. Bergstein hired an editor to assemble a cut of the film that was shown to Russell when he was asked to return and film reshoots. Russell and Tutor were unable to strike a deal and Russell permanently left the production in July. According to '']'', Russell's primary grievance was Wick and Fisher being pushed to accept 50% pay cuts. The producers, who also left the film, called the requested concessions "unfair, unprofessional and detrimental to the movie."<ref name="kimmasters"/> Russell said of quitting the film: "This has been a painful process for me. The multiple production delays and stoppages, which were caused by David Bergstein and preceded Ron Tutor's direct involvement with me, have now spanned two years, and the circumstances under which the film would now be completed are much different on several fundamental levels than when we embarked several years ago. I, unfortunately, am no longer involved in the project and cannot call it 'my' film. I wish Ron Tutor well."<ref name="kimmasters"/> Contractual agreements required Biel and Tracy Morgan to film reshoots, which did not involve Russell.<ref name="kimmasters"/> | ||
| Line 96: | Line 94: | ||
| ==Release== | ==Release== | ||
| In March 2011, an unfinished cut of the film was screened in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2011/03/nailed-gets-test-screening-though-nobody-told-the-cast-and-filmmakers-110633/|title='Nailed' Gets Test Screening, Though Nobody Told The Cast And Filmmakers|author=Mike Fleming Jr|work=Deadline|access-date=9 January 2015}}</ref> The film was released on ] on February 10, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/nailed-trailer/|title=Nailed Trailer: See the Abandoned David O. Russell Film - /Film|work=Slashfilm|access-date=9 January 2015}}</ref> The film was |
In March 2011, an unfinished cut of the film was screened in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2011/03/nailed-gets-test-screening-though-nobody-told-the-cast-and-filmmakers-110633/|title='Nailed' Gets Test Screening, Though Nobody Told The Cast And Filmmakers|author=Mike Fleming Jr|work=Deadline|date=March 3, 2011 |access-date=9 January 2015}}</ref> The film was released on ] on February 10, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/nailed-trailer/|title=Nailed Trailer: See the Abandoned David O. Russell Film - /Film|work=Slashfilm|date=January 6, 2015 |access-date=9 January 2015}}</ref> The film was given a limited theatrical release on March 20, 2015.<ref name="indiewire1">{{cite web|url= https://www.indiewire.com/article/specialty-box-office-david-o-russells-shelved-love-bombs-it-follows-keeps-scaring-up-dollars-20150322 |title=Specialty Box Office: David O. Russell's Shelved 'Love' B |website=IndieWire |date=2015-03-23 |access-date=2015-05-04}}</ref> It was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States on April 28, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Love-Jake-Gyllenhaal/dp/B00T5DYUCW |title=Accidental Love: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jessica Biel, James Marsden, Catherine Keener, Tracy Morgan, Kirstie Alley, James Brolin, Stephen Greene: Movies & TV |website=Amazon.com |date=April 28, 2015 |access-date=2015-05-04}}</ref> | ||
| Following a home video release by Mongrel Media in ], A.A. Dowd, film critic with '']'', accused the company of quoting his review out of context, making a negative film review look like a positive one.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com |
Following a home video release by Mongrel Media in ], A.A. Dowd, film critic with '']'', in an article titled "No, I didn't call your shitty movie a 'comedic masterstroke'", accused the company of quoting his review out of context, making a negative film review look like a positive one.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/no-i-didn-t-call-your-shitty-movie-a-comedic-masterst-1798282276 |title=No, I didn't call your shitty movie a 'comedic masterstroke' |last=Dowd |first=A.A. |date=July 27, 2015 |website=] |access-date=2004-12-18}}</ref> In response to the accusation, Mongrel Media issued an apology and claimed they would remove the quote from further prints of the DVD.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.avclub.com/mongrel-media-apologizes-for-misquoting-our-review-1798282308 |title = Mongrel Media apologizes for misquoting our review |date = July 27, 2015|access-date = July 28, 2015|website = ]|last = Dowd|first = A.A.}}</ref><ref name="avclub" /> | ||
| ==Reception== | ==Reception== | ||
| ===Critical response=== | |||
| On ], the film has an approval rating of 8% based on 36 reviews, with an average rating of 3.7/10. The site's consensus states: "Cobbling together an unfinished satire on the healthcare system and contorting it into a dopey romance, ''Accidental Love'' is a cynical repurposing of unrealized potential."<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/accidental_love/ |title= Accidental Love |work= ] |access-date= July 7, 2022 }}</ref> On ], the film has a ] score of 20 out of 100, based on reviews from 13 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.metacritic.com/movie/accidental-love |title= Accidental Love reviews |work= ] |access-date= September 28, 2019 }}</ref> | |||
| The film was panned by critics. {{RT prose|9|3.4|35|Cobbling together an unfinished satire on the healthcare system and contorting it into a dopey romance, ''Accidental Love'' is a cynical repurposing of unrealized potential.|ref=yes|access-date=2023-01-22}} {{MC film|20|13|ref=yes|access-date=2023-01-22}} | |||
| A.A. Dowd of '']'' wrote: "To be fair to whoever refashioned ''Accidental Love'' from the abandoned scraps of ''Nailed'', there’s little reason to believe that the ideal, untroubled version of the material would have been a comedic masterstroke."<ref name="avclub">{{cite web |date= Feb 12, 2015 |last= Dowd |first= A. A. |title= David O. Russell disowned Accidental Love for good reason |url= https:// |
A.A. Dowd of '']'' wrote: "To be fair to whoever refashioned ''Accidental Love'' from the abandoned scraps of ''Nailed'', there’s little reason to believe that the ideal, untroubled version of the material would have been a comedic masterstroke."<ref name="avclub">{{cite web |date= Feb 12, 2015 |last= Dowd |first= A. A. |title= David O. Russell disowned Accidental Love for good reason |url= https://www.avclub.com/david-o-russell-disowned-accidental-love-for-good-reas-1798182803 |website= ] }}</ref> | ||
| ] of the '']'' wrote: "The satire is broad and forced and unfunny, there’s no cadence to the setups and visual punch lines, and the likable cast is hopelessly lost. Some disasters should remain forgotten."<ref name="Roeper">{{cite web |date= 9 July 2015 |last1= Roeper |first1= Richard |author-link= Richard Roeper |title= 'Accidental Love': Unfinished Jessica Biel film should have stayed that way |url= https://chicago.suntimes.com/2015/7/9/18427611/accidental-love-unfinished-jessica-biel-film-should-have-stayed-that-way |website= ] }}</ref> | |||
| ===Box office=== | |||
| After its seven years of production troubles, ''Accidental Love'' received a limited theatrical release, earning $135,436 at the worldwide box office against a budget of $26 million.<ref name="NUM">{{Cite The Numbers |id= Accidental-Love |access-date=2023-01-22}}</ref> | |||
| ==Notes== | |||
| {{notelist}} | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
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| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| * {{IMDb title |
* {{IMDb title}} | ||
| * {{rottentomatoes|accidental_love}} | |||
| * {{Metacritic film}} | |||
| {{David O. Russell}} | |||
| ⚫ | {{David O. Russell}}{{Matthew Rhodes}} | ||
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Latest revision as of 15:54, 21 December 2024
2015 American comedy film
| Accidental Love | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | David O. Russell (as Stephen Greene) |
| Screenplay by | |
| Based on | Sammy's Hill by Kristin Gore |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Max Malkin |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by | John Swihart |
| Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Millennium Entertainment |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $26 million |
| Box office | $139,436 |
Accidental Love is a 2015 American romantic comedy film directed by David O. Russell (under a pseudonym) and written by Kristin Gore, Matt Silverstein, and Dave Jeser, based on Gore's 2004 novel Sammy's Hill. The film stars Jessica Biel and Jake Gyllenhaal, and includes Kirstie Alley in her final film role.
Production started in 2008 under the title Nailed, but filming was frequently halted due to financial difficulties, leading to Russell quitting the project in 2010. The film was completed without his involvement and he has since disowned it, leaving the finished product credited to "Stephen Greene". The film was released online on February 10, 2015, before a limited release on March 20, 2015, by Millennium Entertainment. Accidental Love was panned by critics and was a massive financial failure, grossing a mere $139,436 against a $26 million production budget.
Plot
Alice is a waitress in a small Indiana town. She and her boyfriend, Indiana State Trooper Scott, are on a dinner date. Just as he pulls out a ring and starts proposing to her, a repairman using a nail gun in the middle of the fancy restaurant falls and fires a nail into her head.
Doctors refuse to operate, because she does not have health insurance. They inform her that the nail will influence her psychologically, making her sexually uninhibited, prone to fits of anger and rage, and randomly speak Portuguese. Scott temporarily rescinds his proposal, not wanting to marry a woman prone to bouts of anger.
Alice's parents hold a fundraiser to cover her operation, but only come up with $600. Aunt Rita, the local vet, performs a free but unsuccessful operation. Alice reacts with a temper tantrum, and Scott breaks things off; he starts dating Alice's co-worker.
Alice is consoled by local pastor Reverend Norm, who is suffering from an experimental drug's effect which caused a perpetual erection. He is accompanied by Keyshawn, who has a problem with a prolapsed anus that is also pending treatment. Neither of them has healthcare coverage.
Alice sees junior Congressman Howard Birdwell speak on television about how he wants to serve the people of Indiana, inviting his constituents to bring their issues to him. Alice decides to go to Washington, D.C., with Reverend Norm and Keyshawn.
They reach Howard's office, but are sent away when House Whip Pam Hendrickson arrives. Hendrickson is bullying Howard into helping her become Speaker of the House, and also raise funds for her military Moon-base initiative.
Keyshawn falls in love with Congress security guard Rakeesha and departs with her on a date, while Reverend Norm goes back to their motel to nurse his erection. Alice waits in the hallway for Howard. Just when they meet, her lack of sexual inhibition kicks in, with the two having sex in a cloakroom. Howard promises to help Alice if she agrees to support the Moon-base funding.
Hendrickson has garnered the support of the Squaw Girls, who are falsely promised an appearance by Shakira at their national jamboree.
Alice and the Squaw Girls do their bit to promote the Moon-base at a press event. However, House Speaker Buck McCoy is so impressed with the Moon-base hype that he makes it "his" project, taking credit while enjoying the Squaw Girl cookies that were baked in honor of the Moon-base. McCoy chokes on his cookie and though they try to revive him with a defibrillator, Hendrickson secretly unplugs it and McCoy dies.
At the funeral, Alice hijacks the podium and convinces those present that McCoy wanted everyone to have healthcare and did not care about the Moon-base. The Squaw Girls, upset with the betrayal over Shakira, promote the Moon-base cookies as toxic and start promoting the "Alice's Law" healthcare bill.
Hendrickson plots revenge. She has her aide, Edwin, afflict the Squaw Girls with poison ivy and create a false narrative that they are promoting childhood lesbianism. Howard disappears and Hendrickson brings Scott from Indiana to convince Alice to return home as his girlfriend. Alice discovers the ruse and asks Scott to help her. Scott finds Howard at a retreat, trying to regain his manhood, and convinces Howard to return.
When congress convenes and Hendrickson is promoted to Speaker, she reveals that Howard slept with multiple female lobbyists to promote his own issues, doing the same with Alice. Howard confesses, drops the health care bill and returns to the party fold. Alice tries to ask congress to consider her plight, but they overwhelmingly vote against the health care bill.
Alice is packing to leave when it is revealed that Howard successfully tacked a health care bill – tightly specified to cover the maladies of Alice and her friends – to the moon-base bill. The bill passed, with Hendrickson admitting to reporters that members of Congress rarely read the bills. Howard is forced to resign.
Reverend Norm officiates the wedding of Rakeesha and new congressional candidate Keyshawn. Alice is about to propose to Howard when Keyshawn damages her eye with a champagne cork.
Cast
- Jessica Biel as Alice Eckle
- Jake Gyllenhaal as Howard Birdwell
- Catherine Keener as Rep. Pam Hendrickson
- James Marsden as Scott
- Tracy Morgan as Keyshawn
- Paul Reubens as Edwin
- Beverly D'Angelo as Helen Eckle
- Kurt Fuller as Reverend Norm
- Malinda Williams as Rakeesha
- David Ramsey as Congressman Harshtone
- Kirstie Alley as Aunt Rita
- James Brolin as Speaker Buck McCoy
Production
Red Wagon Productions' Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher first developed the property, hiring Kristin Gore (daughter of Al Gore) to adapt the screenplay based on her 2004 novel Sammy's Hill. In 2008, Russell was named the director of the film, then titled Nailed. Russell, Wick, and Fisher were reportedly promised a budget of $26 million by Capitol Films, a production company led by then-Hollywood newcomer David Bergstein. Principal photography began in April 2008, in Columbia, South Carolina. That month, James Caan dropped out of the film, after "creative differences" over his character's death scene. Production was shut down frequently—as many as 14 times—for nonpayment of the cast and crew, leading to walk-outs by stars Biel and Gyllenhaal as well as several crew members. Bergstein attributed the film's financial woes to the 2008 financial collapse, but the filmmakers believed they were being "intentionally squeezed." In a dispute over control of the film, and to prevent the possibility of Capitol releasing an unpolished version of the film, Wick and Fisher decided to withhold film negatives and postpone shooting the crucial sequence in which Biel's character is injured with a nail gun until the final day of filming. As a result of one of the unions pulling support for the film with only two days left to shoot, the sequence was not shot and the film was left incomplete.
In early 2010, the film's financier, Ronald Tutor, who controlled the film's rights along with Bergstein, paid millions of dollars to get several films, including Nailed, out of a foreclosure action. Bergstein hired an editor to assemble a cut of the film that was shown to Russell when he was asked to return and film reshoots. Russell and Tutor were unable to strike a deal and Russell permanently left the production in July. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Russell's primary grievance was Wick and Fisher being pushed to accept 50% pay cuts. The producers, who also left the film, called the requested concessions "unfair, unprofessional and detrimental to the movie." Russell said of quitting the film: "This has been a painful process for me. The multiple production delays and stoppages, which were caused by David Bergstein and preceded Ron Tutor's direct involvement with me, have now spanned two years, and the circumstances under which the film would now be completed are much different on several fundamental levels than when we embarked several years ago. I, unfortunately, am no longer involved in the project and cannot call it 'my' film. I wish Ron Tutor well." Contractual agreements required Biel and Tracy Morgan to film reshoots, which did not involve Russell.
Capitol Films went bankrupt in 2010 and the property was purchased in 2014 by independent distributor Millennium Entertainment for an undisclosed sum. Retitled Accidental Love, a cut was assembled under producer Kia Jam, a former executive with Capitol, who said, "People are expecting to see a broken film, and it's not. We tried very much to be respectful of the creative forces behind it." With the film set to be released, Russell negotiated with the Directors Guild of America to remove his name from the film; he is credited for his roles as director and co-writer as "Stephen Greene," an alternative to the former official pseudonym, Alan Smithee, used by directors wishing to disown a film.
Release
In March 2011, an unfinished cut of the film was screened in Los Angeles. The film was released on VOD on February 10, 2015. The film was given a limited theatrical release on March 20, 2015. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States on April 28, 2015.
Following a home video release by Mongrel Media in Canada, A.A. Dowd, film critic with The A.V. Club, in an article titled "No, I didn't call your shitty movie a 'comedic masterstroke'", accused the company of quoting his review out of context, making a negative film review look like a positive one. In response to the accusation, Mongrel Media issued an apology and claimed they would remove the quote from further prints of the DVD.
Reception
Critical response
The film was panned by critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 9% of 35 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Cobbling together an unfinished satire on the healthcare system and contorting it into a dopey romance, Accidental Love is a cynical repurposing of unrealized potential." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 20 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.
A.A. Dowd of The A.V. Club wrote: "To be fair to whoever refashioned Accidental Love from the abandoned scraps of Nailed, there’s little reason to believe that the ideal, untroubled version of the material would have been a comedic masterstroke."
Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote: "The satire is broad and forced and unfunny, there’s no cadence to the setups and visual punch lines, and the likable cast is hopelessly lost. Some disasters should remain forgotten."
Box office
After its seven years of production troubles, Accidental Love received a limited theatrical release, earning $135,436 at the worldwide box office against a budget of $26 million.
Notes
- Gore is credited as a writer twice; first by herself, and again as part of a team with Silverstein and Jeser.
References
- "Nailed". Writers Guild of America West. August 13, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ "Specialty Box Office: David O. Russell's Shelved 'Love' B". IndieWire. March 23, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
- ^ Masters, Kim (July 13, 2010). "David O. Russell quits long-delayed 'Nailed'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
- ^ Labrecque, Jeff. "The David O. Russell Film You Were Never Supposed to See". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
- Finke, Nikki (May 10, 2008). "ON SET DRAMA UPDATE: SAG Orders Actors On David O. Russell Film To Leave; Jessica Biel & Jake Gyllenhaal Sidelined". Deadline. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
- "Caan Quits David O. Russell's 'Nailed'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
- Mike Fleming Jr (March 3, 2011). "'Nailed' Gets Test Screening, Though Nobody Told The Cast And Filmmakers". Deadline. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
- "Nailed Trailer: See the Abandoned David O. Russell Film - /Film". Slashfilm. January 6, 2015. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
- "Accidental Love: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jessica Biel, James Marsden, Catherine Keener, Tracy Morgan, Kirstie Alley, James Brolin, Stephen Greene: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. April 28, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
- Dowd, A.A. (July 27, 2015). "No, I didn't call your shitty movie a 'comedic masterstroke'". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 18, 2004.
- Dowd, A.A. (July 27, 2015). "Mongrel Media apologizes for misquoting our review". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
- ^ Dowd, A. A. (February 12, 2015). "David O. Russell disowned Accidental Love for good reason". The A.V. Club.
- "Accidental Love". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- "Accidental Love". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- Roeper, Richard (July 9, 2015). "'Accidental Love': Unfinished Jessica Biel film should have stayed that way". Chicago Sun-Times.
- "Accidental Love". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
External links
| Films directed by David O. Russell | |
|---|---|
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| Films produced by Matthew Rhodes | |
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- 2015 films
- 2015 romantic comedy films
- 2010s American films
- 2010s English-language films
- 2010s political comedy films
- 2010s political satire films
- American political satire films
- American romantic comedy films
- English-language romantic comedy films
- Films based on American novels
- Films directed by David O. Russell
- Films scored by John Swihart
- Films set in Indiana
- Films set in Washington, D.C.
- Films shot in South Carolina
- Films produced by Matthew Rhodes