Elizabethtown (2005)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Cameron Crowe

Writer (WGA):

Cameron Crowe (written by)

Release Date:

14 October 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

It's a heck of a place to find yourself

Plot:

During an outrageous memorial for a Southern patriarch, an unexpected romance blooms between a young woman and man.

Plot Keywords:

Kentucky | Flight Attendant | Shoes | Suicidal | Elizabethtown Kentucky

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Orlando Bloom	...	Drew Baylor
Kirsten Dunst	...	Claire Colburn
Susan Sarandon	...	Hollie Baylor
Alec Baldwin	...	Phil Devoss
Bruce McGill	...	Bill Banyon
Judy Greer	...	Heather Baylor
Jessica Biel	...	Ellen Kishmore
Paul Schneider	...	Jessie Baylor
Loudon Wainwright III	...	Uncle Dale (as Loudon Wainwright)
Gailard Sartain	...	Charles Dean
Jed Rees	...	Chuck Hasboro
Paula Deen	...	Aunt Dora
Dan Biggers	...	Uncle Roy
Alice Marie Crowe	...	Aunt Lena
Tim Devitt	...	Mitch Baylor

Also Known As:

Elizabethtown (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Elizabethtown (Germany) [de]
Elizabethtown (Canada: French title) [fr]
Elizabethtown (Spain) [es]
Elizabethtown (Greece) [el]
Rencontres à Elizabethtown (France) [fr]
Todo sucede en Elizabethtown (Argentina) [es]
Tudo Acontece em Elizabethtown (Brazil) [pt]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language and some sexual references.

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:15A | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:MG6 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Finland:S | Australia:M | Mexico:B | Brazil:12 | Argentina:13 | Sweden:Btl | Czech Republic:12 | Iceland:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #41949) | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:12 | South Korea:12 | Malaysia:U | Germany:o.Al.

Filming Locations:

Anadarko, Oklahoma, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

On Claire's road map for Drew, there is a quote by R. Hammond and J. Bebe. Russell Hammond and Jeff Bebe were two of Stillwater's members in Cameron Crowe's previous film Almost Famous (2000).

Goofs:

Continuity: An exterior shot of Drew's red-eye flight from LA to Nashville shows a Boeing 747 in flight. Later, as Drew is exiting the plane, it is a one-aisled, non-jumbo jet.

Quotes:

Claire Colburn: Do you ever just think I'm fooling everybody?
Drew Baylor: You have no idea.

Movie Connections:

Features Roman Holiday (1953)

Soundtrack:

Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)

A touching and funny American classic...

Watching the previews, one might expect some movie about a guy who loses a bunch of money. But that's just a hook. It's not really what the story is about.

This is one of those road flicks, where Bloom's character Drew is forced to go on a journey of sorts... and in the process realizes that while he was busy trying to succeed, he missed out on doing all the things that really matter.

This movie has all the markers of a Crowe flick... an awesome soundtrack for starters. What is unexpected about this movie, though, is how funny it is. It deals with some heavy subject matter (death, suicide, failure) in a way that's fresh... and light. There are some scenes that had the audience crying, they were laughing so hard.

It has many of the same American nostalgic qualities to it, that orange dusty tint to the American landscape that ultimately makes most people nostalgic for a home they've never had. The small town, where everyone knows your name (or in this case, your dad's name).

Crowe introduced this movie saying that a lot of the scenes were from his memories of childhood and his family's eccentricities, which you definitely see. He completely succeeds in capturing the moments (often embarrassing) that families share... and outsiders never get to see.

All in all, it's a fantastic gem. If you liked Almost Famous, you'll love this one.