Taglines: One of them is lying. So is the other.
Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson), Composure Magazine’s “How-To” columnist, has a very unusual assignment and a quick deadline. She has to write a firsthand account of all the things that women do to inadvertently drive men away…and she’s got to do it in 10 days.
Now she’s on a mission to find a guy, get him to fall in love with her, then make all the classic dating mistakes so he’ll dump her. Too bad Andie’s target is ad agency hottie, Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey), who has just made a high-stakes bet with his boss that he can make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days. Does a faux relationship based on deception stand a chance in a world where everyone says they’re looking for honesty? You can bet on it!
Paramount Pictures presents “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” a Robert Evans / Christine Peters Production and a Lynda Obst Production, a Donald Petrie Film, starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. Directed by Donald Petrie, from a screenplay by Kristen Buckley & Brian Regan and Burr Steers, the film is based upon the book by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long.
Lynda Obst, Robert Evans and Christine Peters are the producers and Richard Vane is the executive producer. Also starring in the film are Adam Goldberg, Michael Michele, Shalom Harlow, Bebe Neuwirth, Robert Klein, Kathryn Hahn, Thomas Lennon, Celia Weston and Annie Parisse.
At its core, “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” is a metaphor for the games people play in their unconscious efforts to protect themselves from genuine intimacy. Revolving around two very charismatic individuals who look like they belong together but who are in a situation that has disaster written all over it, the film is full of surprises.
As for the film’s two main stars, Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Kate Hudson (“Almost Famous”) and Matthew McConaughey (“Frailty,” “The Wedding Planner”), the mix of romance and comedy in “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” appears to be made for them.
“I thought the script was really special. It was clever and even a little edgy, and I liked the way it turns dating on its head,” says Hudson. “It was also wonderful having the chance to work with Matthew, who is as sweet as he is handsome.”
McConaughey has equal praise for his co-star as well as the film. “I feel really lucky to be involved with a movie that is going to touch so many hearts,” says the actor, adding that he couldn’t imagine working opposite anyone other than Hudson. “Kate is unbelievably talented and I think she brought out the best in me.”
Director Donald Petrie says that besides the onscreen appeal of the two main stars, what he finds most endearing about “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” is its unpredictability.
“My initial barometer for a funny script is, did it make me laugh out loud, and this one did,” says Petrie. “It’s filled with flip-flops and unexpected curves which really make it stand out from other films in the romantic comedy genre.”
According to producer Lynda Obst, who has a number of successful romantic comedies under her belt, including the multi-Oscar, Golden Globe-nominated “Sleepless in Seattle,” what makes this film particularly special is the delicate balance it has between witty dialogue and a romance-driven plot.
“Most films in this genre focus more on the potential for love than on the humor, but this movie is unique in that it’s equally funny and romantic,” says Obst, who points out that one of the secrets to a great romantic comedy is that the audience understands that the characters belong together way before they do. “It’s also very important to design characters that genuinely do fit together,” adds Obst, “and to make them real enough to allow people to fantasize about themselves in the roles.”
Based upon Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long’s How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, the film, is a clever cautionary tale that illustrates what not to do if you want to hang onto a guy. Producer Christine Peters, president of the Robert Evans Company, who discovered the book, says that from the moment she saw the book, she knew it would make a great film.
“The book was adorable,” recalls Peters. “It reflected not only things I’ve gone through, but also what so many others — women and men — have experienced through their own trials with relationships. The film illustrates it all perfectly.”
Peters’ producing partner, Robert Evans, agrees. “This movie captures my sentiments exactly — any man who thinks he knows the mind of a woman is a man who knows nothing, and any woman who thinks she knows the mind of a man is absolutely right,” quips Evans. “But seriously, it is indeed rare to make a film that women and men will relate to equally, a film that opens up relationships in a way never explored before with a unique brand of humor.”
Two-time Emmy winner for Best Supporting Actress in the comedy series “Cheers,” Bebe Neuwirth, who plays the editor-in-chief of Composure Magazine, says that the film has something for everyone.
“There’s a little something reflected from our own lives in this film and people are going to see a part of the courting dance they’ve experienced in their own lives,” says Neuwirth. “It’s a very funny movie and extremely entertaining.”
According to Obst, the film is basically poking fun at the gender war. “All the plotting people do, all the schemes they create in order to win this battle between the sexes is just everyone’s way of protecting themselves,” observes Obst. “Underneath it all, everyone is really longing for is genuine affection and they get so caught up in the game, they often forget that the object is connection not victory.”
Peters agrees, and credits the performances of Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, along with Donald Petrie’s “brilliant directorial talents” for the success of bringing this gender war to life.
“Kate and Matthew not only look great together but they also make their characters really come alive with sterling performances,” she says. “For all the talent and beguiling beauty Kate brings to the screen, Matthew matches it with his own talent, good looks and charm.”
Evans points to the director’s track record. “Donald has proven himself time after time with romantic comedies, and now he’s done it again. The man is simply a maestro. The way he conducts and orchestrates the set, he hits every note every time.”
Petrie, who has directed the likes of Julia Roberts in “Mystic Pizza” and Sandra Bullock in “Miss Congeniality,” says that besides the clever script, what attracted him most to “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” was the chance to work with Academy Award® nominee and Golden Globe winner Kate Hudson.
“Kate’s debut in ‘Almost Famous’ showed what an astonishing talent she is, and now this film will showcase her incredible comedic timing,” says Petrie, adding that audiences will also find Hudson’s acting style as unpredictable and endearing as the film.
“Every time Kate does a take, she does it differently,” notes Petrie. “Ten actresses might read a line one way, but Kate does it in the most unexpected way that radiates across the screen. She’s also a very generous actress. She never takes a scene, she shares it, and that’s what sparks chemistry.”
Indeed, one of the main reasons why “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” works so well is the easy interaction between the two main stars.
“We got very lucky with Kate and Matthew,” says Obst. “They have so much chemistry they bounce light off of each other. They make each other more beautiful.”
While Obst had never worked with Hudson before, she had worked with McConaughey in “Contact” and was thrilled to be working with him again.
“Matthew is like girl candy,” says Obst. “He’s a sexy Texas good-old boy, and it’s hilarious to see him in this gender war. His masculinity is so innate that I think it’ll keep the men in the audience rooting for his ultimate victory, and the women will just love looking at him.”
Kate Hudson points out that her character, Andie Anderson, is also someone both genders will be rooting for. “Andie is a savvy New York working girl who has bigger aspirations than writing about mascara and laser treatments,” says Hudson. “She’s the girl that everyone wants to be and the kind of woman every guy wants to date. Of course, while she appears to be perfect, she’s not. She’s afraid to be vulnerable just like most of us. After all, there’s so much more to risk when you let down your guard.”
McConaughey believes that his character, Benjamin Barry, is very similar to Andie, and like her, there’s very little not to like about him.
“Women are going to just love Ben,” says McConaughey. “He shows amazing patience under extreme duress. And men are going to totally relate to how Andie tests this poor guy to the max. I mean, she rearranges his bathroom, she changes his music, she redoes his apartment and she even invades his poker game. Still, I found myself actually rooting for them to get together,” admits the actor. “They both have walls up, and when they finally let down the barriers and for a moment become real with one another, it’s very gratifying.”
Adam Goldberg, who has had supporting roles in such films as “A Beautiful Mind” and “Saving Private Ryan,” says that he was proud to play one of McConaughey’s sidekicks (Tony) in a film “as cleverly written” as “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.”
“This film definitely isn’t just a chick flick,” the actor points out. “A lot of guys are going to know exactly what Matthew’s character is going through. Besides that, it’s a smart picture.”
Portraying Andie’s best friends Michelle and Jeannie are Kathryn Hahn and Annie Parisse. Together, Andie, Michelle and Jeannie have seen each other through countless relationships and a ton of heartbreak, and they’ve always been there for one another.
Hahn, who comes to her role in “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” straight out of Yale Drama School, emerges in the film as a new comedic talent. She sees Michelle as a woman who is basically a mess when it comes to relationships.
“Disappointment is a great thing to look for in a relationship because it’s not hard to find,” quips Hahn. “Like Michelle, I’m clueless about dating guys. In fact, I’m a virtuoso at failed relationships.”
While Michelle is the hopeless romantic of the three girls, Jeannie is the ultimate cynic. “My character is a pragmatist, a realistic, cutting-edge career woman who looks a problem straight in the eye and attacks with gusto,” says Parrise. “She is definitely skeptical when it comes to relationships…like a lot of us.”
As for Bebe Neuwirth, whose character Lana, is modeled after the great fashion editors of such magazines as Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, it was fun playing the no-nonsense editor-in-chief of Composure Magazine.
“Lana’s a powerful woman who’s very good at her job,” observes Neuwirth, adding with a wicked grin, “but more importantly, she gets to wear a Harry Winston diamond tiara and some extremely cool clothes in this film.”
Besides the diamond-bedecked Neuwirth, “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” features several other dazzling supporting cast members, including veteran entertainer Robert Klein, who plays Phillip Warren, head of the Warren Advertising Group and Ben’s boss; Thomas Lennon, who portrays Thayer, one of Ben’s co-conspirators and sidekicks at the ad agency; and Michael Michele and Shalom Harlow, who play Spears and Green, a pair of smart and unflappable ad agency women, who think they know how to sell diamonds better than anyone…especially Ben.
“This film is definitely equal in the gender department,” observes Obst. “It’s about how men see women and women see men, and all the things they find utterly mysterious about each other.”
Directed by: Donald Petrie
Starring: Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, Kathryn Hahn, Adam Goldberg, Bebe Neuwirth, Annie Parisse, Michael Michele, Samantha Quan, Archie MacGregor
Screenplay by: Brian Regan, Burr Steers
Production Design by: Thérèse DePrez
Cinematography by: John Bailey
Film Editing by: Debra Neil-Fisher
Costume Design by: Karen Patch
Music by: David Newman
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some sex-related material.
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: February 7, 2003
