Irish screenwriter, playwright, and director Gerard Stembridge's glib romantic comedy is a tale of familial sexual intrigue told from the multiple perspectives of three sisters and... more
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About Adam [2001]
Directed by playwright Gerard Stembridge, About Adam is a charmingly funny romantic comedy
... more
set against an unusually trendy Dublin backdrop. Adam (Stuart Townsend) is the sweetly bashful young man for whom singing bistro waitress Lucy (Kate Hudson) fall...
Advantages: Kate Hudson Disadvantages: Stuart Townsend's character, Adam
...a film on BBC2 called About Adam. Described as a romantic comedy featuring Kate Hudson, I figured it was my kind of thing so I recorded it for later viewing. The following afternoon I was at a loose end so I settled down on the sofa and started to watch the film. The film started off so well - it made me think "Yes, this is my kind of film" and "Ooh I'd marry him if he did that". Later I wanted to kick the screen, more specifically Townsend's character, ... ...has also been in Mad About Mambo and The Butcher Boy, both of which are Irish films. OVERALL Considering this was supposedly a comedy, it isn’t actually funny, apart from David's embarrassment at being aroused by Adam. Lucy is really likeable, and the mother, Peggy is amusing, but it's not an amazing film. It is some consolation that the movie is only 97 minutes long, therefore not a huge waste of your time. If you're a man this film may well be ...
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Advantages: Stuart Townsend-Thats it, I kid you not Disadvantages: No plot, unconvincng accents, attempts to be arty
...telling me what I was about to see, and so this may have something to do with what I thought…Utter tripe.
I would warn you that there are plot spoilers coming up, but as there is no plot, and I strongly advise all of you not to bother with this film, we are safe to continue with me spoiling the decidedly-non-plot of this film
***"Storyline"*** *(note inverted commas)
About Adam is set in Dublin, and stars Stuart Townsend (yes please) as Adam, ... ...them from my previous complaints about the lack of plot. But this type of film doesn't really appeal to me, and so I found it pretty boring and a bit wussy.
Adam is overly charming, but a bit annoying by the end. I couldn't believe he was getting away with what he was doing, and everyone thought he was fantastic. He played the part well though, as we see him through Lucy's eyes (sweet, caring boyfriend), Laura's (poetic, passionate and misunderstood), ...
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Actor(s): Stuart Townsend, Frances O'Connor, Charlotte Bradley, Kate Hudson, Rosaleen Linehan, Tommy Tiernan, Donal Beecher, Alan Maher
Director(s): Gerard Stembridge
Genre: Comedy - Romantic
Classification: 15 years and over
Production Year: 2000
Running Time: 1 hour 34 minutes
Video Category: Feature Film
Plot: Lucy Owen has fallen head over heels in love with Adam, and on the surface he seems to be perfect for her. But is there more to Adam than she first thought?...
Release details
DVD Region: Region 2 (Europe)
Studio(s): PRISM LEISURE
Release date: 14/10/2002
No of Discs: 1
Catalogue No: PPA 1298
Editor: Mary Finlay
Barcode: 5014293129855
Production Designer: Fiona Daly
Screenwriter: Gerard Stembridge
Composer: Adrian Johnston
Executive Producer: Harvey Weinstein, David M. Thompson, Colin Leventhal, Rod Stoneman, Trea Hoving, David Aukin
Director of Photography: Bruno de Keyser
Producer: Marina Hughes, Anna Devlin, Harvey Weinstein
Languages
Main Language: English
DVD Description
Irish screenwriter, playwright, and director Gerard Stembridge's glib romantic comedy is a tale of familial sexual intrigue told from the multiple perspectives of three sisters and their brother. In stark contrast to rural cinematic visions of Ireland like WAKING NED DEVINE, Stembridge's story is set in a glittering, hiply urbane Dublin. Lucy Owens, (Kate Hudson) a waitress-cum-singer in a sleek cafe, has a romantic past littered with boyfriends, but not one great passion. Things change for the pretty singer when she meets the sexy, shy Adam (Stuart Townsend), whose sweetness charms both Lucy and her family. Behind the wide-eyed facade, however, Adam is a roguish serial seducer, who begins to work his magic on Lucy's repressed, bookish sister Laura (Frances O'Connor). With tragic flair, the sensual Adam recites poetry angling to get into the Victorian mind, heart and bed of Laura. Matters are further complicated when the oblivious Lucy proposes to the caddish chameleon, and her older, wiser sister, Alice (Charlotte Bradley) and brother, David, (Alan Maher) begin to suspect Adam's apparent perfection. Stembridge's farcical sexual romp features a young, talented cast and is a firmly tongue-in-cheek examination of sexual morality and family relationships.
Professional reviews
Review: "...Cleverly written and featuring a top-notch cast....[Townsend's] performance is a consistent delight..." (Hollywood Reporter, p.19-48, 06/12/2000)
"ABOUT ADAM is a sly romantic comedy made with wit and insight..." (Los Angeles Times, p.5, 09/05/2001)
"...Kate Hudson, Frances O'Connor and Charlotte Bradley give delightful performances..." (Movieline, p.31, 01/04/2001)
"...Refreshing....[Townsend] brings to the movie's duplicitous title character a winningly light touch..." (New York Times, p.E4, 09/05/2001)
"...Stembridge keeps the amoral laughs bubbling..." (Rolling Stone, p.146, 12/04/2001)
"...Stembridge's screenplay cleverly shifts perspective....Upbeat, well cast and occasionally droll....Kate Hudson is a gifted comedienne with an ear for accents..." (Sight and Sound, p.38, 01/04/2001)
"...Frances O'Connor and a bubbly Kate Hudson provide excellent turns..." (Total Film, p.102, 01/04/2001)
