Music and Lyrics [WS]

Overview

A professional collaboration between a popular lyricist and a washed-up musician takes a decidedly personal turn as the pair gradually finds their relationship developing into something much deeper in a romantic comedy directed by Marc Lawrence and starring Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant. Alex Fletcher (Grant) may have been all the rage in the 1980s, but these days he's lucky to get a gig playing at the local county fair. Just when it seems as if things couldn't get any more bleak for the dejected has-been rocker, reigning pop diva Cora Corman (Haley Bennett) offers Alex the opportunity of a lifetime -- write and record a duet to be sung with her and watch his career receive a much-needed boost as the nostalgia-crazed public laps it up. Little does Cora realize that not only has it been years since Alex has written a song, but he's never actually written a single lyric. Now, if he hopes to make the comeback needed to save him from a life of complete and utter obscurity, Alex will have to craft a radio-friendly hit in a matter of mere days. Luckily for Alex, his quirky plant-keeper Sophie Fisher (Barrymore) has quite a way with words and may possess just the kind of songwriting talent needed to make such a hit happen. Unfortunately the beguiling Sophie is still reeling from a recent break-up with newly famous novelist Sloan Cates (Campbell Scott), and she isn't quite sure if she's ready for any kind of collaboration right now -- romantic or otherwise. Despite Alex's hesitation to commit and Sophie's reluctance to collaborate, the pair quickly discovers that a little chemistry can go a long way in healing the wounds of the past and laying the foundation for a much-deserved future of happiness and success.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/08/2007
UPC:	0085391112822
Original Release:	2007
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Warner Home Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:44:00
Sales rank:	7,715

Special Features

Additional scenes; Gag reel; Note for Note: The Making of Music and Lyrics; PoP! Goes My Heart music video; Languages & Subtitles: English, Français (dubbed in Quebec) & Español (feature film only)

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Drew Barrymore	Sophie Fisher
Hugh Grant	Alex Fletcher
Toni Trucks	Tricia
Brad Garrett	Chris Riley
Haley Bennett	Cora Corman
Brooke Tansley	Janice Stern
Aasif Mandvi	Khan
Zak Orth	David Newbert
Nicholas Michael Bacon	Pop Bass Player
Andrew Wyatt	Pop Guitar Player
Dan McMillan	Pop Drummer
Tom Foligno	Has-Beens Promo Announcer
Daniel Stewart Sherman	Willy
Matthew Morrison	Ray
Jason Antoon	Greg Antonsky
Jeremy Karson	Charlie
Emma Lesser	Lucy
Kristen Johnston	Rhonda
Adam Grupper	Gary
Charlotte Maier	Barbara
Lanette Ware-Bushfield	Mia
Campbell Scott	Sloan Cates
William Griffith	Derek
Kathleen McNenny	Gloria
Stevie Ray Dallimore	Maitre d'
Spenser Leigh	Beth Riley
Lou Torres	Security Guard
Dan Karaty	Choreographer
Nick Kenkel	Dancer
Nina Lafarga	Dancer
Seth Stewart	Dancer
Roel Suasin	Dancer
Reed Kelly	Dancer
Ariana Bernstein	Girl at Concert
Bill Chemerka	Concert Vendor
Michael Ciesla	Party Guest
Peter Conboy	Reunion Classmate
Jeannine Kaspar	Girlfriend of Alex Fletcher
Mark A. Keeton	Sloan's Dinner Companion
Bernadette Lords	Cora Corman Fan
Kelli Summers	Nurse
Robert Sciglimpaglia	Reunion Classmate

Technical Credits

Liz Glotzer	Producer
Martin Shafer	Producer
Hal Gaba	Executive Producer
Bruce Berman	Executive Producer
Nancy Juvonen	Executive Producer

Editorial Reviews

Marc Lawrence's Music and Lyrics works in large part because the original songs written for the film are as memorable and catchy as any real-life single -- making it pretty easy to accept that these are tunes topping the charts. From the opening video for the new wave era "Pop Goes My Heart," to the "Careless Whisper" knockoff "Meaningless Kiss," to the confessional, intimate love song at the end of the film, Lawrence makes the fictional world of Music and Lyrics pleasingly plausible because the songs always fit their time and place. A handful of songwriters pitched in to compose these tracks, but the standout is Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger -- who provided the same service in Tom Hanks' That Thing You Do!, earning an Oscar nomination for writing the title track (one of the best rock songs ever composed for a movie). The uniformly excellent cast is headed by Hugh Grant, who can mix self-loathing with charm better than anyone else on the planet. He is ideally cast in the role of Alex Fletcher, an Andrew Ridgley-like figure eking out a living thanks to a wave of '80s nostalgia. Grant's nuanced performance conveys both Alex's embarrassment about singing these same songs decades after they were hits, while at the same time exuding the understandable pride he feels for having written such a memorable tune. Drew Barrymore makes a perfect fit for Grant as the sweet but insecure Sophie, creating a tonic for his sarcasm with her natural bubbliness. The two leads clearly know how to carry this kind of movie, and they also get some wonderful color from their supporting cast, including Brad Garrett as a loyal agent, Campbell Scott as Sophie's cold-hearted ex, and Haley Bennett in an impressive debut as a frighteningly plausible composite of every teen idol of the time. Lawrence and company find just enough notes of originality in the romantic comedy formula -- and they put in enough care and craftsmanship -- to make the movie thoroughly enjoyable.