The movie's tone veers wildly from scene to scene before taking an unexpected turn in the final scenes.
Little Black Book (2004)
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Reviews Counted:107
Fresh:24
Rotten:83
Average Rating:4.4/10
Consensus: An obnoxious, awkward mix of romantic comedy and reality show satire.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for sexual content/humor and language
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Aug 6, 2004 Wide
Box Office: $20,422,207
Synopsis: Everything seems to be falling into place for Stacy (Brittany Murphy). She's just landed a job as associate producer on Kippie Kann Do!, a local syndicated talk show, and she's now one step closer... Everything seems to be falling into place for Stacy (Brittany Murphy). She's just landed a job as associate producer on Kippie Kann Do!, a local syndicated talk show, and she's now one step closer to realizing her dream of working with Diane Sawyer. Also, she's pretty sure that her beau Derek (Ron Livingston) is "the one," but she can't understand why he's commitment-phobic. Then a staffer on her show pitches an idea about how electronic "little black books" can be used to see if your mate is keeping secrets from you. Stacy's discovery that Derek failed to divulge a past relationship makes her wonder what else he might be hiding. With the help of an older, more experienced associate producer, Barb (Holly Hunter), Stacy begins to use Derek's Palm Pilot to investigate his exes. But when she develops a friendship with one of the women, Stacy begins to question not only what she has done, but also what she really wants. In the long run, Stacy gets much more than she bargained for as this slightly dark comedy takes some unexpected turns. Directed by Nick Hurran, the film features a soundtrack of classic Carly Simon tunes. Kathy Bates plays Kippie Kann. [More]
Starring: Brittany Murphy, Ron Livingston, Kathy Bates, Holly Hunter
Starring: Brittany Murphy, Ron Livingston, Kathy Bates, Holly Hunter, Sharon Lawrence, Josie Maran, Jason Antoon, Rick Overton
Director: Nick Hurran
Director: Nick Hurran
Screenwriter: Elisa Bell, Melissa Carter
Producer: Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Deborah Schindler, William Sherak, Jason Shuman, Herb Gains
Composer: Christophe Beck
Studio: Columbia Pictures
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Reviews for Little Black Book
The problem is that director Nick Hurran and writers Melissa Carter and Elisa Bell see this as more of a sit-com. And, in a vain attempt to get laughs, they de-humanize their characters.
A screechy chick-flick relationship comedy with a lot of things working for and against it -- mostly against it.
It's not a major departure from the sugary genre norm, but Little Black Book definitely doesn't go where romantic comedy convention says it should.
One of those annoyingly coy romantic comedies in which people try to improve their relationships by deceiving and investigating each other.
If we had to guess -- based on scenes where Murphy has to mug and roll her eyes and hop up and down or smack an answering machine with a hockey stick -- we'd say there was no script.
It practically throws out its back with wackiness, but underneath, it nurses a misbegotten morality play.
Focus on the excellent performances by Holly Hunter and Julianne Nicholson, the primary reasons this mean-spirited comedy can be tolerated at all.
Little Black Book is a dismal comedy about one betrayal after another.
The director's best efforts to try to balance heart with farce and nice-girl folly with mean-girl meddling do not create any sort of believable whole.
An unexpectedly enjoyable romantic comedy, Little Black Book steers clear of conventional contrivances and sugary idealism--without being down with love.
[T]he film itself isn’t really a romantic comedy because there’s no romance in it. Rather it’s the antithesis of a romantic comedy.
If she keeps this up, the number listed for Brittany Murphy in your PDA will soon need to be changed from Moviefone to a neighborhood video store.
it is with great relief that I report what started out as a forgettable bit of fluff gradually turned into something a bit more substantial. A bit.
As a media satire, Little Black Book is quite funny. Unfortunately, it's a romantic comedy, and in that area, it doesn't measure up.
This mixture of sleazy daytime talk shows and lighthearted romantic comedy makes for a muddled mess with few bright spots.
We are drilled again and again in how much we should hate all of these characters.
The comedy veering into drama isn't smooth but with Murphy as the focus it works
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