Amy's O (Amy's Orgasm) (Why Love Doesn't Work)

2002

Amy's O (Amy's Orgasm) (Why Love Doesn't Work)

Critics Consensus

The title character is too self-absorbed to be all that engaging, and the movie's depiction of gender issues seems retrograde.

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Movie Info

A woman who gives advice on relationships for a living is trying to make sense of her own problems with the opposite sex in this independent romantic comedy. Amy (Julie Davis) is a single woman in her mid-twenties who has recently published a self-help book called Why Love Doesn't Work, in which she discusses why a woman doesn't need a husband or a boyfriend to feel fulfilled. But Amy isn't so sure she believes her own advice, and after four years without a steady relationship, she wants a man in her life. Feeling conflicted, Amy isn't sure where to turn or with whom she can discuss her relationship issues; she ends up sharing her problems with a priest (Jeff Cesario) who mans the confessional at a nearby Catholic church, even though Amy is Jewish. As Amy's book hits the stores, Janet (Caroline Aaron), a friend who works as a publicist for her publisher, snags Amy an appearance on a radio show hosted by Matthew Starr (Nick Chinlund), a popular but foul-mouthed "shock jock." Matthew is exactly the sort of man Amy warns her readers to stay away from, so she isn't sure why she finds herself attracted to him -- or why he seems to be interested in her. Amy's Orgasm was written and directed by Julie Davis, who also stars as Amy; the film was enthusiastically received in its screening at the 2001 Santa Barbara Film Festival.

Rating:

R (strong sexual content including dialogue, and for language)
Genre:

Comedy, Drama, Romance
Directed By:

Julie Davis
Written By:

Julie Davis
In Theaters:

Aug 23, 2002 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Dec 10, 2002
Runtime:

85 minutes
Studio:

Catchlight Films

Cast

Julie Davis
as Amy Mandell

Nick Chinlund
as Matthew Starr

Caroline Aaron
as Janet Gaines

Mitchell Whitfield
as Don

Jennifer Bransford
as Elizabeth

Jeff Cesario
as Priest

Mary Ellen Trainor
as Amy's Mom

Stephen Polk
as Bill

Charles Cioffi
as Amy's Dad

Tina Lifford
as Irene Barris

Michael Harris
as Jerry Hegeman

Mark Brown
as Mike

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Critic Reviews for Amy's O (Amy's Orgasm) (Why Love Doesn't Work)

All Critics (30) | Top Critics (10) | DVD (1)

Davis' candid, archly funny and deeply authentic take on intimate relationships comes to fruition in her sophomore effort.

Jan 31, 2003

Lael Loewenstein
Variety
Top Critic
Despite its many infuriating flaws -- not the least of which is Amy's self-absorbed personality -- Amy's O's honesty will win you over.

Jan 31, 2003

Marta Barber
Miami Herald
Top Critic
When compared to the usual, more somber festival entries, Davis' highly personal brand of romantic comedy is a tart, smart breath of fresh air that stands out from the pack even if the picture itself is somewhat problematic.

Jan 2, 2003

Michael Rechtshaffen
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic
The whole mess boils down to a transparently hypocritical work that feels as though it's trying to set the women's liberation movement back 20 years.

Oct 4, 2002 | Rating: 1/4 | Full Review…

Erin Meister
Boston Globe
Top Critic
About Amy's cuteness, Amy's career success (she's a best-selling writer of self-help books who can't help herself), and Amy's neuroses when it comes to men.

Sep 27, 2002 | Rating: C | Full Review…

Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
Top Critic
Like Kissing Jessica Stein, Amy's Orgasm has a key strength in its willingness to explore its principal characters with honesty, insight and humor.

Aug 29, 2002 | Rating: 4/5

Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic
a nightmare date with a half-formed wit done a great disservice by a lack of critical distance and a sad trust in liberal arts college bumper sticker platitudes.

Feb 12, 2003 | Rating: 0.5/4 | Full Review…

Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central
One of the most plain, unimaginative romantic comedies I've ever seen.

Dec 8, 2002 | Rating: 2.5/5

Eric Campos
Film Threat
Julie Davis is the Kathie Lee Gifford of film directors, sadly proving once again ego doesn't always go hand in hand with talent.

Nov 27, 2002 | Rating: 0/10

Brandon Judell
Bay Area Reporter
Davis is funny, charming and quirky in her feature film acting debut as Amy.

Nov 9, 2002 | Full Review…

Jean Lowerison
San Diego Metropolitan
Frankly, it's kind of insulting, both to men and women. And it's not that funny -- which is just generally insulting.

Oct 2, 2002 | Rating: 2.5/5 | Full Review…

Tim Cogshell
Boxoffice Magazine
Obvious

Sep 23, 2002 | Rating: 2.5/5

Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

View All Critic Reviews (30)

Audience Reviews for Amy's O (Amy's Orgasm) (Why Love Doesn't Work)

Apr 17, 2007

<i>Amy's O</i> is an American indie comedy starring Julie Davis as Amy, author of a self-help novel titled "Why Love Doesn't Work", which has made her very successful and very rich. Surprise, surprise, she meets a man and starts falling in love, thereby making her re-think her negative outlook on love. Along the way, Amy looks at her own sex and love life, often in obsessive detail, examining her own neurosis and other peoples hang-ups. It's a very mediocre film - Julie Davis is fine enough, though a little grating after a while, but the supporting cast, including the love interest, are all pretty blah. The story is also completely unoriginal and the conclusion is horribly yucky and Hollywood-ish. To be honest, you'll get (a lot) more laughs, drama and insight out of any <i>Sex & The City</i> episode. I was pretty disappointed.

Daniel P Super Reviewer