How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Script Review
By Babosa

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is a romantic comedy, distributed by Paramount Pictures, Based on a “how not to” humor book entitled “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: The Universal Don’ts of Dating,” written by Jeannie Long and Michele Alexander. The script is written by Kirsten Buckley and Brian Regan (co writers of 102 Dalmatians), and has gone through three revisions (one of those revisions by Burr Steers). Originally scheduled to start production in early 2001, filming in New York and Toronto, Canada, should begin sometime during this next summer(2002). 58 year old (yes! He’s that old) Danny DeVito, who has directed movies such as Death to Smoochy(2002), Matilda(1996), and The War of the Roses(1989), is slated to direct this movie; he’ll have a budget of about $50 million US dollars. The three producers are Robert Evans, Christine Forsyth-Petes, and Lynda Obst.

The blackness fades up to show the bustling interior of a popular Manhattan pub. The camera picks up on a young bar stud as he glides across the floor zeroing in on his intended victim, a seductively beautiful 24 year old gal, named Andie Anderson, who is sexily sipping her drink with that “come hither” look. Introductions are exchanged and Andie, played by pretty 23 year old Kate Hudson(Almost Famous(2000)), quickly explains that she’s basically a schizophrenic off medication who wants to have sex with him. He, being a red blooded American male, says,“Okay.” Then, a series of cuts to various other bars around New York City show Andie getting increasingly more and more exasperated as she reveals equally bazaar revelations to various men who always answer yes to the “sex with her” question. Andie’s “research” done, we cut to Andie’s work cubicle as she prepares for a staff meeting with her boss to discuss her upcoming column ideas for Composure, the magazine of fashion and style. At the meeting, the humor flies as Andie’s colleagues, straight laced yet perkily upbeat, present their own column ideas to THE BOSS, Lilly. Lilly focuses her complete attention on Andie, inquiring about her article. Andie, with no solid material in mind, quickly pieces together her “research” and the plight of her coworker-friend’s(Michelle, also at the meeting) uncanny ability to drive men away with her misguided overzealous relationship DONT’S. Andie explains her idea of chronicling the events and mistakes that the “typical” overzealous woman creates that inadvertently drive normal guys away; Lilly loves it and they call it, of course, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Half of the game is afoot!

Meanwhile, 28 year old Benjamin Barry, played by 33 year old Matthew McConaughey (The Wedding Planner(2001) & U-571(2000)), goes through HIS day as a sharp, ladder-climbing ad man in a Madison Avenue advertising agency. Crap hits the fan and Ben makes a bet with his boss, Stephen Warren, that he can make a girl fall totally in love with him in 10 days; if Ben wins, he lands a major account salivated over by other conniving coworkers. If he loses, the account goes to his rivals, a flashy-classy female tag team named Spears and Green. The bet is accepted and the other half of the game is afoot! The rest of the script is a playful dance of separate lives learning to synchronize their rhythms, all within (well, maybe sometimes without) the confines of this strange “game” between Ben and Andie, who “happen” to find each other as unknowing players.

The title alone, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, screams out CHICK FLICK! I have to admit that the title did turn me off a little as I’m typically not a fan for that genre. Imagine my utter shock when I found myself pleasantly enjoying the reading just a few pages into it. I was actually looking forward to reading not just the next scene, but the next page! I was hooked. I soon found myself with a big dumb smile on my face, occasionally laughing out loud at the comedy therein. The meshing of the two halves of the story is presented with thought and with a good sense of structure. The whole story is cute, comedic and flirtatious with a nice squishy ending filled with the salty tears of... Wait a minute. Maybe I’ve got a brain tumor or something. If I like this chick flick, then maybe a typical gal must hate it, right? So I had esposa babosa read it for herself with no opinions from me (had on me best poker face!). Her thoughts:

” I really liked it! It slowed a bit about halfway in (I agree), but then it came back up to speed. I can’t wait to see it. It should be good, especially with Danny DeVito directing it.”

I agree. It should be good with DeVito directing. However, there are rumors floating about that DeVito might back out of this one. I hope not. It might still be a good movie without DeVito because of the script, Hudson, and McConaughey, but it could be something very sweet with DeVito’s accomplished touch.