De-Lovely

For the popular song by Cole Porter, see Its De-Lovely.

pending death, she introduces him to her decorator and

estate advisor, in an attempt to give Cole a new partner
once shes gone. The match is successful.

De-Lovely is a 2004 musical biopic directed by Irwin

Winkler. The screenplay by Jay Cocks is based on the
life and career of Cole Porter, from his rst meeting with
Linda Lee Thomas until his death. It is the second biopic
about the composer, following Night and Day.

Linda dies in 1954, and Cole is devastated. But he continues his work until 1958, when degeneration of the bad
leg nally requires amputation, aecting his creative output. He never writes again, but works in productions of
his earlier works, dying in 1964 at age 73.[1][2]

Plot
2 Cast

As he is about to die, Porters life ashes before him in

the form of a musical production staged by the archangel
Gabriel in the Indiana theater where the composer rst
performed on stage.

Kevin Kline as Cole Porter

Ashley Judd as Linda Lee Thomas/Porter

He immediately calls to mind the start of his story - the

night he met his wife, Linda Lee Thomas - Paris latest divorcee and stunning beauty. From the start, they click
and become a devoted couple. Linda is well aware of
Coles gay identity and activities; her ex was the same
but violent with her. Cole is completely dierent, she declares on their wedding day - he loves and adores her and
shows it, so she tolerates his dalliances. Her love for and
devotion to him are strong enough for her to overlook his
romantic ings outside their marriage. With Linda his fun
with music turns into a top international career. Their lavish lifestyle is enviable worldwide. At lms end he tells
her the songs were all about her - not all she corrects but enough of them. The leaders in music praise his work
and his amazing shows begin. Linda begins a tradition for
his show opening nights - a Cartier cigarette case custom
designed and engraved to commemorate each show, but
almost misses one of his openings herself due to miscarriage and they remain childless.

Jonathan Pryce as Gabriel the archangel

Kevin McNally as Gerald Murphy
Sandra Nelson as Sara Murphy
Allan Corduner as Monty Woolley
Peter Polycarpou as Louis B. Mayer
Keith Allen as Irving Berlin
James Wilby as Edward Thomas
Kevin McKidd as Bobby Reed
Richard Dillane as Bill Wrather

To cheer Linda, the couple move the showbiz, by invitation, to Hollywood. Great excitement, a new extravagant home, but trouble: his ings get too overt and indiscreet and it creates tension. Cole is photographed in an
amorous embrace with another man in a public restroom
of a gay nightclub, and both he and Linda are blackmailed
into paying a heavy settlement to suppress publication of
the pictures. When he shrugs o the blackmail, she nally
goes to Paris, leaving him bereft.

John Barrowman as Jack

Peter Jessop as Diaghilev
Edward Baker-Duly as Boris Kochno
Je Harding as Cody
Caroline O'Connor as Ethel Merman

Not until he is injured in a horseback riding accident that

seriously cripples him does she return to his side, willing to forgive but still nding diculty in coping with his
extramarital aairs. Eventually Linda is diagnosed with
emphysema, and as she prepares them both for her im-

See Soundtrack section for the numerous pop and

rock musicians who appeared as on-screen musical
performers
1

5 RECEPTION

Production

12. "Anything Goes" performed by Caroline O'Connor

Although Porter was a passable singer at best, director

Irwin Winkler cast Kevin Kline, winner of two Tony
Awards and two Drama Desk Awards for his musical performances on Broadway, as the composer. He stayed in
character by limiting his vocal range. Most of his singing
was recorded live on the set, and the actor played the piano himself in the scenes where Porter plays.
According to Winklers commentary on the DVD release
of the lm, he had considered numerous actresses for the
role of Linda when Ashley Judd's agent advised him she
was interested in the part. Winkler was certain her salary
demand would exceed that allowed by the budget, but the
actress was so anxious to portray Linda she was willing to
lower her usual asking price. Judd is twenty years younger
than Kline, although the composers wife was eight years
older than he.
Filming locations included Chiswick House and Luton
Hoo.

13. Experiment performed by Kevin Kline

14. "Love for Sale" performed by Vivian Green
15. "So in Love" performed by Lara Fabian and Mario
Frangoulis
16. "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" performed by
Natalie Cole
17. Blow, Gabriel, Blow performed by Jonathan
Pryce, Kevin Kline, Cast, and Chorus
18. "In the Still of the Night" performed by Kevin Kline
and Ashley Judd
19. "You're the Top" performed by Cole Porter

5 Reception

[3]

The lm premiered at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. It

was shown at the CineVegas International Film Festival,
the Sydney Film Festival, and the San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival before going into
limited release in the US.

The lm grossed $13,337,299 in the US and $5,059,083

in other markets for a total worldwide box oce of
$18,396,382.[4]

Track Listing (Europe)

Larry King said: Far and away the best musical biography ever made.

Critically, the lm had a mixed reception. It garnered

a score of 53 from Metacritic[5] and a 48% rating from
review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.[6] Roger Ebert gave
4 Soundtrack
the lm 3.5 out of a possible four stars. He wrote,
for his review in the Chicago Sun-Times, that De-Lovely
A soundtrack album of music from the lm was released "...brings [...] a worldly sophistication that is rare in the
movies.[7]
on June 15, 2004.

In his review in The New York Times, Stephen Holden

called the lm lethally inert and lifeless and drained
"Lets Do It (Lets Fall In Love)" performed by of genuine joie de vivre" and added, It didn't have to be
like this. In their highly stylized ways, All That Jazz (Bob
Alanis Morissette
Fosse's morbidly manic screen autobiography), Ken Rus"Begin the Beguine" performed by Sheryl Crow
sell's surreal portraits of composers or any of Federico
Fellini's libidinous self-explorations have delved deeply
"Lets Misbehave" performed by Elvis Costello
into the muck of artistic creativity. Sadly, the daring and
"Be a Clown" performed by Kevin Kline, Peter Poly- imagination required to go below the surface are nowhere
to be found in De-Lovely.[8]
carpou, and Chorus

1. "Its De-Lovely" performed by Robbie Williams

2.
3.
4.
5.

Ruthe Stein of the San Francisco Chronicle said, The

movie never gels - despite Klines nuanced performance,
"Easy to Love" performed by Kevin Kline the stars exquisite period clothes designed by Armani,
(American release omits this track)
and, of course, Porters great songs. Director Irwin Winklers highly stylized technique is dicult to connect with
"True Love" by Ashley Judd and Tayler Hamilton
emotionally. His lm also suers from shockingly sloppy
"What is This Thing Called Love?" performed by editing for a studio production. If nothing else, the composer . . . deserves a movie that has rhythm. But
Lemar
De- Lovely lurches along like a car with a missing spark
"I Love You" performed by Mick Hucknall
plug.[9]

6. "Night and Day" performed by John Barrowman

7.
8.
9.
10.

11. "Just One of Those Things" performed by Diana In Rolling Stone, Peter Travers rated the lm three out of
Krall
a possible four stars and commented, In voice, manner,

3
patrician charm and private torment, Kevin Kline is perfection as legendary composer Cole Porter . . . At its
best, De-Lovely evokes a time, a place and a sound with
stylish wit and sophistication.[10]
Steve Persall of the St. Petersburg Times graded the lm
C- and observed, The movie is actually an ugly compilation of clashing cinematic styles occasionally salvaged by
musical numbers that essentially are part of the problem.
You can't make a good movie about a 1930s composer using a 1970s lm conceit while hiring 21st century recording artists to perform Porters classic songs. A tribute CD,
maybe, but not a movie . . . [it] plays like a cabaret review rather than a motion picture, a sublime collection
of songs linked by scripted banter barely scratching the
surface of its subject. Not delightful, not delicious, just
disappointing.[11]

8 References
[1] Gardner, Elysa (2004-06-30). The woman beside the
man. USA Today. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
[2] Gardner, Elysa (2004-06-30). "'De-Lovely' examines unsanitized Porter. USA Today. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
[3] Festival de Cannes: De-Lovely. festival-cannes.com.
Retrieved 2009-12-05.
[4] De-Lovely at TheNumbers.com
[5] http://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/delovely?q=
de-lovely
[6] http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/delovely/
[7] De-Lovely. Chicago Sun-Times.

Billboard reported that the lm has inspired a Cole [8] New York Times review
Porter renaissance on Top Jazz albums. By the end
of July 2004, the lms soundtrack reached 4-3 on Top [9] San Francisco Chronicle review
Soundtracks and 77-58 on The Billboard 200. The lm [10] Rolling Stone review
also boosted chart numbers for the then-recently released
compilations albums: The Very Best of Cole Porter, Ultra [11] St. Petersburg Times review
Lounge: Cocktails With Cole Porter, and Its De Lovely - [12] Billboard July 24, 2004; p. 72
The Authentic Cole Porter Collection.[12]

Awards and nominations

Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Kevin Kline, nominee)
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Ashley Judd, nominee)
Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Kline, nominee)
Satellite Award for Best Costume Design (nominee)
Satellite Award for Best Art Direction/Production
Design (winner)
Costume Designers Guild Award for Excellence in
Costume Design for Film - Period/Fantasy (nominee)
Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack
Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (nominee)]

See also
List of American lms of 2004
List of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender-related
lms by storyline

9 External links
Ocial website
De-Lovely at the Internet Movie Database
De-Lovely at Rotten Tomatoes
De-Lovely at the TCM Movie Database
De-Lovely at AllMovie
De-Lovely at Box Oce Mojo

10

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