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French Kiss (1995 film)
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{{Infobox film | name = French Kiss | image = French Kiss film.jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = [[Lawrence Kasdan]] | producer = {{Plainlist| * [[Tim Bevan]] * [[Eric Fellner]] * Kathryn F. Galan * [[Meg Ryan]] }} | writer = [[Adam Brooks (filmmaker)|Adam Brooks]] | starring = {{Plainlist| * Meg Ryan * [[Kevin Kline]] * [[Timothy Hutton]] * [[Jean Reno]] * [[François Cluzet]] * [[Suzan Anbeh|Susan Anbeh]] }}<!--names on poster block only--> | music = [[James Newton Howard]] | cinematography = [[Owen Roizman]] | editing = [[Joe Hutshing]] | studio = {{Plainlist| * [[Working Title Films]] * Prufrock Pictures }} | distributor = {{plainlist| * [[20th Century Fox]] (United States and Canada) * [[PolyGram Filmed Entertainment]] (international)<ref>{{cite web |title=French Kiss (1995)|work=[[BBFC]]|access-date=2 May 2021|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/french-kiss-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0znda5mzc}}</ref> }} | released = {{film date|1995|5|5|United States}} | runtime = 111 minutes | country = {{Plainlist| * United States * United Kingdom }} | language = {{Plainlist| * English * French }} | budget =$40 million<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=14 December 1998|page=102|title=15 years of production}}</ref> | gross = $102 million<ref name="mojo"/> }} '''''French Kiss''''' is a 1995 [[romantic comedy]] film directed by [[Lawrence Kasdan]] and starring [[Meg Ryan]] and [[Kevin Kline]]. Written by [[Adam Brooks (filmmaker)|Adam Brooks]], the film is about a woman who flies to France to confront her straying fiancĂ© and gets into trouble when the charming crook seated next to her uses her to smuggle a stolen diamond necklace. ''French Kiss'' was filmed on location in Paris, the [[Provence-Alpes-CĂŽte d'Azur]] rĂ©gion of southeastern France, and [[Cannes]]. The film was released in the United States on May 5, 1995, and received mixed reviews. The film was a success and went on to earn a total worldwide gross of $101,982,854. A [[Hindi]] remake of the film named ''[[Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha]]'' was released on July 24, 1998. The 2004 [[Malayalam]] comedy film ''[[Vettam]]'' was also based on ''French Kiss''.<ref>[http://archive.deccanherald.com/Deccanherald/oct102004/mr5.asp âVettamâ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022193341/http://archive.deccanherald.com/Deccanherald/oct102004/mr5.asp |date=2017-10-22 }}. ''[[Deccan Herald]]''. October 10, 2004. Retrieved October 22, 2017.</ref> It was the last movie to be shot by cinematographer [[Owen Roizman]] before his death in 2023. ==Plot== <!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summary should be between 400 to 700 words. --> American history teacher Kate lives in Canada with her fiancĂ© Charlie, a doctor. When Charlie urges her to accompany him to Paris for an upcoming conference, she declines, partly due to her fear of flying, her intolerance for cheese and the stereotypical idea she has about the French. Days later, Charlie calls Kate, saying he has fallen in love with a French woman, Juliette, and will not be returning. Determined to win him back, Kate boards a flight to Paris and is seated next to Frenchman Luc Teyssier, whom she instantly dislikes. Unknown to Kate, Luc is smuggling a vine and a stolen diamond necklace into France, hoping to use both to start his own vineyard. To tolerate him long enough to arrive in Paris, she gets drunk. Before deboarding, Luc sneaks the vine and necklace into Kate's bag, knowing she will not be searched at customs. At the terminal, Luc is spotted by Inspector Jean-Paul Cardon, who searches his bag. Jean-Paul knows of Luc's vocation but feels "protective" of him as Luc once saved his life. Meanwhile, Kate arrives at Charlie's hotel. While waiting in the lobby with thief Bob, Kate sees Charlie and Juliette kissing and faints. Bob steals her bag and suitcase and leaves as Luc arrives. After reviving Kate, Luc realizes who has the necklace, goes with her to Bob's apartment, and recovers the bag minus her money and passport. Upset, Kate heads off on her own, and learns that Charlie is traveling to Cannes to meet Juliette's parents. Luc, meanwhile, realizes the necklace must still be in Kate's bag. He tracks her down to the train station, offers to help her "win back Charlie", and together they board a train to Cannes. That evening, Luc sees Charlie's picture from Kate's locket. After Kate falls asleep, he tries to check the bag during which she, thinking he is Charlie, kisses him. The next morning during breakfast, she describes it as a 'delicious dream' with which she woke up 'transformed,' only to sample some of the 452 [[List of French cheeses|official government cheeses of France]], despite being lactose intolerant. She eventually gets an upset stomach and is ill. They get off the train at Luc's hometown of La Ravelle in [[Paulhaguet]] and stay at his family home and vineyard. Kate learns about Luc's past and how he gambled away his vineyard birthright to his brother in a hand of poker; she also learns that while Luc may be a con artist, he knows about wine and dreams of buying land for his own winery. As they board the train to Cannes, Kate shows him that she has the necklace. At Cannes, they check into a hotel room using his brother's stolen credit card. Following Luc's advice, Kate confronts Charlie in front of Juliette on the beach, pretending to be indifferent to him. To make him jealous, Luc pretends to be Kate's lover, and it works. Later that afternoon, Jean-Paul approaches Kate, urging her to convince Luc to return the necklace anonymously to avoid jail. Luc was planning to sell the necklace at [[Cartier S.A.|Cartier]], but agrees to Kate's "new plan" to have her sell the necklace, as that would be safer. At dinner, Charlie apologizes to Kate and accompanies her to her room, where he tries to seduce her. Rejecting his advances, Kate realizes she no longer wants him, as she has fallen in love with Luc. Meanwhile, to "ensure victory" for her, Luc takes an all-too-willing Juliette to bed, seducing her, but his plan fails when he calls her "Kate". The following morning, Kate tells Luc that Charlie wants her back, but quickly leaves the room, saying, "Cartier is waiting". She returns the necklace to Jean-Paul and purchases a Cartier cheque for $45,782 with her own savings to create the illusion that she sold it. After giving the cheque to Luc, she leaves for the airport pretending to meet Charlie. Jean-Paul then approaches him and reveals the charade and all that Kate has done for him. Luc rushes to the airport, boards the plane, and confesses his love for her, wanting her to stay with him. Kate and he later kiss and embrace in their new vineyard. ==Cast== {{Div col}} * [[Meg Ryan]] as Kate * [[Kevin Kline]] as Luc Teyssier * [[Timothy Hutton]] as Charlie Lytton * [[Jean Reno]] as Inspector Jean-Paul Cardon * [[François Cluzet]] as Bob * [[Susan Anbeh]] as Juliette * [[Marie-Christine Adam]] as Juliette's mother * Jean-Paul Jaupart as Juliette's father * [[Renee Humphrey]] as Lilly * [[Michael Riley]] as M. Campbell * {{ill|Laurent Spielvogel|fr}} as Concierge * {{ill|Victor Garrivier|fr}} as Octave * {{ill|Ălisabeth Commelin|fr}} as Claire * Julie Leibowitch as Olivia * [[Miquel Brown]] as Sgt. Patton * Claudio Todeschini as Antoine Teyssier * Jerry Harte as Herb * Thomasine Heiner as mom * [[Barbara Schulz]] as a pouting girl * [[ClĂ©ment Sibony]] as a pouting boy * [[Adam Brooks (filmmaker)|Adam Brooks]] as Perfect Passenger * Patrice Juiff as French Customs Official * Jean Corso as Hotel George V Desk's clerk * François-Xavier Tilmant as hotel waiter * Williams Diols as beach waiter * Mike Johns as Lucien * Ghislaine Juillot as Jean-Paul Cardon's wife * Alain FrĂ©rot as Old Man {{Div col end}} ==Production== ===Pre-production=== The lead role of Luc was originally written for [[GĂ©rard Depardieu]], but Kevin Kline accepted the role when Depardieu was not available for the film.<ref name="independent"/> ===Filming=== Principal photography took place from September 17 to December 22, 1994.<ref name="tcm-misc"/> ''French Kiss'' was filmed primarily in Paris, the [[Alpes-Maritimes]] [[Departments of France|department]] in the [[Provence-Alpes-CĂŽte d'Azur]] [[Regions of France|region]] of southeastern France, and [[Cannes]]. In Paris, scenes were shot at the [[Hotel George V]], where Kate has her encounters with the supercilious concierge. The hotel lobby was used for the scene where the petty thief Bob steals Kate's bag after she faints. Several scenes show the [[Eiffel Tower]] in the backgroundâthe one site Kate longs to see most but keeps on missing. A phonebooth on [[Champs-ĂlysĂ©es]] near the [[Arc de Triomphe]] was used for the scene where Kate calls Charlie's mother. Scenes were also filmed at the [[Embassy of the United States, Paris|American Embassy]] at 2 Avenue Gabriel, and the [[Embassy of Canada, Paris|Canadian Embassy]] at 35 [[Avenue Montaigne]]. The scene where Luc throws money on the sidewalk was filmed at the corner of rue Paul-Albert and rue Feutrier in [[Montmartre]]. Driving scenes in Paris were filmed in front of the [[Louvre]] near the [[Louvre Pyramid]], along the [[Rive Droite]], and on [[Rue des Rosiers]], where Luc drives down a narrow, winding cobblestoned street. Additional Paris scenes were filmed at the [[SacrĂ©-CĆur, Paris|SacrĂ©-CĆur]] in Montmartre, the Grande Pharmacie de la Place Blanche at 5 [[Place Blanche]], the [[TrocadĂ©ro, Paris|Palais de Chaillot]], and [[Abbesses (Paris MĂ©tro)#Location|Place des Abbesses]], where Kate and Luc discuss his "little problem". The final scene filmed in Paris was at the [[Gare Saint-Lazare]] train station, where Luc is chased by Inspector Jean-Paul Cardon while trying to board a train south to Cannes.{{efn-ua|In fact the train to Cannes leaves from [[Gare de Lyon]] station, and not from Gare Saint-Lazare station.}} In the Provence-Alpes-CĂŽte d'Azur region, the small village of [[Valbonne]], about fifteen minutes north of Cannes, was used for several scenes, including the scene where Luc fights with his brother in the main village square in front of the Hotel les Armoiries, an old seventeenth century building. Other scenes were filmed at the train station and nearby vineyards around La Ravelle, 84240 La Tour-d'Aigues, The train station near Meyrargues, [[Bouches-du-RhĂŽne]], was also used in one scene. In Cannes, several exterior shots of the Carlton Hotel were used to represent where the four main characters stay. There are interior scenes of the lobby and the brasserie used for morning breakfasts. Other scenes filmed here include the beach in front of the hotel along with the adjacent waterfrontâin particular the [[Cartier (jeweler)|Cartier]] boutique on the next corner. The grape harvest scenes were filmed at [[ChĂąteau Val Joanis]] in [[Pertuis]], [[Vaucluse]]. Studio scenes were shot at [[Billancourt Studios|Paris Studios CinĂ©ma]]. ===Title=== The film was originally titled ''Paris Match'', a play on the name of the famous [[Paris Match|French newsmagazine]]. However, the title had to be changed after [[Billy Crystal]] challenged it with the [[MPAA]] as being too close to that of his own Paris-set romantic comedy ''[[Forget Paris]]'', released just two weeks later.<ref>[https://ew.com/article/1995/07/14/paris-match-became-french-kiss/ "''Paris Match'' became ''French Kiss''] by Cindy Pearlman, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', July 14, 1995</ref> ===Soundtrack=== The ''French Kiss Original Soundtrack'' album was released by [[Mercury Records]] on CD on May 9, 1995.<ref name="allmusic"/> It peaked at 170 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref name="allmusic"/> {{Track listing | extra_column = Performer | total_length = 40:50 | title1 = [[Someone like You (Van Morrison song)|Someone like You]] | note1 = [[Van Morrison]] | extra1 = Van Morrison | length1 = 4:06 | title2 = [[La Vie en rose]] | note2 = [[Mack David]], [[Louiguy|Louis Louiguy]], Marcel Louiguy, [[Ădith Piaf]] | extra2 = [[Louis Armstrong]] | length2 = 3:22 | title3 = [[Dream a Little Dream of Me|Les Yeux ouverts]] | note3 = [[Fabian Andre]], [[Wilbur Schwandt]], [[Gus Kahn]] | extra3 = [[The Beautiful South]] | length3 = 3:33 | title4 = [[Via con me]] | note4 = [[Paolo Conte]] | extra4 = Paolo Conte | length4 = 2:36 | title5 = [[I Love Paris]] | note5 = [[Cole Porter]] | extra5 = [[Toots Thielemans]] | length5 = 1:38 | title6 = Feels like a Woman | note6 = Tena Clark, Zucchero | extra6 = [[Zucchero Fornaciari|Zucchero]] | length6 = 5:12 | title7 = I Love Paris | note7 = Cole Porter | extra7 = [[Ella Fitzgerald]] | length7 = 4:57 | title8 = Verlaine | note8 = Charles Trenet, [[Paul Verlaine]] | extra8 = [[Charles Trenet]] | length8 = 3:10 | title9 = C'est trop beau | note9 = Francis LĂłpez, Raymond Vincy | extra9 = [[Tino Rossi]] | length9 = 2:31 | title10 = [[La Mer (song)|La Mer]] | note10 = Albert Lasry, Charles Trenet | extra10 = Kevin Kline | length10 = 3:44 | title11 = I Want You (Love Theme from ''French Kiss'') | note11 = James Newton Howard | extra11 = Instrumental | length11 = 2:04 | title12 = Les Yeux de ton pĂšre | note12 = Mathieu Crespin, Stefane Mellino, Jean-Marie Paulus, Noel Rota | extra12 = [[Les NĂ©gresses Vertes]] | length12 = 3:57 }} ==Release== ===Critical response=== ''French Kiss'' was released in United States on May 5, 1995,<ref name="tcm-misc"/> and received mixed reviews. In his review in the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', Mick LaSalle wrote that director Lawrence Kasdan "takes what could have been a fluffy comedy with lots of plot complications and picturesque scenery and instead puts his focus on the important things: on the characters played by Ryan and Kline and how they happen to be feeling." LaSalle also applauded Kasdan's sense of subtle comedy: {{blockquote|With his attention in the right place, Kasdan comes up with ways of using the setting to make emotional points. For example, though the film doesn't go out of its way to make you notice, Ryan keeps missing out on getting to see the Eiffel Tower. It's behind her as she's riding in a car, or she's turning toward it a second after they've turned out the lights. She doesn't know what she's missingâuntil eventually she does.}} LaSalle found Kline's performance "extraordinary" and that he not only perfected the accent but the "speech rhythms and the manner as well." LaSalle also praised Ryan's comic timing, which "continues to delight."<ref name="sfgate"/> In her review in ''The Washington Post'', Rita Kempley, giving it a mixed review, wrote that the film "isn't as passionate as the title suggestsâin fact, it's facileâbut Ryan and Kevin Kline, as her attractive opposite, are irresistible together." Kempley applauded the acting performances: {{blockquote|Kline's hilariously hammy l'accent puts Inspector Clouseau's to shame; his performance is the zaniest since ''[[A Fish Called Wanda]]''. Ryan's Kate is even pickier than the heroine in ''[[When Harry Met Sally...]]'' and melts just as endearingly. She and Kline spar convincingly; Doris Day and Rock Hudson had sexier scenes, but none this romantic.<ref name="washingtonpost"/>}} In his review in the ''Chicago Sun-Times'', a disappointed Roger Ebert wrote, "The characters in this movie may look like adults, but they think like teenagers." Although he acknowledged that the film was not without its charmsâParis and Cannes being "two of the most photogenic cities on earth"âEbert concluded, "Kline's Frenchman is somehow not worldly enough, and Ryan's heroine never convinces us she ever loved her fiancĂ© in the first place."<ref name="ebert"/> In her review in ''The New York Times'', Janet Maslin called the film a "romantic comedy with barely a laugh or a spark, and with a pace that makes it feel longer than Mr. Kasdan's previous work, ''[[Wyatt Earp (film)|Wyatt Earp]]''."<ref name="nytimes-maslin"/> Review aggregation website ''[[Rotten Tomatoes]]'' gave the film a score of 48% based on reviews from 27 critics with a weighted average of 5.6/10. The consensus summarizes: "''French Kiss'' is effervescent like good champagne but its spirit fizzles in a film that isn't as intoxicating as its stars."<ref>{{Citation|title=French Kiss (1995)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/french_kiss|language=en|access-date=2022-09-14}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], another aggregator, the film holds a weighted average score of 50 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.<ref>{{Cite web |title=French Kiss |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/french-kiss/ |access-date=October 7, 2023 |website=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[Fandom, Inc.]]}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/ |access-date=2023-10-07 |website=CinemaScore |language=en-US}}</ref> ===Box office=== The film earned $38,896,854 in the United States and an additional $63,086,000 in international markets for a total worldwide gross of $101,982,854.<ref name="mojo"/> ===Accolades=== {{Anchor|Awards|Accolades}} {| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;" |- ! style="width:5%;"| Year ! style="width:30%;"| Award ! style="width:30%;"| Category ! style="width:30%;"| Nominee ! style="width:5%;"| Result |- | rowspan="2"| 1996 | rowspan="2"| [[American Comedy Awards]] | Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture | [[Kevin Kline]] | {{nom}} |- | Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture | [[Meg Ryan]] | {{nom}} |- |} ==Home media== ''French Kiss'' was released in United States on video on February 6, 1996.<ref name="tcm-misc"/> It was released in DVD format by 20th Century Fox on January 18, 2000,<ref name="allmovie"/> and in Blu-ray format by 20th Century Fox on January 8, 2013.<ref name="allmovie"/> ==Notes== {{notelist-ua}} ==References== {{reflist|refs= <ref name="allmovie">{{cite web|title=''French Kiss'': Releases |publisher=[[AllMovie]]|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/french-kiss-v134674/releases |access-date=November 12, 2015}}</ref> <ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|title=''French Kiss'' Original Soundtrack |website=[[AllMusic]]|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/french-kiss-original-soundtrack-r229065 |access-date=February 12, 2012}}</ref> <ref name="ebert">{{cite news|last=Ebert|first=Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|title=''French Kiss''|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|date=May 5, 1995 |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/french-kiss-1995 |access-date=February 12, 2012}}</ref> <ref name="independent">{{cite news|last=Johnston |first=Sheila |title=Kevin Kline: a real smoothie |newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=October 22, 2011 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/kevin-kline-a-real-smoothie-1536865.html |access-date=November 12, 2015}}</ref> <ref name="mojo">{{cite web|title=''French Kiss''|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=frenchkiss.htm |access-date=February 12, 2012}}</ref> <ref name="nytimes-maslin">{{cite news|last=Maslin|first=Janet|author-link=Janet Maslin|title=Kevin Kline Romps as a French Jewel Thief|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 5, 1995|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=990CE7DD1139F936A35756C0A963958260|access-date=February 12, 2012}}</ref> <ref name="sfgate">{{cite news|last=LaSalle|first=Mick|author-link=Mick LaSalle|title=''French Kiss'' Makes You Cheer 'Vive L'Amour!'|newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|date=May 5, 1995|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1995/05/05/DD38870.DTL|access-date=February 11, 2012}}</ref> <ref name="tcm-misc">{{cite web|title=''French Kiss'': Miscellaneous Notes|publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/75653/french-kiss#notes|access-date=November 12, 2015}}</ref> <ref name="washingtonpost">{{cite news|last=Kempley |first=Rita |title=''French Kiss''|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=May 5, 1995 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/frenchkisspg13kempley_c0145a.htm |access-date=February 12, 2012}}</ref> }} ==External links== * {{IMDb title}} * {{Rotten Tomatoes}} * {{TCMDb title}} {{Lawrence Kasdan}} {{Meg Ryan}} {{DEFAULTSORT:French Kiss (Film)}} [[Category:1995 films]] [[Category:1995 multilingual films]] [[Category:1995 romantic comedy films]] [[Category:1990s American films]] [[Category:1990s British films]] [[Category:1990s English-language films]] [[Category:1990s French-language films]] [[Category:20th Century Fox films]] [[Category:American multilingual films]] [[Category:American romantic comedy films]] [[Category:British multilingual films]] [[Category:British romantic comedy films]] [[Category:Films about travel]] [[Category:Films directed by Lawrence Kasdan]] [[Category:Films produced by Eric Fellner]] [[Category:Films produced by Tim Bevan]] [[Category:Films scored by James Newton Howard]] [[Category:Films set in Cannes]] [[Category:Films set in Paris]] [[Category:Films shot in Paris]] [[Category:Films shot in Provence-Alpes-CĂŽte d'Azur]] [[Category:French-language American films]] [[Category:French-language British films]] [[Category:PolyGram Filmed Entertainment films]] [[Category:Working Title Films films]] [[Category:English-language romantic comedy films]]
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