A Life Less Ordinary
| A Life Less Ordinary | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
|
|
| Directed by | Danny Boyle |
| Produced by | Andrew Macdonald |
| Written by | John Hodge |
| Starring | |
| Music by | David Arnold |
| Cinematography | Brian Tufano |
| Edited by | Masahiro Hirakubo |
|
Production
company |
Figment Films
Channel Four Films |
| Distributed by |
20th Century Fox (United States) PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (International) |
|
Release date
|
24 October 1997 |
|
Running time
|
103 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $12 million |
| Box office | $4,366,722 |
A Life Less Ordinary is a 1997 British-American black comedy film directed by Danny Boyle, written by John Hodge. It stars Ewan McGregor, Cameron Diaz, Holly Hunter, Delroy Lindo, Ian Holm and Dan Hedaya.
In Heaven (which resembles a modern police headquarters), angels are tasked with ensuring that mortals on Earth find love. The "Captain", Gabriel (Dan Hedaya), is upset at reviewing the file of angel partners O'Reilly (Hunter) and Jackson (Lindo), all of whose recent cases have ended in divorce or misery. Gabriel is being pressed for results, so he introduces a radical new incentive: if their latest case isn't "cracked" – meaning, if the pair in question do not fall, and stay, in love, O'Reilly and Jackson must stay on Earth forever, which does not appeal to them. They open their case file to learn their tasks.
Celine Naville (Diaz) is the spoiled twenty-something daughter of a wealthy businessman. When one of her suitors, a loathsome dentist named Elliott (Stanley Tucci), proposes marriage to her, she offers to say yes, but only if he agrees to play "William Tell" with an apple on his head. As she takes aim with a pistol, Elliot's nerves fail; his move results in a minor head wound.
Robert Lewis (McGregor) is a janitor employed in the basement of Celine's father's company. His dreams for writing a best-selling trash novel are shot down by his co-workers. His manager tells him he is to be replaced by a robot. As he drowns his sorrows at a local bar, his girlfriend, Lily (K.K. Dodds) tells him she is leaving him for an aerobics instructor.
O'Reilly and Jackson pose as collection agents to repossess Robert's things and evict him from his apartment. Robert storms to the high-rise office of the company boss, Mr Naville (Ian Holm), while Naville is berating his daughter Celine for the William Tell fiasco. Security guards run in and start to attack Robert but he holds them off. When Celine introduces herself, Robert decides to kidnap her.
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