The Rewrite inspires you to create your own life story

Unrated, although I would probably give it a PG-13 rating

In a Nutshell:   I stumbled upon this romantic comedy on an airplane, flying home from England this week.  It was given a very limited release in US theaters in February 2015, and then was immediately out on DVD only one month later.  Hugh Grant gave a special greeting to Delta passengers on the airline release, explaining “It’s a comedy.  At least, I think so.”

Hugh Grant is an expert at a stammering, dashing, befuddled leading man.  The dialogue is witty, quick, and charming.  The story isn’t completely original, but the message is one worth hearing again.

·         Like a carousel, keep moving forward.

·         “As long as you’re alive, you can forgive and be forgiven.  Once you’re dead, it gets significantly harder.” – line from Keith’s movie “Paradise Misplaced”

·         “Selfishness must always be forgiven, because there is no cure.” Mansfield Park by Jane Austin

·         Your 3^rd Act hasn’t been written yet.

·         I adore Allison Janney in anything.  She plays Professor Weldon, an uptight Jane Austin expert who is hilarious and steals all her scenes.  Merchandising for this movie will revolve around her character and this “What Would Jane Do? item.

·         J.K. Simmons is such a likeable actor, as is his character in the film.

·         When is Oscar winner Marisa Tomei ever going to start aging?

·         There are a lot of funny moments.  My favorite is the faculty cocktail party.

·         I’ve never been to Binghampton, New York, but it’s apparently one of the Top 10 most cloudy/rainy cities and home of the “Speedy Sandwich.”    Want to see what one looks like?

·         I thought it was sweet when Keith said “My son is the only thing I had a hand in producing that didn’t need a rewrite.”

·         Other movies referenced in this movie areMarty and Dirty Dancing.

·         I know some people can’t stand Hugh Grant, but I quite fancy him.  Didn’t that sound British?  In real life, he may be a scoundrel, but I like a lot of his movies.

·         “Nice alliteration.  I’m an English major.” – Chloe (Olivia Luccardi)

“I thought I recognized a fellow sufferer.” – Keith

·         “U.S. Marine Corps.  I like to follow the rules.” – Dr. Hal Lerner

“Writers Guild of America.  I feel the same way.” – Keith

·         “Dr. Lerner?  You must have an opinion on this.” – Keith

“I have a wife and 4 daughters.  I have no opinions.” – Dr. Lerner

·         “When I was young, I thought having the perfect Shakespeare quote for any given situation would be helpful.” – Jim Harper (funnyman Chris Elliott)

“It’s surprisingly unhelpful.” – Keith

“Yeah, it seems to really annoy people.” – Jim

·         “Give teaching a shot.  It gets its hooks in you.  You’ll see.” – Jim

“With all respect, I don’t believe anything worth knowing can be taught in the classroom and I intend to do as little as possible while carrying on this charade.” – Keith

“Yeah, if I gave it any thought, I’d probably feel the same way.” – Jim

·         Professor Weldon scolds Keith for not acting like a professional teacher and Keith assures her “I’ll watch Dead Poets Society to prepare.”   GREAT movie!  I highly recommend it.

·         “What about my car?” – Keith

“It’s a Hyundai.  It’ll be there in the morning.” – Holly

·         “Are you trying to fill a spiritual vacancy with alcohol and young women?” – Holly

“Yes.” – Keith

·         “I’ll work on reality TV…either as a writer or a contestant.” – Keith

·         “I’m hoping there will be something else.  Much more else.” – Keith

·         As an author, I aspire to be a great writer.  As a realist, I know I have a long way to go before anyone would ever call my work “great.”  There is an interesting conversation between Keith and his agent.  She asks him “You know what J.K. Rowling said?”  He quips “Where did I put my last billion?”  She tries to inspire him by explaining “J.K. Rowling said that failure was the best thing that ever happened to her because it freed her from the inessential; it allowed her to focus on the thing that mattered most – writing.”

·         “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightening and a lightening bug.” – Mark Twain

·         Keith explains to his screen-writing students what a protagonist is by asking “What is his goal and how will he overcome obstacles?”

·         In the airplane version I saw, all mild profanity was bleeped out, as well as a soft blur that was used to cover up someone flipping the bird.
·         Keith sleeps with a young girl, but you only see him crawl out of bed.

Great movies about inspiring teachers: