Serving Sara
Encyclopedia
Serving Sara is a 2002 romantic comedy film
which stars Matthew Perry
, Elizabeth Hurley
and Bruce Campbell
. Joe Tyler (Perry) is a process server who is given the assignment to serve Sara Moore (Hurley) with divorce papers.
kingpin known as Fat Charlie (Joe Viterelli
) with a summons to appear as a witness in court, and his abrasive boss Ray (Cedric the Entertainer
) ridiculing him for such while complimenting his rival server Tony (Vincent Pastore
) for serving multiple targets in record time. Willing to give him one last shot, Ray gives Joe the assignment to serve British socialite Sara Moore (Hurley) with divorce papers from her husband, Gordon (Campbell), who is at his ranch in Texas
with a mistress, Kate (Amy Adams
), while Sara vacations in upstate New York.
While attempting to serve her, Sara is tipped off by Tony, thus revealing that the reason Joe has been failing is because Tony has been sabotaging his efforts. Eventually Joe does serve her, but is mugged by Fat Charlie's goons (who have been trailing him), leading to them taking his car. The two are forced to take the same bus, they enter a conversation where Joe tells her that, because her husband had the papers filled out due to Texas law, she stands to gain nothing from the divorce. After finding out that the typical "half of everything" law would apply if the papers had been served under New York law, Sara offers Joe a million dollars to serve her husband and rip up her papers. Although he'll lose his job, Joe agrees and the two set off to serve Gordon.
When Ray hears of this, he tells Gordon and sends Tony off to re-serve Sara. Gordon in turn hires a bodyguard (Terry Crews
) to protect himself, and Joe, expecting Tony to tail him, leaves a set of bogus clues that lead him to Miami, Florida
; Bangor, Maine
; and then Amarillo, Texas
; where he's shot in the back as he attempts to get on the grounds of the wrong ranch to try to serve the papers. Sara and Joe trail Gordon to his ranch, but Gordon evades them. Eventually they stay at a hotel where Gordon's mistress makes a new deal to Joe for one million dollars ($1,000,000) of the divorce settlement in return for Gordon's location. Joe agrees, but the entire deal is a set-up to get Tony into their apartment to serve Sara. Furious, Sara kicks Joe out.
While Joe contemplates his lost fortune and budding love for Sara, he sees Tony's watch in the picture he took of him serving Sara, and calls Ray to inform him that Tony forgot to set his watch to the correct time zone, and thus the papers do not take effect until 7:04. With mere minutes until they both lose a fortune, Joe and Sara trail Gordon to a rodeo, where they evade Gordon's bodyguard and Tony in a motorbike competition. With seconds to spare before 7:04, Gordon is knocked out by a pack of beer dropped on his head by Sara, and Joe serves him under New York law which Gordon, finally accepting the loss, takes the serve as he's being photographed. Tony and Gordon's bodyguard are seen carried out of the stadium, who Joe refers to as, "Guy who got ran over," (bodyguard) and "Guy who RAN you over," (Tony). The film ends with Joe and Sara at Joe's dream vineyard
, where they taste-test Joe's first bottle before going inside to have sex.
was planning to produce, but not direct, a movie on Sara's began he wrote a script for the movie, called "Road to Texas" In August 1997 director Ron Howard
and Reginald Hudlin
was signed with Universal Pictures
to direct the biopic with actor Jim Carrey
in the lead role By May 1998 Howard and Hudlin parted ways with the studio, citing creative differences. Other actors considered for Joe Tyler at time were John Goodman
Tim Allen
and Dennis Quaid
In June 2000, the director sought to direct the biopic based on a script by Frank Oz
while at the same time, director Francis Ford Coppola
was developing Flipping the Mark which had been in development hell. Filming began in December 2000 from New York
to Dallas in early working title Servicing Sara on June 23, 2001.
During filming Mathew Perry had to stop and take time to go to rehab.
based on 26 reviews, indicating "extreme dislike or disgust." On Rotten Tomatoes
, 5% of critics gave the film positive reviews based on 103 reviews (5 "fresh", 98 "rotten").
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
which stars Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry (actor)
Matthew Langford Perry is a Canadian-American actor and comedian, best known for his Emmy-nominated role as Chandler Bing on the popular, long-running NBC television sitcom Friends...
, Elizabeth Hurley
Elizabeth Hurley
Elizabeth Jane Hurley is an English model and actress who became known as a girlfriend of Hugh Grant in the 1990s. In 1994, as Grant became the focus of worldwide media attention due to the global box office success of his film Four Weddings and a Funeral, Hurley accompanied him to the film's Los...
and Bruce Campbell
Bruce Campbell
Bruce Lorne Campbell is an American film and television actor. As a cult movie actor, Campbell starred as Ashley J. "Ash" Williams in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series of films and he has starred in many low-budget cult films such as Crimewave, Maniac Cop, Bubba Ho-tep, Escape From L.A. and Sundown:...
. Joe Tyler (Perry) is a process server who is given the assignment to serve Sara Moore (Hurley) with divorce papers.
Plot
The movie opens with Joe Tyler (Perry), a process server, a week late, serving a MafiaMafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
kingpin known as Fat Charlie (Joe Viterelli
Joe Viterelli
Joseph "Joe" Viterelli was an Italian American actor known for his mafioso-orientated personality endorsements....
) with a summons to appear as a witness in court, and his abrasive boss Ray (Cedric the Entertainer
Cedric the Entertainer
Cedric Antonio Kyles , known professionally by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer, is an American actor, comedian and director...
) ridiculing him for such while complimenting his rival server Tony (Vincent Pastore
Vincent Pastore
Vincent Pastore is an Italian-American actor, often cast as a mobster and best known for the role of Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on The Sopranos.-Early life:...
) for serving multiple targets in record time. Willing to give him one last shot, Ray gives Joe the assignment to serve British socialite Sara Moore (Hurley) with divorce papers from her husband, Gordon (Campbell), who is at his ranch in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
with a mistress, Kate (Amy Adams
Amy Adams
Amy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theaters before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous...
), while Sara vacations in upstate New York.
While attempting to serve her, Sara is tipped off by Tony, thus revealing that the reason Joe has been failing is because Tony has been sabotaging his efforts. Eventually Joe does serve her, but is mugged by Fat Charlie's goons (who have been trailing him), leading to them taking his car. The two are forced to take the same bus, they enter a conversation where Joe tells her that, because her husband had the papers filled out due to Texas law, she stands to gain nothing from the divorce. After finding out that the typical "half of everything" law would apply if the papers had been served under New York law, Sara offers Joe a million dollars to serve her husband and rip up her papers. Although he'll lose his job, Joe agrees and the two set off to serve Gordon.
When Ray hears of this, he tells Gordon and sends Tony off to re-serve Sara. Gordon in turn hires a bodyguard (Terry Crews
Terry Crews
Terrence Alan "Terry" Crews is an American actor, comedian, voice artist and a former player in the National Football League....
) to protect himself, and Joe, expecting Tony to tail him, leaves a set of bogus clues that lead him to Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
; Bangor, Maine
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
; and then Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
; where he's shot in the back as he attempts to get on the grounds of the wrong ranch to try to serve the papers. Sara and Joe trail Gordon to his ranch, but Gordon evades them. Eventually they stay at a hotel where Gordon's mistress makes a new deal to Joe for one million dollars ($1,000,000) of the divorce settlement in return for Gordon's location. Joe agrees, but the entire deal is a set-up to get Tony into their apartment to serve Sara. Furious, Sara kicks Joe out.
While Joe contemplates his lost fortune and budding love for Sara, he sees Tony's watch in the picture he took of him serving Sara, and calls Ray to inform him that Tony forgot to set his watch to the correct time zone, and thus the papers do not take effect until 7:04. With mere minutes until they both lose a fortune, Joe and Sara trail Gordon to a rodeo, where they evade Gordon's bodyguard and Tony in a motorbike competition. With seconds to spare before 7:04, Gordon is knocked out by a pack of beer dropped on his head by Sara, and Joe serves him under New York law which Gordon, finally accepting the loss, takes the serve as he's being photographed. Tony and Gordon's bodyguard are seen carried out of the stadium, who Joe refers to as, "Guy who got ran over," (bodyguard) and "Guy who RAN you over," (Tony). The film ends with Joe and Sara at Joe's dream vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
, where they taste-test Joe's first bottle before going inside to have sex.
Cast
- Matthew PerryMatthew PerryMatthew Perry is Canadian-American television and film actor.Matthew Perry or Matt Perry may also refer to:*Matthew C. Perry , American naval officer who forcibly opened Japan to trade with the West...
as Joe Tyler - Elizabeth HurleyElizabeth HurleyElizabeth Jane Hurley is an English model and actress who became known as a girlfriend of Hugh Grant in the 1990s. In 1994, as Grant became the focus of worldwide media attention due to the global box office success of his film Four Weddings and a Funeral, Hurley accompanied him to the film's Los...
as Sara Moore - Bruce CampbellBruce CampbellBruce Lorne Campbell is an American film and television actor. As a cult movie actor, Campbell starred as Ashley J. "Ash" Williams in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series of films and he has starred in many low-budget cult films such as Crimewave, Maniac Cop, Bubba Ho-tep, Escape From L.A. and Sundown:...
as Gordon Moore - Vincent PastoreVincent PastoreVincent Pastore is an Italian-American actor, often cast as a mobster and best known for the role of Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on The Sopranos.-Early life:...
as Tony - Cedric the EntertainerCedric the EntertainerCedric Antonio Kyles , known professionally by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer, is an American actor, comedian and director...
as Ray Harris - Amy AdamsAmy AdamsAmy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theaters before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous...
as Kate - Terry CrewsTerry CrewsTerrence Alan "Terry" Crews is an American actor, comedian, voice artist and a former player in the National Football League....
as Vernon - Jerry StillerJerry StillerGerald Isaac "Jerry" Stiller is an American comedian and actor.He spent many years in the comedy team Stiller and Meara with his wife Anne Meara...
as Milton the Cop - Marshall BellMarshall BellArchibald Marshall Bell is an American actor. He has appeared in many character roles in movies and television. His best-known movies are probably A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge , Stand by Me , Twins and Total Recall .-Early life:He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he lived until...
as Warren Cebron - Joe ViterelliJoe ViterelliJoseph "Joe" Viterelli was an Italian American actor known for his mafioso-orientated personality endorsements....
as Fat Charlie
Production
In early 1996, Ivan ReitmanIvan Reitman
Ivan Reitman, OC is a Canadian film producer and director. He is known for the comedies he has directed and produced, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.He is the owner of The Montecito Picture Company, founded in 2000.-Early life:...
was planning to produce, but not direct, a movie on Sara's began he wrote a script for the movie, called "Road to Texas" In August 1997 director Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
and Reginald Hudlin
Reginald Hudlin
Reginald Alan Hudlin is an American writer and film director.-Biography:Hudlin is the son of Helen , a teacher, and Warrington W. Hudlin, Sr., an insurance executive and teacher...
was signed with Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
to direct the biopic with actor Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
in the lead role By May 1998 Howard and Hudlin parted ways with the studio, citing creative differences. Other actors considered for Joe Tyler at time were John Goodman
John Goodman
John Stephen Goodman is an American film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for his role as Dan Conner on the television series Roseanne for which he won a Best Actor Golden Globe Award in 1993, and for appearances in the films of the Coen brothers, with prominent roles in Raising...
Tim Allen
Tim Allen
Tim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement...
and Dennis Quaid
Dennis Quaid
Dennis William Quaid is an American actor known for his comedic and dramatic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the 1980s, his career rebounded in the 1990s after he overcame an addiction to drugs and an eating disorder...
In June 2000, the director sought to direct the biopic based on a script by Frank Oz
Frank Oz
Frank Oz is a British-born American film director, actor, voice actor and puppeteer who is known for creating and performing the characters Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear in The Muppet Show, Cookie Monster, Bert and Grover in Sesame Street, and for directing films, including the 1986 Little Shop of...
while at the same time, director Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
was developing Flipping the Mark which had been in development hell. Filming began in December 2000 from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Dallas in early working title Servicing Sara on June 23, 2001.
During filming Mathew Perry had to stop and take time to go to rehab.
Critics
As of August 2007, the film had score of 18 out of 100 on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
based on 26 reviews, indicating "extreme dislike or disgust." On Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, 5% of critics gave the film positive reviews based on 103 reviews (5 "fresh", 98 "rotten").