Simply Irresistible
Encyclopedia
Simply Irresistible is a 1999
American
romantic comedy film
starring Sarah Michelle Gellar
and Sean Patrick Flanery
. It was directed by Mark Tarlov and was written by Judith Roberts
. Simply Irresistible is notable as the last movie reviewed by film critic Gene Siskel
. He gave it a thumbs down.
) inherits her late mother's restaurant, but lacks her mother's ability to cook. The restaurant is failing when Amanda meets a mysterious and possibly magical man at the local market. He introduces himself as Gene O'Reilly and claims to be an old friend of her mother's. He sells her crabs, one of which escapes cooking to become her personal mascot. This special crab is magical and it casts spells, with a wave of its claw. Amanda meets her love interest at the market, Tom Bartlett (Sean Patrick Flanery
), a department store manager opening an ambitious new restaurant inside his store. It is never explicitly explained why, but this eventful day transforms Amanda into a miraculous food witch; people who now eat her impressive new dishes fall under her accidental spells (for example, when a teardrop falls into one of the dishes the people eating it end up in tears). These are inspired by her emotions and created with the help of her magic crab. Amanda saves her restaurant overnight, and her relationship with Tom blossoms just as fast. However, Tom, being a career-minded control freak, panics when he realizes that not only could she be a witch who could be casting spells on him, but that his own emotions are getting the best of him, and he promptly dumps her. When Amanda goes to confront Tom one last time at his office, she witnesses the violent tantrum and resignation of a celebrity French chef hired for the opening of Tom's new restaurant. When it is discovered that Amanda is in fact the hot new chef in town everyone is talking about, she is hired on the spot, despite Tom's protests. Once Amanda overcomes her self-doubts and insecurities, she reaches her full potential as a chef, and the opening is a complete success. Though Tom refuses to taste Amanda's food during the opening, he eventually admits to himself he was wrong to reject Amanda because she made him feel emotional. He finally decides to embrace his feelings for her and goes after her. At the last minute, he reaches her with his own personal magic (a paper airplane), and the two reconcile on the dance floor.
2. Busted - Jennifer Paige
3. Falling - Donna Lewis
4. Got The Girl (Boy From Ipanama) - Reiss
5. Angel Of The Forever Sleep, The - Marcy Playground
6. Take Your Time - Lori Carson
7. Beautiful Girls - Chris Lloyd
8. Once In A Blue Moon - Sydney Forest
9. Parkway - The Hang Ups
10. Our Love Is Going To Live Forever - Spain
11. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered - Katalina
13. Crab Rangoon- Tara-Saurus Rex
12. That Old Black Magic - Harold Arlen
s of Fred Astaire
:
1999 in film
The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
American
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
romantic comedy film
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"...
starring Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Prinze , known professionally by her birth name of Sarah Michelle Gellar , is an American actress, singer and executive producer...
and Sean Patrick Flanery
Sean Patrick Flanery
Sean Patrick Flanery is an American actor known for such roles as Connor MacManus in The Boondock Saints, Greg Stillson in The Dead Zone and for portraying Indiana Jones in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, as well as Bobby Dagen in Saw 3D.He is currently known for his role as Sam Gibson on The...
. It was directed by Mark Tarlov and was written by Judith Roberts
Judith Roberts
Judith Anna Roberts, whose birthname is Judith Lebreque, is an American stage, film and television actress best known for her role as the Beautiful Girl Across the Hall in the 1977 film Eraserhead...
. Simply Irresistible is notable as the last movie reviewed by film critic Gene Siskel
Gene Siskel
Eugene Kal "Gene" Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted the popular review show Siskel & Ebert At the Movies from 1975 until his death....
. He gave it a thumbs down.
Plot
Amanda Shelton (Sarah Michelle GellarSarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Prinze , known professionally by her birth name of Sarah Michelle Gellar , is an American actress, singer and executive producer...
) inherits her late mother's restaurant, but lacks her mother's ability to cook. The restaurant is failing when Amanda meets a mysterious and possibly magical man at the local market. He introduces himself as Gene O'Reilly and claims to be an old friend of her mother's. He sells her crabs, one of which escapes cooking to become her personal mascot. This special crab is magical and it casts spells, with a wave of its claw. Amanda meets her love interest at the market, Tom Bartlett (Sean Patrick Flanery
Sean Patrick Flanery
Sean Patrick Flanery is an American actor known for such roles as Connor MacManus in The Boondock Saints, Greg Stillson in The Dead Zone and for portraying Indiana Jones in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, as well as Bobby Dagen in Saw 3D.He is currently known for his role as Sam Gibson on The...
), a department store manager opening an ambitious new restaurant inside his store. It is never explicitly explained why, but this eventful day transforms Amanda into a miraculous food witch; people who now eat her impressive new dishes fall under her accidental spells (for example, when a teardrop falls into one of the dishes the people eating it end up in tears). These are inspired by her emotions and created with the help of her magic crab. Amanda saves her restaurant overnight, and her relationship with Tom blossoms just as fast. However, Tom, being a career-minded control freak, panics when he realizes that not only could she be a witch who could be casting spells on him, but that his own emotions are getting the best of him, and he promptly dumps her. When Amanda goes to confront Tom one last time at his office, she witnesses the violent tantrum and resignation of a celebrity French chef hired for the opening of Tom's new restaurant. When it is discovered that Amanda is in fact the hot new chef in town everyone is talking about, she is hired on the spot, despite Tom's protests. Once Amanda overcomes her self-doubts and insecurities, she reaches her full potential as a chef, and the opening is a complete success. Though Tom refuses to taste Amanda's food during the opening, he eventually admits to himself he was wrong to reject Amanda because she made him feel emotional. He finally decides to embrace his feelings for her and goes after her. At the last minute, he reaches her with his own personal magic (a paper airplane), and the two reconcile on the dance floor.
Cast
- Sarah Michelle GellarSarah Michelle GellarSarah Michelle Prinze , known professionally by her birth name of Sarah Michelle Gellar , is an American actress, singer and executive producer...
as Amanda Shelton - Sean Patrick FlanerySean Patrick FlanerySean Patrick Flanery is an American actor known for such roles as Connor MacManus in The Boondock Saints, Greg Stillson in The Dead Zone and for portraying Indiana Jones in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, as well as Bobby Dagen in Saw 3D.He is currently known for his role as Sam Gibson on The...
as Tom Bartlett - Patricia ClarksonPatricia ClarksonPatricia Davies Clarkson is an American actress. After studying drama on the East Coast, Clarkson launched her acting career in 1985, and has worked steadily in both film and television. She twice won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in Six Feet Under...
as Lois McNally - Dylan BakerDylan BakerDylan Baker is an American actor, known for playing supporting roles in both major studio and independent films.-Early life:...
as Jonathan Bendel - Christopher DurangChristopher DurangChristopher Ferdinand Durang is an American playwright known for works of outrageous and often absurd comedy. His work was especially popular in the 1980s.- Life :...
as Gene O'Reilly - Larry Gilliard Jr.Larry Gilliard Jr.Lawrence "Larry" Gilliard, Jr. is an American character actor who has appeared in films, television series and theatre. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of D'Angelo Barksdale on the HBO drama series The Wire, a role which earned him much critical acclaim.Gilliard was born in New York City...
as Nolan Traynor - Betty BuckleyBetty BuckleyBetty Lynn Buckley is an American theater, film and television actress and singer. She is a Tony Award winner and Grammy Award nominee.-Early life:...
as Aunt Stella - Amanda PeetAmanda PeetAmanda Peet is an American actress, who has appeared on film, stage, and television. After studying with Uta Hagen at Columbia University, Peet began her career in television commercials, and progressed to small roles on television, before making her film debut in 1995...
as Chris - Małgorzata ZajączkowskaMałgorzata ZajączkowskaMałgorzata Zajączkowska, aka Margaret Sophie Stein, born January 31, 1956 in Warsaw is a Polish actress and writer. In the years 1979-1981, she acted in the Teatr Narodowy before moving to the U.S. in 1981. Using the pseudonym of Margaret Sophie Stein, she continued her acting career in television...
as Mrs. Mueller
Box office
The film opened at #9 at the North American box office making $2.2 million USD in its opening weekend. The total box office was $4,389,989.Soundtrack
1. Little King - The Hollowbodies2. Busted - Jennifer Paige
Jennifer Paige
Jennifer Paige is an American singer-songwriter who achieved success with the 1998 pop hit "Crush". She is considered to be one of the 1990s' biggest one-hit wonders.-Biography:...
3. Falling - Donna Lewis
Donna Lewis
Donna Lewis is a Welsh singer-songwriter and record producer, best known for the 1996 pop hit single "I Love You Always Forever", and the adult contemporary chart-topper "At the Beginning" with Richard Marx. After releasing her second LP Blue Planet, Lewis left Atlantic Records and independently...
4. Got The Girl (Boy From Ipanama) - Reiss
5. Angel Of The Forever Sleep, The - Marcy Playground
Marcy Playground
Marcy Playground is an American alternative rock band consisting of three members: John Wozniak , Dylan Keefe , and Shlomi Lavie . The band is best known for their 1997 hit "Sex and Candy".-Early years:...
6. Take Your Time - Lori Carson
Lori Carson
Lori Carson is a singer/songwriter. She has released several solo albums, appeared on many soundtracks, and collaborated with artists such as The Golden Palominos. She performed lead vocals on the song "In the Middle of the Night" on French producer Hector Zazou's album Strong Currents...
7. Beautiful Girls - Chris Lloyd
8. Once In A Blue Moon - Sydney Forest
Sydney Forest
Sydney Forest is a composer and musician. Her music has been featured in several films, notably Disney's English dub of Kiki's Delivery Service.- Biography :...
9. Parkway - The Hang Ups
10. Our Love Is Going To Live Forever - Spain
11. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered - Katalina
Katalina
Katalina is a pop/dance artist who was signed to Thump Records. She is mostly known for her hit single "D.J. Girl" from her first and only album Sonic Groove released in 1996...
13. Crab Rangoon- Tara-Saurus Rex
12. That Old Black Magic - Harold Arlen
Harold Arlen
Harold Arlen was an American composer of popular music, having written over 500 songs, a number of which have become known the world over. In addition to composing the songs for The Wizard of Oz, including the classic 1938 song, "Over the Rainbow,” Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the...
Astaire references
The film contains interesting references to four musical filmMusical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
s of Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
:
- The Belle of New YorkThe Belle of New YorkThe Belle of New York is a 1952 Hollywood musical comedy film set in New York circa 1900 and stars Fred Astaire, Vera-Ellen, Alice Pearce, Marjorie Main and Keenan Wynn, with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Johnny Mercer...
(19521952 in filmThe year 1952 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 10 - Cecil B. DeMille's circus epic, The Greatest Show on Earth, premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
): Flanery and Gellar's floating to the ceiling evokes similar scenes involving Astaire and Vera-EllenVera-EllenVera-Ellen was an American actress and dancer, principally celebrated for her filmed dance partnerships with Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Danny Kaye and Donald O'Connor.-Early life:...
.
- Yolanda and the ThiefYolanda and the ThiefYolanda and the Thief is a 1945 MGM musical-comedy film set in a fictional Latin American country, and stars Fred Astaire, Lucille Bremer, Frank Morgan, Ludwig Stossel and Mildred Natwick, with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Arthur Freed...
(19461946 in filmThe year 1946 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*November 21 - William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives premieres in New York featuring an ensemble cast including Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Harold Russell.*December 20 - Frank Capra's It's a...
)- The flooring which Flanery selects for his new restaurant is a copy of that used in the "Coffee Time" number.
- Dylan Baker comments: "This looks like something out of an MGM musicalMusical filmThe musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
".
- Shall We Dance (19371937 in filmThe year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US....
): Flanery's confusion when faced with multiple images of Gellar echoes Astaire when confronted with multiple masked versions of Ginger RogersGinger RogersGinger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
in the Shall We Dance finale.
- Swing TimeSwing TimeSwing Time is a 1936 RKO musical comedy film set mainly in New York City and stars Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Helen Broderick, Victor Moore, Eric Blore and Georges Metaxa, with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Dorothy Fields...
(19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
): The layout of the restaurant at the end of the movie closely resembles the restaurant and night club, the "Silver Sandal."