Stuck On You (2003 film)
Encyclopedia
Stuck On You is a 2003 comedy film
directed by the Farrelly brothers
and starring Matt Damon
and Greg Kinnear
as conjoined twins
, whose conflicting aspirations provide both conflict and humorous situations, in particular when one of them wishes to move to Hollywood, California to pursue a career as an actor.
Bob (Matt Damon
) and Walt (Greg Kinnear
) Tenor try to live as normally as possible. Outgoing and sociable Walt aspires to be a Hollywood actor, however, whereas shy, introverted Bob prefers the quiet life. They run a restaurant on Martha's Vineyard
, where they let mentally handicapped Rocket (Ray Valliere) work as a waiter. Later, when a couple of customers insult him, they are thrown out.
Walt gets a role in a local theater's play. Bob stays as much as possible in the background, as he has a tendency to get stage fright
. Following the play's success, Walt decides to follow his dream to Hollywood and persuades his hesitant brother to go along for the ride.
They rent an apartment in California and become friends with April Mercedes (Eva Mendes
), who doesn't seem to care about their deformity. After getting rejected professionally numerous times, eccentric agent Morty O'Reilly (Seymour Cassel
) gets them their first gig, but it turns out to be a porn flick.
Cher
(played as herself) is upset that she has ended up starring in a prime-time TV show called "Honey and the Beaze" She wants out of the deal, so she decides to hire Walt as her co-star (since her contract states she can choose anyone she wants), certain the show will get cancelled. The producers do what they can to keep Bob out of the picture. The show is a surprise hit and Walt becomes famous.
Walt decides to hook Bob up with a girl that he met online named May Fong (Wen Yann Shih
). She is unaware that Bob has a conjoined twin. Their relationship progresses as Walt tries to stay hidden at all times, like being disguised as a giant teddy bear. May makes a surprise visit and finds out the truth about them. She then leaves in a shock.
Morty informs them that word has spread about Walt and Bob being conjoined. They both become huge celebrities, making commercials and being guests on the Tonight Show. While Walt enjoys this success, he knows that Bob is unhappy because he misses May. He decides that they should get surgically separated. (They had doubts about this because they share a liver
that is mostly Bob's, so if they did proceed, Walt would probably die.)
Bob refuses to have the operation. Walt tries to convince Bob when he decides to get drunk and make a fool of himself, ending up in jail for accidentally snatching a lady's purse and drunk driving. (Bob was driving, although he wasn't drunk.) After they are released, they have a fight and Bob decides to go along with the operation.
On their last night as conjoined twins, May shows up and apologizes to Bob for running out the way she did. Bob informs her that they're getting separated. At the hospital, May and April wait patiently; the surgery is successful.
After the operation, things go downhill for both men. Bob moves back to Martha's Vineyard to live with May, but finds it difficult not to have someone literally connected to him. His problems include keeping balance, trying to run the restaurant on his own, and hockey shots he can't block. (He and his brother were both goalies, so not a single goal got past them.)
Walt stays in Hollywood, where he struggles with not being able to function on his own at acting. The ratings of "Honey and the Beaze" fall and the show is cancelled. He often finds companionship in sitting next to a bronze statue. He and Cher both have a talk about what's best for him, so Walt decides to go back to Martha's Vineyard to be with Bob.
One year later, Walt and Bob are back running the restaurant and being joined together (thanks to Velcro
). Bob and May have married and are expecting a child. Walt is still with April, and there's even better news—he is starring in a play with Meryl Streep
.
gives the film a score of 60% based on 152 reviews, and an average rating of 6/10, with the consensus: "An unusually sweet and charming comedy by the Farrelly brothers. Fans may miss the distinct lack of bodily fluids though."
, who appears in the film, and produced by David Foster
was included in the soundtrack (Flynn cover). There was no official release, but in Germany the song was released on a promotional CD of the soundtrack called "Unzertrennlich" and that version clocks 3:49. The version original is 4:25, never released. The song can be heard during the end credits of the film and is played during a scene in a club. This is the first Farrelly Brothers film not to have an official soundtrack.
Pete Yorn
recorded a cover of the Albert Hammond
classic "It Never Rains in Southern California
" for the film, and like the aforementioned Cher song, remains unreleased. The Kings of Leon
songs "California Waiting", "Molly Chambers" and "Holy Roller Novocaine" are all featured in the film as well, from the bands first EP Holy Roller Novacaine. Greg Kinnear's version of "Summertime
" is an almost note-for-note cover of the Billy Stewart
version. Eight minutes out in the movie, while at a bar, Morten Abel
's song "Welcome Home" is played.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by the Farrelly brothers
Farrelly brothers
Peter John Farrelly and Robert Leo "Bobby" Farrelly, Jr. , professionally known as the Farrelly Brothers are screenwriters and directors of ten comedy films, including There's Something About Mary; Dumb and Dumber; Kingpin; Hall Pass; Me, Myself & Irene; Shallow Hal; Stuck on You; Osmosis Jones;...
and starring Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
and Greg Kinnear
Greg Kinnear
Gregory "Greg" Kinnear is an American actor and television personality who first rose to stardom in 1991. He has appeared in more than 20 motion pictures, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in As Good as It Gets.-Early life:Kinnear was born in Logansport, Indiana, the son of...
as conjoined twins
Conjoined twins
Conjoined twins are identical twins whose bodies are joined in utero. A rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 50,000 births to 1 in 100,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence in Southwest Asia and Africa. Approximately half are stillborn, and a smaller fraction of...
, whose conflicting aspirations provide both conflict and humorous situations, in particular when one of them wishes to move to Hollywood, California to pursue a career as an actor.
Plot
Conjoined twinsConjoined twins
Conjoined twins are identical twins whose bodies are joined in utero. A rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 50,000 births to 1 in 100,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence in Southwest Asia and Africa. Approximately half are stillborn, and a smaller fraction of...
Bob (Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
) and Walt (Greg Kinnear
Greg Kinnear
Gregory "Greg" Kinnear is an American actor and television personality who first rose to stardom in 1991. He has appeared in more than 20 motion pictures, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in As Good as It Gets.-Early life:Kinnear was born in Logansport, Indiana, the son of...
) Tenor try to live as normally as possible. Outgoing and sociable Walt aspires to be a Hollywood actor, however, whereas shy, introverted Bob prefers the quiet life. They run a restaurant on Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....
, where they let mentally handicapped Rocket (Ray Valliere) work as a waiter. Later, when a couple of customers insult him, they are thrown out.
Walt gets a role in a local theater's play. Bob stays as much as possible in the background, as he has a tendency to get stage fright
Stage fright
Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, whether actually or potentially . In the context of public speaking, this fear is termed glossophobia, one of the most common...
. Following the play's success, Walt decides to follow his dream to Hollywood and persuades his hesitant brother to go along for the ride.
They rent an apartment in California and become friends with April Mercedes (Eva Mendes
Eva Mendes
Eva Mendes is an American actress.She began acting in the late 1990s, and after a series of minor roles and performances in several smaller films such as Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror and Urban Legends: Final Cut , she broke into the mainstream, appearing in leading roles in Hollywood...
), who doesn't seem to care about their deformity. After getting rejected professionally numerous times, eccentric agent Morty O'Reilly (Seymour Cassel
Seymour Cassel
Seymour Joseph Cassel is an American actor.He first came to prominence in the 1960s in the pioneering independent films of writer/directorJohn Cassavetes...
) gets them their first gig, but it turns out to be a porn flick.
Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
(played as herself) is upset that she has ended up starring in a prime-time TV show called "Honey and the Beaze" She wants out of the deal, so she decides to hire Walt as her co-star (since her contract states she can choose anyone she wants), certain the show will get cancelled. The producers do what they can to keep Bob out of the picture. The show is a surprise hit and Walt becomes famous.
Walt decides to hook Bob up with a girl that he met online named May Fong (Wen Yann Shih
Wen Yann Shih
Shih Wen Yann is an American actress.-Filmography:-External links:*...
). She is unaware that Bob has a conjoined twin. Their relationship progresses as Walt tries to stay hidden at all times, like being disguised as a giant teddy bear. May makes a surprise visit and finds out the truth about them. She then leaves in a shock.
Morty informs them that word has spread about Walt and Bob being conjoined. They both become huge celebrities, making commercials and being guests on the Tonight Show. While Walt enjoys this success, he knows that Bob is unhappy because he misses May. He decides that they should get surgically separated. (They had doubts about this because they share a liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
that is mostly Bob's, so if they did proceed, Walt would probably die.)
Bob refuses to have the operation. Walt tries to convince Bob when he decides to get drunk and make a fool of himself, ending up in jail for accidentally snatching a lady's purse and drunk driving. (Bob was driving, although he wasn't drunk.) After they are released, they have a fight and Bob decides to go along with the operation.
On their last night as conjoined twins, May shows up and apologizes to Bob for running out the way she did. Bob informs her that they're getting separated. At the hospital, May and April wait patiently; the surgery is successful.
After the operation, things go downhill for both men. Bob moves back to Martha's Vineyard to live with May, but finds it difficult not to have someone literally connected to him. His problems include keeping balance, trying to run the restaurant on his own, and hockey shots he can't block. (He and his brother were both goalies, so not a single goal got past them.)
Walt stays in Hollywood, where he struggles with not being able to function on his own at acting. The ratings of "Honey and the Beaze" fall and the show is cancelled. He often finds companionship in sitting next to a bronze statue. He and Cher both have a talk about what's best for him, so Walt decides to go back to Martha's Vineyard to be with Bob.
One year later, Walt and Bob are back running the restaurant and being joined together (thanks to Velcro
Velcro
Velcro is the brand name of the first commercially marketed fabric hook-and-loop fastener, invented in 1948 by the Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral...
). Bob and May have married and are expecting a child. Walt is still with April, and there's even better news—he is starring in a play with Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film.Streep made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with...
.
Cast
- Matt DamonMatt DamonMatthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
as Bob Tenor - Greg KinnearGreg KinnearGregory "Greg" Kinnear is an American actor and television personality who first rose to stardom in 1991. He has appeared in more than 20 motion pictures, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in As Good as It Gets.-Early life:Kinnear was born in Logansport, Indiana, the son of...
as Walt Tenor - Eva MendesEva MendesEva Mendes is an American actress.She began acting in the late 1990s, and after a series of minor roles and performances in several smaller films such as Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror and Urban Legends: Final Cut , she broke into the mainstream, appearing in leading roles in Hollywood...
as April Mercedes - Wen Yann ShihWen Yann ShihShih Wen Yann is an American actress.-Filmography:-External links:*...
as May Fong - Pat Crawford BrownPat Crawford Brown-Personal life:Brown was born in New York City, the daughter of Charlotte and Thomas J. Brown. She is the aunt of folk singer Christine Lavin.She was married to Calvin B...
as Mimmy - Ray Valliere as Rocket
- Tommy Songin as Tommy
- Terence Bernie Hines as Moe Neary
- CherCherCher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
as Herself - Jackie Flynn as Howard
- Seymour CasselSeymour CasselSeymour Joseph Cassel is an American actor.He first came to prominence in the 1960s in the pioneering independent films of writer/directorJohn Cassavetes...
as Morty O'Reilly - Griffin DunneGriffin Dunne-Personal life:Dunne was born Thomas Griffin Dunne in New York City, New York, the son of Ellen Beatriz Dunne and Dominick Dunne. His mother founded the victims' rights organization Justice for Homicide Victims and his father was a producer, writer, and actor...
as Himself - Bridget Tobin as Vineyard Cutie
- Danny Murphy as Dicky
- Jay LenoJay LenoJames Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
as Himself - Malcolm G. Chace Jr. as Vineyard Buddie
- Steve TylerSteve Tyler (actor)Steve Tyler is an American actor and stage producer.-Biography:Tyler was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. He lives in Los Angeles, California where he is an active participant in the city's artistic, political and philanthropical communities...
as Detective Reudy - Dane CookDane CookDane Jeffrey Cook is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released five comedy albums: Harmful If Swallowed; Retaliation; Vicious Circle; Rough Around The Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden; and Isolated Incident. In 2006, Retaliation became the highest charting comedy album...
as Officer Fraioli - Lin ShayeLin ShayeLinda "Lin" Shaye is an American film, theatre and television actress.-Early life:Born in Detroit, Michigan, Shaye is the daughter of Dorothy , a homemaker, and Max Mendle Shaye, a painter and supermarket owner. Her brother is film executive Robert Shaye...
as Makeup Babe - Fernanda LimaFernanda LimaFernanda Cama Pereira Lima is a Brazilian actress, television hostess and model.-TV filmography:* 2010/11 - Amor & Sexo* 2007 - Por Toda Minha Vida* 2007 - Fantástico* 2006/07 - Pé na Jaca - Maria Bo...
as Susie - Mary HartMary HartMary Hart is an American television personality and was the host of the syndicated gossip and entertainment round-up program Entertainment Tonight from 1982 to 2011.-Early life:...
as Herself (uncredited) - Frankie MunizFrankie MunizFrancisco "Frankie" Muniz IV is an American actor, musician, writer, producer, and racecar driver. He is known primarily as the star of the FOX television family sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. In 2003, he was considered "one of Hollywood's most bankable teens". In 2008, he put his acting career...
as Himself (uncredited) - Meryl StreepMeryl StreepMary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film.Streep made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with...
as Herself (uncredited) - Jesse VenturaJesse VenturaJames George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
as Himself (uncredited)
Critical response
Review website Rotten TomatoesRotten 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...
gives the film a score of 60% based on 152 reviews, and an average rating of 6/10, with the consensus: "An unusually sweet and charming comedy by the Farrelly brothers. Fans may miss the distinct lack of bodily fluids though."
Box office
Although the movie was made more than its production budget grossing $34 million in the United States and $32 million internationally, its box office draw considerably underperformed the Farrelly Brothers previous hits. It only managed third place in its opening weekend box office (US) despite having the largest theater count of any movie that weekend (Dec 12-14 2003).Facts
The film depicts two non-identical conjoined twins, which is actually a medical impossibility (since the bodies of non-identical conjoined twins would reject each other's tissues, leading to death). The cursory explanation within the film for Bob and Walt's different appearance is that Walt's limited access to their mutual liver has caused him to age faster than Bob. Also the Liver of all mammals has Regenerative Capabilities. The human liver is one of the few glands in the body that has the ability to regenerate from as little as 25% of its tissue.[36] This is largely due to the unipotency of hepatocytes.[37] Resection of liver can induce the proliferation of the remained hepatocytes until the lost mass is restored, where the intensity of the liver’s response is directly proportional to the mass resected. For almost 80 years surgical resection of the liver in rodents has been a very useful model to the study of cell proliferation.[38][39]Music
The song "Human" recorded by CherCher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
, who appears in the film, and produced by David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
was included in the soundtrack (Flynn cover). There was no official release, but in Germany the song was released on a promotional CD of the soundtrack called "Unzertrennlich" and that version clocks 3:49. The version original is 4:25, never released. The song can be heard during the end credits of the film and is played during a scene in a club. This is the first Farrelly Brothers film not to have an official soundtrack.
Pete Yorn
Pete Yorn
Peter Joseph Yorn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist who first gained international recognition after his debut record, Musicforthemorningafter, was released to critical acclaim in 2001.-Early history:Yorn's father is a dentist and his mother is a former concert pianist who worked as a...
recorded a cover of the Albert Hammond
Albert Hammond
Albert Hammond OBE is a British singer, songwriter and record producer from Gibraltar.-Birth and early success:Hammond was born in London, England, where his family had been evacuated to from Gibraltar during World War II. His family returned to Gibraltar shortly after his birth, and there he grew...
classic "It Never Rains in Southern California
It Never Rains in Southern California
"It Never Rains in Southern California", written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood, is the title of a song first released by Hammond, a British born singer-songwriter, in 1972. Hammond's version peaked at number five on the U.S...
" for the film, and like the aforementioned Cher song, remains unreleased. The Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
songs "California Waiting", "Molly Chambers" and "Holy Roller Novocaine" are all featured in the film as well, from the bands first EP Holy Roller Novacaine. Greg Kinnear's version of "Summertime
Summertime (song)
"Summertime" is an aria composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward, the author of the novel Porgy on which the opera was based, although the song is also co-credited to Ira Gershwin by ASCAP....
" is an almost note-for-note cover of the Billy Stewart
Billy Stewart
Billy Stewart was an American musical artist, with a highly distinctive scat-singing style, who enjoyed popularity in the 1960s.-Biography:...
version. Eight minutes out in the movie, while at a bar, Morten Abel
Morten Abel
Morten Abel Knutsen, , better known by his stage name Morten Abel is a Norwegian pop artist, and one of Norway's best-selling domestic artists.-Career:...
's song "Welcome Home" is played.