Mr. Wonderful (film)
Mr. Wonderful is a 1993 American romantic comedy film directed by Academy Award-winning director Anthony Minghella.
| Mr. Wonderful | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Anthony Minghella |
| Written by | Amy Schor Vicki Polon |
| Produced by | Marianne Moloney |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Geoffrey Simpson |
| Edited by | John Tintori |
| Music by | Michael Gore |
Production companies | Night Life Inc. The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. (United States) Buena Vista International (International) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $13 million |
| Box office | $3,125,424 (USA) |
The film stars Matt Dillon, Annabella Sciorra, Mary-Louise Parker, William Hurt and Vincent D'Onofrio.
Plot
Gus DeMarco, an electrician, wants to purchase a bowling alley with his friends. The problem is that he still pays alimony to his ex-wife, Leonora. Gus realizes that if Leonora remarries, he can stop paying alimony, and attempts to match Leonora with various men.
Lenora has several would-be suitors, including one who upsets her because he is pushy, so she goes to complain to Gus about it. Afterwards, she has him to dinner. As he is leaving, her professor boyfriend Tom shows up directly after, upsetting Gus.
In the course of his match-making, Gus' girlfriend, Rita breaks up with him on the day they were meant to move in together. She feels he's still in love with his ex. One day, his workmate describes to him how being in love makes him feel. It inspires him to find Leonora but, seeing her in the botanical garden with Dominic stops him in his tracks.
A while later, on a job, Gus gets electrocuted while saving a workmate. Leonora, similarly to him, realizes she still has feelings for him when she sees him in the hospital. Rita, as she works there, is at his sleeping side, so Leonora leaves without talking to him. Once he's out, she visits him at his apartment. She had ended things with the professor, and she lets him know Dominic asked her to marry him.
In the end, Gus and Leonora discover that they still care about each other.
Cast
- Matt Dillon as Gus DeMarco
- Annabella Sciorra as Leonora DeMarco
- Mary-Louise Parker as Rita Calley
- William Hurt as Tom
- Vincent D'Onofrio as Dominic
- Dan Hedaya as Harvey
- Bruce Kirby as Dante
- Luis Guzman as Juice
- David Barry Gray as Pope
- Adam LeFevre as Kevin Klassic
- Joanna Merlin as Loretta
- Peter Appel as Harry
- Paul Bates as Marlon
- Arabella Field as Patti
- Brooke Smith as Jan
- Bruce Altman as Mr. Wonderful
- James Gandolfini as Mike Crosby
- Jessica Harper as Funny Face
- Vanessa Aspillaga as Marie, Dante's fiancée
Reception
Critical reception
The film received mixed reviews.[1][2][3] It holds a 52% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 5.8/10.[4] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[5]
Box office
The film was not a box office success.[6]
References
- Travers, Peter (October 15, 1993). "Mr Wonderful". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
- Maslin, Janet (October 15, 1993). "A Story of Electricity: Men, Women and Con Ed". The New York Times. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
- Rainer, Peter (October 15, 1993). "MOVIE REVIEW : 'Mr. Wonderful' Understands the Mating Game". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
- "Mr. Wonderful (1993)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- "Home - Cinemascore". Cinemascore. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- Fox, David J. (October 19, 1993). "Weekend Box Office : 'Demolition Man' Fends Off 'Hillbillies'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 30, 2010.