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List Price: $14.99 | | Label: Miramax
Salesrank: 17317
Released: October 23, 2001 |
| Our Price: $4.54 |
| Used Price: $4.15 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Academy Award(R)-nominee Kate Hudson (ALMOST FAMOUS, Best Supporting Actress) shines in this sexy comedy about three sisters and the one guy who offers them everything they've been looking for! When carefree Lucy (Hudson) finally meets her perfect man, Adam (Stuart Townsend -- 24 HOURS, WONDERLAND), she's ready to give up her wild ways and settle down for good ... with a trip to the altar. But while Lucy is busy making plans for her wedding, Adam is busy charming the rest of her family. The only quesiton is: does anyone really know the truth abut Adam? Also featuring Frances O'Connor (A.I., MANSFIELD PARK) in an outstanding cast -- critics everywhere are raving about this witty, sophisticated, and uncommonly entertaining comedy treat -- and so will you!
Description of About Adam:
If you think that the only thing impish Kate Hudson (Almost Famous) lacks is a lilting Irish accent, this movie is for you. In About Adam Hudson plays Lucy, the youngest daughter of a middle-class Irish family, who thinks she's found the perfect guy. Adam (Stuart Townsend) not only brings flowers and takes her on romantic getaways, he even gets along with her family. Just at the moment when the sweetness of their romance seems intolerable, it turns out that he's also been romancing Lucy's sister Laura (Frances O'Connor from Mansfield Park and A.I.), for whom he's constructed an entirely different personality. And this is only the first of a series of secrets unveiled and eventually uncovered by the third sister, Alice (Charlotte Bradley). The story of About Adam isn't particularly believable, but its entertaining exploration of desire and self-delusion rings true. --Bret Fetzer
About Adam Reviews:
There is something about Adam...and his car 
2009-04-25 - I did not even know the tag-line to the film About Adam (or All About Adam) but my first thought after I saw it was "He came, He saw, He conquered...them all." And it is almost identical with the film tag-line "He came. He saw. He conquered. One sister at a time." Gerard Stembridge's film belongs to the long suffered and rarely done well genre of romantic comedy or so called chick flick but this movie was a nice surprise. It has a twist to it, is amusing, enjoyable and funny, at least up until the very final. In the end, the writer/director seemed to have lost an interest of simply did not know what to do with his main character who could've been a lighter version or a younger brother to Pasolini's mysterious visitor in Theorem or, if asked Who are you, he could've answered, Just your average, horny little devil, not unlike Mr. Darryl van Horn. Yes, About Adam may not use any original ideas and it brings to mind immediately the movies as different as Theorem; Sliding Doors; He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not; the Spanish Oscar winner for the Best Foreign movie, Bell Époque, The Witches of Eastwick, and more than one Woody Allen's dramedies, Hannah and Her Sisters, particularly. The story of a charming mysterious man who makes every member of one family fall hard for him simply by being there and expressing the interest to each person's problems, troubles, and needs has been told many times but I personally was amused and smiled more than once while watching this little comedy and I found it if not a bright lost gem but a nice way to spend an hour and half following the adventures of a nice guy , every girl's dream come true who could make women happy because he knew exactly what each of them wanted, needed, longed for, lacked in her life, and dreamed about. I found especially funny always changing and adjusted for a particular listener the story of the powerful sexy mysterious collectible Jaguar, the perfect car for a sexy, mysterious, perfect man. Cinematically, the movie that takes place in Dublin is very pleasant, and I did not mind the repeating narrative that helped to look at the same scenes from very different perspectives and unexpected points of view. The young and talented actors and actresses including pre-Almost Famous very cute and singing Kate Hudson, Frances O'Connor and Charlotte Bradley as her older sisters, and Stuart Townsend as irresistible Adam all made their characters likable which is important for this type of film.
3.5/4
Farce not comedy
2009-03-14 - 'About Adam' is billed as a comedy but it's safer to classify it as a farce. It's set in Dublin and it focuses on a family of three sisters and one brother who all become besotted with Adam, a charming Lothario, who insinuates himself into their lives. Unlike most American films where men end up chasing a beautiful woman, 'About Adam' turns the tables and we're treated to the farcical machinations of women who can no longer control their passions when attracted to that one special 'mysterious' man.
'About Adam' has a Rashomon-like plot where the story is told from the successive points of view of each sibling. We start off from Lucy's point of view (Kate Hudson) who meets Adam at her place of employment (where she works as a waitress/singer). Lucy is looking for a man who will sweep her off her feet. I'm not sure how Adam manages to press all the right buttons of these women, but they all become besotted with him. The initial seduction of Lucy goes on for way too long and after awhile her obsession with him becomes tiresome (the first 30 minutes is the weakest part of the film).
After about half an hour into the film, conflict finally emerges. Soon after meeting Lucy, Adam decides to seduce Lucy's sister, Laura (Frances O'Connor). Laura is more intellectual than Lucy, studying for her PhD in poetry. And of course Adam is familiar with the very obscure poetry Lucy has been studying at school and recites it to her, pressing her buttons. Before you know it, Laura is stripping off HER clothes for him! Adam isn't finished. Brother David finds himself attracted to Adam and fantasizes having a bi-sexual affair with him. He doesn't actually act upon his fantasies but Adam somehow engenders a passionate spark in him and he ends up with a new invigorated love life with his girlfriend.
Finally there's Alice, trapped in a loveless marriage who also has a child. Alice is aware that Adam has been playing around with BOTH of her sisters and when she finally gives in to Adam before his marriage to Lucy, it's on HER terms. She knows it's just a fling, but the brief affair with Adam awakens her long repressed sexual passions.
For those who were 'offended' by this film, they completely miss the purpose of farce. In the words of the noted drama critic Eric Bentley, in farce, one is permitted the outrage without the consequences! Farce allows its audience to experience deep-seated desires vicariously! While the sisters feel there is some deeper meaning in Adam's name (noting that Adam is the name of the progenitor of all men), one should liken him more to the Greek God Pan, famous for his sexual powers and often depicted with an erect phallus.
The world of 'About Adam' features no recriminations. While some feelings are ruffled, none of the characters suffer any permanent psychic damage. Even Laura, probably the most besotted and jealous of the sisters, accepts Adam's marriage to Lucy and we see her holding hands with her school supervisor at the end of the film, now ready for a mature romance in the real world. And although Adam is always lying to each of the women about his background, the lies are white lies--inconsequential; again resulting in no harm (Adam even suggests to Lucy who is having second thoughts about getting married just as they're about to tie the knot, that people don't always have to know each other's secrets; that way, petty jealousies are averted!).
'About Adam' is like a gentle breeze. It's a light-hearted farce not to be taken too seriously (for all of you offended by its alleged 'immorality', I say get a life!). In addition, it's an original take on the desire for passion in our lives. On the other hand, by the end of the film, we realize that the film's tension has dissipated. All that fun 'passion' unleashed in each sibling by the charming rake Adam, has become a bit repetitious and overdone. In other words, we get the point! By the end there are no more surprises! Since 'About Adam' is a bit offbeat and good-natured, I give it a '3'. But honestly, while 'About Adam' is definitely worth watching, one viewing is enough.
A fizzy fun cottoncandy kind of film! 
2007-12-27 - My partner was a bit disturbed by the proceedings of "About Adam". Too much deception for his tastes, but I don't think one can take the story of this film too seriously. It's about Adam, of course, this gorgeous guy (played by the gorgeous Stuart Townsend) who meets and becomes involved with the lovely Lucy (played by the lovely Kate Hudson, who has a wonderful singing voice that she gets to display in the flick). It's also about Lucy's two sisters and her brother and how they get to know her new boyfriend. Frances O'Connor delivers a terrific performance as Lucy's bookwormish sister who evolves into a new person as the film goes along. And I mustn't forget to mention that the film was filmed in Ireland (Dublin to be exact) and the accents are all quite believable.
"About Adam" is not a groundbreaking film, but it does offer some nice comic performances--and I enjoyed the way the writer/director Gerard Stembridge sets up the film from many different points of view. It's light entertainment, and sometimes you just want to curl up on the couch with just such a movie. At least I do.
Kate has the best hair!!
2007-07-28 - Okay, this was a funny movie that had a great plot and developed characters, but I'll admit that wasn't the thing I love most about this movie. Kate Hudson's character has the best clothes and cutest hair in this movie. She has a zillion costume changes and I looked forward to seeing what she'd wear next. If you're not that into clothes, watch it for its humor and wit.
Adam, it seems, has a BIG problem ...
2007-06-09 - ... he can't seem to keep his zipper up! Now in real life, this would be a problem. But in the movies, this sort of thing can be very funny, for a person with an open mind such as myself. Adam shags basically anyone with 2 legs - dudes are not excluded. Stuart Townsend smiles, smirks, grins, his way through this entire movie, looking like he's having the time of his life while doing so. We find out at the end of the movie why he is the way he is. His simple statement of fact: "It just makes me happy to make other people happy". Hey, I'm all for that, and though I wouldn't go around humping people to prove my point, I'm all for helping my fellow man :)
I really liked this movie, a friend recommended it to me, and I'm glad she did. I think it is very good, I'm not sure I would call it excellent, but I did enjoy it very much, and was worth the price to buy & own.
