down with love movie review

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User reviews

Down with Love

50s-60s sex romantic comedies satirised and celebrated.

TheLittleSongbird
Oct 21, 2017

Corny but amusing over the top parody

perica-43151
Dec 31, 2020

Up with this movie! It pays great homage to the Doris & Rock films

Feb 14, 2007

Visually stunning.....an experiment of sorts....

southwest3210-156-400970
Sep 16, 2011

Charming recreation

May 25, 2003

Up with the sixties style films

cnycitylady
Mar 27, 2013

fluffy nostalgia fun

Feb 21, 2009

Down And Then Some

littlemartinarocena
Jun 5, 2009

Should have been a massive hit

Jan 4, 2021

Lampooning those Doris Day romcoms with Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor

Aug 22, 2020

No, thank you

aguasmarked

Suave, charismatic and an affectionate parody

Apr 21, 2013

Pillow Torque

writers_reign
Feb 17, 2010

Really fizzles down the stretch

Sep 30, 2009

An underrated gem - glowing pastiche with a post-feminist twist

garboventures
May 16, 2004

fun, breezy and light

SnoopyStyle
Dec 2, 2015

Playboy gets his from wily secretary

Jul 3, 2005

Stylish, but charmless

Oct 5, 2003

Not for the casual moviegoer

May 23, 2003

Really has one main target audience

FilmFanInTheHouse
Jun 27, 2009

Totally disappointing

As pink and silly as they come, but "down with love" is a fun romp.

napierslogs
Jan 29, 2011

missed the boat

Apr 30, 2011
moonspinner55
Dec 27, 2003

Charming and fun, with jokes that would make Doris Dayblush.....

May 7, 2003

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Parents' guide to, down with love.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 4 Reviews
Kids Say 1 Review

Common Sense Media Review

By Nell Minow , based on child development research. How do we rate?

Hilarious spoof on '60s comedies for mature 14+.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this movie has a good deal of sexual innuendo and double entendres, including an extended split-screen sequence that makes it appear that the characters are engaging in a number of sexual acts. There is brief strong language. Characters drink and smoke as evidence of sophistication. Equality…

Why Age 14+?

Drinking and smoking as emblems of sophistication.

Brief strong language, many double entendres.

Constant sexual references and situations including apparent sexual encounters.

Any Positive Content?

Equality of women a comic theme of the movie.

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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Where to watch, videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (4)
Kids say (1)

Based on 4 parent reviews

A different type of rom-com

One scene ruins it for the kids, what's the story.

In DOWN WITH LOVE, Barbara Novak (Renee Zellwegger) is the author of a book called Down with Love , that tells women to be strong and independent, to find fulfillment in work and to use men for sex but not become emotionally attached. Magazine writer and man-about-town Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor) decides to expose her as a hypcrite by making her fall in love with him. He pretends to be a shy astronaut who does not want to have sex unless he is in love. But Barbara -- and Cupid -- have a few surprises in store for him.

Is It Any Good?

Down With Love can't make up its mind whether it is a salute to the Doris Day-Rock Hudson/James Garner/Cary Grant movies of the 1960s or a parody of them. Perhaps surprisingly, it works better as a salute, and never quite reaches the heights of the movies that inspired it. The movie begins by saying that "the time is now -- 1962" and the period details are, well, swell, including flip hairdos, Tang, martinis, the twist, Camelot and clothes and furniture that are the kickiest! Catch is wearing a dinner jacket when he returns from a luau with the astronauts at Cocoa Beach.

When Barbara's book becomes a worldwide sensation, she receives the ultimate badge of fame -- an Alfred E. Newman parody on the cover of Mad magazine. But the best of the movie's in-jokes is Tony Randall, who often played Hudson's best friend, a neurotic rich guy who hopelessly envied Hudson's confidence and success with the ladies in the original series of movies. In Down With Love , that role is exquisitely played by David Hyde Pierce, but Randall appears as the head of the publishing firm, demonstrating his impeccable timing and delivery. Indeed, the supporting players, sets, and costumes are so vivid that they make the main characters seem a little bland.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about whether a similar plot could work in a movie set in current times.

Movie Details

In theaters : May 16, 2003
On DVD or streaming : October 7, 2003
Cast : David Hyde Pierce , Ewan McGregor , Renee Zellweger
Director : Peyton Reed
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
Genre : Comedy
Run time : 110 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : sexual humor and dialogue
Last updated : January 1, 2023

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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.