Serious Moonlight
Tags: romantic, comedy

Plot synopsis:
When Louise, a high-powered attorney (Meg Ryan), discovers that her husband Ian (Timothy Hutton) is about to leave her for another woman Sara (Kristen Bell), she prevents him from doing so by binding him to a chair with duct tape. She tries to persuade and convince him that he still loves her, but everything she says fails to change his mind. He lies and promises that he still loves her and won't run away when she frees him. When he tries to escape, she knocks him out with a flower pot and tapes him to a toilet. She then leaves the house to purchase groceries to make a "romantic meal." While she is out, a lawn service boy comes by to mow the lawn, and Ian successfully yells for help and gets his attention. The boy, realizing that there is no one else in the house, begins robbing their house. When Louise returns, the burglar attacks her and brings her into the bathroom with Ian. During their captivity, Ian realizes that he does still love his wife, and the couple makes up. The next morning, Sara (Ian's mistress) comes to the house, furious that Ian did not show up at the airport to go to Paris with her. The burglars put Sara into the bathroom with the reconciled couple, and the three discuss their love triangle situation. They manage to escape by calling the police from Sara's cell phone, which is in her back pocket. After the whole ordeal, Ian chooses to stay with Louise.
Some time later, Ian and Louise have sold their house and are moving away. They have had a baby as they had tried to in the past. They decide to have lunch one last time in town before they move. While walking to the restaurant, they walk past the same burglar who robbed their house, and the burglar nods at them in recognition. Louise looks away and walks away quickly, and Ian looks stunned (implying she organized the burglary).

Review: If you enjoy films like "War of the Roses", you should like this one.Basically this is a love-triangle story about a man (Tim Hutton) whose planning on leaving his wife (Meg Ryan) of 14 years for a much younger woman (Kristin Bell).
Unfortunately, Kristin Bell bores us with her very two-dimensional performance.The plot tidies itself up rather too quickly from this twisted story, but at least we're not left with an overly long film.
This is a dark comedy worthy of Hitchcock, and it's far, far removed from Meg Ryan's past 'sweetheart' roles.'Serious Moonlight' is a simple, character-driven story of what happens when high-powered lawyer Louise (Meg Ryan) finds out her husband Ian (Timothy Hutton) plans to leave her for his younger mistress Sara (Kristen Bell).
Eventually, an unexpected visit by Todd (Justin Long) forces husband, wife, and mistress to confront their situation in an unexpected manner.As director Cheryl Hines suggested at the Austin Film Festival Q&A before and after the movie, the film's plot really centers on Ian's character development.
I have to agree, and I also think Hines was right when she said that Timothy Hutton was perfect for this role.And while some might take Louise's decision to tie her husband up as pathetically desperate, I found it entirely believable that such drastic action would be necessary to make a man talk about his real feelings – especially when he's doing something as unoriginally asinine as finding 'real love' with a younger woman.
It's no accident that Sara looks conspicuously like young Louise, I think, and much of the movie's subtext is about the difference between early passion and long-term commitment.This movie often feels like a play in the best sense, focusing on small moments and realistic conversation.
Perhaps because of her strong background in comedy, Hines wisely avoids this pitfall, making the movie's laughs razor-sharp, but balancing them with genuinely tense moments.I won't tell you how the movie ends, because there's a bit of a twist.
But that's almost the point, and I'm glad to see a woman-authored, woman-directed view of male infidelity for once.This darkly comic movie is definitely worth seeing, in my opinion, and given how seriously funnylady Hines takes her job as director, I sincerely hope to see more of her work soon..
After her death, her husband set up the Adrienne Shelly Foundation to help women pursue their film-making dreams.
Money earned from her films goes towards this foundation.Second, there are a lot of elements in this film that are pretty original which seems to be a hard feat to accomplish for most films today.Third, the interesting casting choices, which give us the pleasure of seeing Meg Ryan and Timothy Hutton in mature, grown up roles but acting childishly-stupid with glimmers of maturity and wisdom.
Add to this, Justin Long in a funny and very surprising role, and then the adorable Kristin Bell who for once is actually playing a character less-accomplished than the average woman her age."Serious Moonlight" is a romantic comedy of sorts where we have a husband divorcing his wife so he can be with his younger mistress.
Every turn in this movie is funny, original, thoughtful, and romantic - in its own weird way.I recommend spending your money on "Serious Moonlight".
To be brutally honest, I think winning had more to do with leads Meg Ryan and Timothy Hutton, along with director Cheryl Hines, being by far the most well-known participants, than it did with the quality(or relative lack thereof) of the film itself.Obviously, SERIOUS was inspired/adapted by a play.
The basic premise seems like a sure-fire winner: Not-so-successful, burned out husband decides to leave more successful lawyer wife, before she gets home from vacation, for his ditsy, twenty-something secretary.
Getting home a day early, wife(Meg Ryan) catches hubby(Timothy Hutton) sneaking out in Stealth Mode.
She seems like a sweet, wonderful person; a rather competent actor; and a totally unimaginative, inexperienced and lackluster director.One sequence, midway into the film, is particularly annoying: Husband and wife, tied up in the bathroom, begin a prolonged argument.
Timothy Hutton and a rejuvenated Meg Ryan both turn in commendable, but somewhat strained performances (Over-direction Perhaps?) Two things saved SERIOUS: A fair share of laugh-provoking moments; and acts 3 and 4.(Far superior to rest of film) So, instead of 5*-IT GETS 6*.....ENJOY/DISFRUTELA!.
This is one of the better movies I have seen this past month or so.Meg Ryan puts on a marvelous performance as the slightly crazy wife doing whatever she can to make her husband love her.This is a comedy unlike most other comedies out there.
You really get to feel for the characters of the movie.I like Meg Ryan as an actress, and this is one of the better roles I have seen her portray in awhile.
Looking at the cast of the movie, you'd think you have a nice comedy at hand.
That it is borderline insane (the set-up, which gets even more ridiculous by an ending that is pretty clear, but gets "explained" here on IMDb, if you happened to miss that) and tries to "hammer" in things (quite literally at times), does not make this any better than other movies.
Marital discord making for an unfunny dark comedy, with Meg Ryan and Timothy Hutton failing to create a convincing union (tattered or otherwise).
This is just to let anyone seriously considering to watch this movie know that it is a complete waste of time.
Ryan is way over the top (as her role requires her to be) and that means I could barely stand any scenes with her (which amount to 85% of the movie).
She ties him up, with duct tape, in their farm house.Unlike the kind of humour that's often used in a romantic comedies 'Serious Moonlight' is a lot more tongue in cheek and even dark at times.
Cheryl Hines, who's already known for her comedic talents, proves to be a competent director and with the late Adrienne Shelly's funny and yet thought-provoking screenplay, she has made something entertaining.
I found most of the dialogues laugh-out-loud funny.Timothy Hutton finally gets a part that's just right for him as he does full justice to Ian. Meg Ryan looks great and she's superb as the almost insane Louise.
Justin Long and Kristen Bell provide hilarious support.The twist in the end was cleverly done and works as a good conclusion with a funny touch..
Luoise (Meg Ryan) cannot and will not accept the fact that Ian (Timothy Hutton), her husband, wishes to leave her.
It took both of them quite some time to accept where they had failed, Louise much longer than Ian. In the middle, you have Sara (Kristen Bell), who obviously loved Ian and went to lengths to fight for him.
In the end, as they say, may the best man (or woman) win, but if you notice carefully, there was something lacking in Ian when these scenes were being played out, something which makes you think , "Ok, now, seriously, are you gonna be a man about this or what?" I couldn't help feeling sorry for the girl - she was obviously sincere and showed it without compunction.However, just when you think you've got it all figured out and you see the pieces falling into place, well here comes the final scene, where you say, "What?
I'm sitting here writing this and still turning this scene over and over in my mind, contemplating the different possible meanings.I don't agree the movie is a waste of time or disappointing.
When she is informed by her husband of thirteen years that he is leaving her for another woman, Louise does what every self-respecting woman in her position would do: she conks him over the head, duct-tapes him to a chair, and threatens to hold him prisoner till he comes to his senses.
Thus, for an hour-and-a-half, we're forced to watch as two self-indulgent crybabies - one a cheat, the other a raving psychotic - thrash out the details of their relationship in a tone so grating and mean-spirited that before long we're ready to send in our own hostage-negotiating team just to bring an end to all of our suffering.Despite the presence of Meg Ryan, Tim Hutton, Kristen Bell and Justin Long in key roles, "Serious Moonlight," directed by Cheryl Hines and written by the late Adrienne Shelly (both of "Waitress" fame), is a hopelessly contrived, endlessly off-putting dark romantic comedy (a la "The War of the Roses," albeit without the courage of that film's ending) that, I guess, is supposed to be every cheated-on spouse's idea of the perfect wish-fulfillment revenge fantasy (even if the fantasy winds up going awry in the end).
At one point, Hutton seems to be speaking for the audience when he states, "It's like torture." That's about as astute an example of built-in self-criticism as I've ever come across in a movie..
First off, don't buy this movie unless your a colector of Meg Ryan films etc...Secondly, rent it only when you have rented 90 percent of all the other movies you want to see....Meg Ryan, and I am a fan, was quite good in this film and for that reason only I have rated it a 6 out of 10.I don't want to give away any part of the movie at all however, there is a scene with Timothy Hutton (Ian).
I guess its a dream or a flashback, i'm not at all sure how it fits into the film but its half way in and its at least a minute long where most woman will be absolutely shocked that Meg Ryan was part of this filth.My suggestion, watch it with your female friends, most men will only appreciate 1 minute of this shocking film..
She holds her husband captive to try to win him back."Serious Moonlight" has only two actors most of the time, and the whole film is set in a house.
The screenplay is the last work of the late actress Adrienne Shelly, who wrote, directed, and co-starred in 2007's agreeably idiosyncratic "Waitress", and what they have in common is her supple dexterity in balancing the off-kilter elements of her stories into something deeper.
Her "Waitress" co-star Cheryl Hines ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") takes the helm in her directorial debut, and her lack of experience may attribute to the fact that it feels more like a filmed stage play despite Nancy Schreiber's expert cinematography.The brief story focuses on married couple, Louise and Ian, on a day when they unexpectedly cross paths at their bucolic vacation home.
In a welcome big-screen return as Ian, Timothy Hutton does what he can under a lot of duct tape in a mostly passive role with moments of vented exasperation, while Kristin Bell ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall") shows surprising grit as Sarah, especially toward the end when the women grapple on the bathroom floor.
More than Hines' workmanlike direction, Shelly's somewhat uneven screenplay offers enough dark elements to make the contrived set-up worth accepting for the sake of the unfolding story she wanted to tell..
Besides, this movie was written by Adrienne Shelly (1966-2006), a young filmmaker who was tragically murdered 5 years ago, and it seems unfair to posthumously speak against a screenplay which may needed various (better said, a lot of) revisions.
Having said all that, I need to go back to the point: Serious Moonlight is an unbearable and repulsive disaster.I still remember the days in which Meg Ryan was considered the "queen of the chick-flicks".
So...how did she end up in such an atrocious and cheap movie like Serious Moonlight?
Ian (Timothy Hutton) wants to have a day with his mistress Sara (Kristen Bell) but his high-powered lawyer wife Louise (Meg Ryan) surprises him by showing up a day early.
The quirky tone is not funny until the last act when Hutton, Ryan and Bell are locked in the bathroom.
I loved this movie I found myself wanting to cry and laugh at the same time-I could feel such strong raw emotion from the actors and could definitely identify with their feelings of hate and love and lust all in one situation.
Full of great actors such as Meg Ryan, Justin Long, and Kristen Bell- It was a highly entertaining and heart warming story of a romance lost and found again.
Meg Ryan is one of the most beautiful women in entertainment but in this film it looks like her face is numb and mostly expressionless.
Only Timothy Hutton's talent made me give it two starts instead of one.By the way, I hope we see more of Meg Ryan but please, stay away from the cosmetic chemistry!
Cheryl Hines) Ian has grown tired of his wife Louise, decides to quit the marriage, and takes up with a much younger woman.
The acting is amazing, I love all four of the actors in this especially Meg Ryan and Kristen Bell.
I will be putting this on my list of favourite Meg Ryan movies and would watch it again and also recommend other people to watch it.
Meg Ryan and Timothy Hutton star yet again in a romantic comedy, not called French kiss but Serious moonlight.
But Serious moonlight, though predictable, works cause of the charm between the two stars and it's hilarious.Meg Ryan stars as Louise, a lawyer who realizes that her husband(played by Timothy Hutton) is having an affair.
It's all an act by Louise and lawn boy.When lawn boy drags Louise into the bathroom, apparently unconscious, and tapes her up, the husband begins his long, tearful confession that he really loves her.
I watched the movie without seeing any trailers or anything, I had the idea that it was another romantic comedy, but it was a nice surprise to see that it was an interesting story, with a surprise ending.
The main characters played by Meg Ryan and Timothy Hutton are credible.
It was surprising to see Justing Long doing this character, he was good in this movie.
Danny DeVito is not in this movie - but between Ruthless People and War of the Roses, I certainly felt his presence in the echoes.*** SPOILERS *** Meg Ryan is perfection in the lead as the high-powered lawyer who refuses to let the end of their marriage and her life after it - which she sees all too clearly - become just another cliché.
Justin Long, seemingly cast against type as a thuggish yet provocatively curious home invader with - and he is great - and the balance he shows between these aspects of his character doesn't really hit home until after you have viewed, re-viewed, then thought about the film's final scene.As others have pointed out, Cheryl Hines from Waitress, RV, and Curb Your Enthuiasm directs the script from the late Adrienne Shelley who had died before the film was produced.
Since, i tend to be story-acting-and dialog oriented, that did not bother me as much as some, but if you are looking for visual satisfaction from a film and seeing Timothy Hutton duct-taped to a toilet does not turn you on, you should probably look elsewhere.On the other-hand, it you are looking for well-acted and off-beat character-driven entertainment as a way to spend 90 minutes of your day, watch the DVD of Serious Moonlight..
Not so simple when your wife decides that she's NOT going to let you leave her and holds you captive until she convinces you that you are wrong and that despite what you think you DO actually still love her.Ryan plays this role to perfection and she vacillates between heartbroken wife to complete sociopath and is remarkably convincing at portraying both.
Knowing Ryans movies for many years where she's the good, sweet girl, love interest, adorable girlfriend.....it's fun to see her in such a dark role and in my opinion perfectly cast because she's still cute as a button, but juxtaposed against the diabolical nature of her character was brilliant.
I'm shocked that something this bad was filmed in the first place.Meg Ryan is a mess.
There is little (or no) continuity in any of the initial set-ups of the movie (Ryan is initially presented as a hardworking, romantic woman.
Oh, then she returns to being the romantic, stable woman who tries to salvage her relationship with the husband.) Out of the two people I saw this movie with, one of them actually enjoyed it, and one of them slept through the whole thing.
Meg Ryan & Timothy Hutton,usually can be relied upon to deliver good performances.
The only other actors in the film are done by Justin Long and Kristen Bell, they too needed a tougher director.
I really like Meg Ryan, and Timothy Hutton is okay.
But I'm not sure a film where one of the stars is duct-taped into a chair or onto a toilet for nearly the entire 84 minutes is going to be very compelling.
Horrible Mess...Like a Play Written by a High School Kid. We find Meg Ryan, who has never looked hotter, lowering herself and losing all dignity to keep a not-so-hot husband who has been cheating on her and who happens to speak and act like a teenager.
We are really so much the worse for her untimely horrible loss.This is a unique story of a marriage gone wrong and the wife's attempt to rescue it at any cost, even if that means taping her husband to a toilet seat.The main leads by Meg Ryan and Timothy Hutton are absolutely terrific.
This movie had some good acting (Tim Hutton had to do a whole long speech alone while the Louise character was supposedly passed out - listening I guess too).
The script needed a lot more to make this movie good.I can't recommend this film unless you really have the need for more forced Meg Ryan "cuteness" and you happen to get off on seeing her get her breasts fondled (twice no less).This movie is a DUD..