A Life Less Ordinary

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For the unrelated book "A Life Less Ordinary", see Baby Halder
A Life Less Ordinary

Movie poster
Directed by Danny Boyle
Produced by Andrew Macdonald
Written by John Hodge
Starring Ewan McGregor
Cameron Diaz
Holly Hunter
Ian Holm
Delroy Lindo
Dan Hedaya
Maury Chaykin
Ian McNeice
Tony Shalhoub
Stanley Tucci
Music by David Arnold
Cinematography Brian Tufano
Editing by Masahiro Hirakubo
Distributed by 20th Century Fox (USA)
PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (UK)
Release date(s) 24 October 1997
Running time 103 mins
Country UK
USA
Language English
Budget $12,000,000 (estimated)
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

A Life Less Ordinary is a 1997 romantic/black comedy film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Boyle and John Hodge. Following the international success of Trainspotting, Hodge and Boyle sought to use funding from Channel 4 to make a film that would appeal to a U.S. audience, but this follow-up proved something of a mis-fire[citation needed].

It stars Ewan McGregor, Cameron Diaz, Holly Hunter, and Delroy Lindo. Unusually, the film was serialised as a full-length comic strip within leading British comic 2000AD, written by then-editor David Bishop and drawn by Steve Yeowell - the first film to receive such treatment in Britain for almost a decade.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

O'Reilly and Jackson (Hunter and Lindo) are two angels whose jobs are to unite man and woman in eternal bliss. After a bad run that included several divorces and irreconcilable sexual disharmony, the two are in danger of being banished to Earth. Their latest job, however, can save them. Their mission: bring together Robert Lewis (McGregor) and Celine Naville (Diaz).

Robert is a dreaming, but hapless janitor, working for rich, spoiled, crazy Celine's father, Naville (Ian Holm). Robert finally snaps when he's fired, replaced by a robot, dumped by his girlfriend and sent an eviction notice (from the Firm But Fair Eviction & Collection Agency, O'Reilly and Jackson's front). While demanding his job back from Naville, Robert shoots Naville in the leg (Celine distracted him) and takes Celine hostage. Robert, however, is an inept kidnapper. While making his ransom demand, he keeps making mistakes, like getting interrupted, dialing the wrong number and switching the main words ("Right, daughter. I've got your asshole here."). O'Reilly and Jackson, meanwhile, disguise as bounty hunters and visit Naville. O'Reilly manages to sweet-talk herself and Jackson into the job of getting Robert and Celine back.

The rest of the film features Robert and Celine falling in love, while fleeing O'Reilly and Jackson. O'Reilly's brilliant plan is putting the two in jeopardy to keep them together, meaning lots of injuries for herself and Jackson.

[edit] Supporting Cast

[edit] Soundtrack

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Films directed by Danny Boyle
Shallow Grave (1994) • Trainspotting (1996) • A Life Less Ordinary (1997) • The Beach (2000) • Alien Love Triangle (2002) • 28 Days Later (2002) • Millions (2004) • Sunshine (2007) • Slumdog Millionaire (TBA)