| Maid in Manhattan | |
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Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Wayne Wang |
| Produced by | Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas Paul Schiff Deborah Schindler |
| Screenplay by | Kevin Wade |
| Story by | John Hughes |
| Starring | Jennifer Lopez Ralph Fiennes Natasha Richardson |
| Music by | Alan Silvestri |
| Cinematography | Karl Walter Lindenlaub |
| Editing by | Craig McKay |
| Studio | Revolution Studios Hughes Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | December 13, 2002 |
| Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $55 million |
| Box office | $154,906,693[1] |
Maid in Manhattan is a 2002 romantic comedy film directed by Wayne Wang about a hotel maid and a high profile politician who fall in love starring Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, and Natasha Richardson. It is based on a story by John Hughes who is credited using a pseudonym. The original music score is composed by Alan Silvestri. The film was released on December 13, 2002.
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Marisa Ventura (Jennifer Lopez) is a single mother trying to get by with her young son Ty (Tyler Posey) by working as a maid for a classy hotel set in the heart of Manhattan. When not in school Ty spends time among Marisa’s fellow hotel workers who think she is capable of being promoted to management.
While Marisa and fellow maid Stephanie (Marissa Matrone) are cleaning the room of a socialite, Stephanie convinces Marisa to try on a coat. The guest, Caroline Lane (Natasha Richardson), had previously asked for it to be returned to the store and Stephanie argues that it “technically” doesn’t belong to anyone at the moment. Elsewhere in the hotel Ty befriends hotel guest and senatorial candidate Christopher Marshall (Ralph Fiennes), whom Christopher learns has an interest in Richard Nixon, the subject of his school presentation. Ty wants to go with Chris to walk his dog and the pair go to Caroline Lane’s room to ask Marisa for permission. Chris meets Marisa who is wearing the designer coat, and is instantly smitten with her. Of course, he assumes that she is Caroline Lane. The trio spend some time together in the park. Though Marisa and Chris are attracted to each other, Marisa is terrified that management will find out about the ruse and makes it a point to avoid Chris afterwards.
Chris asks the hotel’s head butler Lionel Bloch (Bob Hoskins) to invite “Caroline Lane” to lunch but he is confused when the real Caroline shows up instead of Marisa. Ironically Marisa was present when she received the invitation and even offered Caroline some advice on what to wear for their “Lunch à deux”. However when the real Caroline shows up, Chris asks his assistant Jerry Siegal (Stanley Tucci) to find “the other Caroline Lane” promising that he will attend an important dinner and wishes her go with him. Jerry asks Lionel to find her. Lionel, who has figured out that Marisa is the woman Chris has been looking for, tells her to go to the dinner and end the affair swiftly if she wants to keep her possible future in hotel management. He and the hotel staff assist her in preparing for the evening by styling her hair, loaning her an expensive dress and a spectacular necklace.
However, Marisa is unable to end the affair, and she spends the night in Chris's hotel room. The next morning, Marisa is spotted by the real Caroline Lane and her friend leaving Chris' room. Caroline blurts out the truth to the hotel management and Marisa is fired in front of Chris in Lane’s hotel suite. Both Marisa and Chris spend some time apart with him still thinking about her and Marisa hounded by the press and her disapproving classist mother Veronica (Priscilla Lopez).
Some time later, Marisa has obtained another job as a maid at another hotel. Chris is giving a press conference in the same hotel and Ty attends it and asks Chris whether people should be forgiven if they make mistakes referencing former President Richard Nixon. Ty leads him to the staff–room where Marisa is having her break. Chris and Marisa are reunited and the film ends with images of publications showing that Chris has been elected, he and Marisa are still together after one year, Marisa has started her own hospitality business, and Marisa’s maid friends have been promoted to management.
Filming was carried out at both New York's Roosevelt Hotel and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
Although never cited in the onscreen credits or in any supplemental material by the producers or writers, the basic premise of a luxury hotel maid being mistaken for a famous hotel guest after being seen wearing clothes that were meant for someone else was explored earlier in the 1935 Warner Bros. comedy, Page Miss Glory. Maid in Manhattan's writer John Hughes' original title for the story was The Chambermaid, [2] [3] which is what Marion Davies's character is called in Page Miss Glory.
The film earned $18,711,407 domestically in its opening weekend, the film was #1 at the box office playing in 2,838 theaters.[4] The film grossed a total of $94,011,225 domestically and $60,895,468 internationally.[4]
The film features Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" in the opening credits, "Train On A Track" sung by Kelly Rowland, "Come Away With Me" and "Don't Know Why" sung by Norah Jones,"Fall Again" sung by Glenn Lewis, and "I'm Coming Out" sung by Diana Ross .
ABC announced in August 2008 that it would be adapting the film to a television series, with Jennifer Lopez producing.[5][6] As of March 2010, the IMDb still listed "Maid in Manhattan (2009)" as in production[7] with Chad Hodge as script writer,[8] but a 2009 Sony Pictures Television press release only shows it as a put pilot.[9] ABC Television has yet to release or air any version of the pilot project. As of 11/25/2011, IMDB has removed the page and the pilot was rejected. [10]
Telemundo and Sony Pictures Television are co-producing a telenovela based on the movie called Una Maid en Manhattan, starring Litzy and Eugenio Siller. [11] As of November 29, 2011, the telenovela is airing in Telemundo weeknights at 8pm/7pm central. [12][13]
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