Best Romantic Comedy DVDs for September 2009
Jessica Biel, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Garner Star in New Releases
Sep 3, 2009
Amid the onslaught of gory horror films on their way to retail outlets in honor of Halloween next month, it’s nice to find a few romantic comedies also stocking the shelves. In addition to the period piece Easy Virtue and the independent romance Management, September also offers Jennifer Garner and Matthew McConaughey in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph in Away We Go.
September 15 Romantic Comedy DVD Release: Easy Virtue
Easy Virtue (2008) Widescreen and Blu-ray
Set in 1920’s England, this comedy of manners concerns a young Englishman (Ben Barnes) who brings home his exciting new American wife (Jessica Biel). His snooty family must make some adjustments to this unusual addition to their cliquish clan, and his outrageous race-car-driving wife does her best to win them over in her own way. For her role as the impossible-to-please mother, Kristen Scott Thomas was nominated for a British Independent Film Award and a London Critics Circle Film Award.
- Also starring Colin Firth, Kimberley Nixon, Katherine Parkinson, Kris Marshall, Christian Brassington
- Director: Stephan Elliott
- Writers: Stephan Elliott and Sheridan Jobbins (screenplay); Noel Coward (stage play)
- Run Time: 97 minutes
- Rating: PG-13 (for sexual content, brief partial nudity, and smoking throughout)
- Additional Information: Easy Virtue was filmed on location around England including in London, Berkshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Cambridgeshire.
September 22 Romantic Comedy DVD Release: Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009) Widescreen and Blu-ray
In this romantic comedy (in the style of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol), past girlfriends haunt a womanizing jerk (Matthew McConaughey). Just before his brother’s wedding, he takes a frightening fantastical journey through his past, present, and future to determine why, how, and when he became a shallow playboy. As in A Christmas Carol, the hauntings are merely a means to an end – a way of changing one man’s fate before it’s too late.
- Also starring Jennifer Garner, Michael Douglas, Emma Stone, Breckin Meyer, Lacey Chabert, Robert Forster, Anne Archer
- Director: Mark Waters
- Writers: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
- Run Time: 100 minutes
- Rating: PG-13 (for sexual content throughout, some language, and a drug reference)
- Additional Information: Ghosts of Girlfriends Past had its theatrical release in May 2009.
September 29 Romantic Comedy DVD Releases: Away We Go and Management
Away We Go (2009) Widescreen and Blu-ray
An established dating couple in their mid-30s (John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph) travels around the country, visiting friends and relatives in order to determine the best place to raise their baby. As they sample different climates and cultures, they also test the waters of each family they encounter. As with other good road pictures, this one includes an emotional journey as well as the physical trip.
- Also starring Carmen Ejogo, Catherine O’Hara, Jeff Daniels, Allison Janney, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jim Gaffigan, Samantha Pryor, Conor Carroll
- Director: Sam Mendes
- Writers: Dave Eggers, Vendela Vida
- Run Time: 98 minutes
- Rating: R (for language and some sexual content)
- Additional Information: Filming locations include Leesburg (Florida), Phoenix and Tucson (Arizona), and Woodbury, Wilton, and Thomaston (Connecticut).
Management (2008) Widescreen and Blu-ray
An all-business art sales rep (Jennifer Aniston) meets a laid-back motel manager (Steve Zahn) and sparks begin to fly between the two opposites – or at least Mike (Zahn) thinks they do. Convinced that he’s met the woman of his dreams, Mike crosses the country to court her. The problem arises when Sue (Aniston) quickly decides this mild-mannered slacker is not the guy for her. Woody Harrelson plays her scary ex-boyfriend who wanders back into her life.
- Also starring Margo Martindale, Fred Ward, James Hiroyuki Liao, Katie O-Grady, Yolanda Suarez, Kevin Heffernan
- Director: Stephen Belber
- Writer: Stephen Belber
- Run Time: 94 minutes
- Rating: R (for language)
- Additional Information: Management was filmed on location throughout Oregon.
For information about recent comedy releases on DVD, read Best Comedy DVD Picks for September 2009.
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