Two Girls and a Guy is a 1997 American comedy-drama film written and directed by James Toback and produced by Edward R. Pressman and Chris Hanley. It stars Robert Downey Jr., Heather Graham and Natasha Gregson Wagner.
Two Girls and a Guy | |
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Directed by | James Toback |
Produced by | Daniel Bigel Chris Hanley Michael Mailer Gretchen McGowan Edward R. Pressman |
Written by | James Toback |
Starring |
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Cinematography | Barry Markowitz |
Edited by | Alan Oxman |
Distributed by | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 84 min. |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $1,000,000 |
Box office | $2,057,193 |
The film is mainly based upon dialogue between the characters. It was shot almost entirely in real time, and within a single setting, leading some reviewers to compare the film to a stage play.
Director James Toback told interviewers he wrote the film's screenplay in only four days and shot the film in just eleven days.
Screenplay
Two girls, Carla and Lou meet on the street outside a loft waiting for their boyfriends. After a short time, they find out that they're waiting for the same guy – young actor Blake, who said that he loves both of them but had actually been leading a double life for several months. Angry, they break into his loft and when he returns, a round of accusations and explanations begins.
The character of Blake is said to be arriving from Los Angeles on American Airlines Flight 11, which flew from Boston to Los Angeles.
- Robert Downey Jr. as Blake Allen
- Heather Graham as Carla Bennett
- Natasha Gregson Wagner as Lou
- Frederique van der Wal as Carol
- Angel David as Tommy
Two Girls and a Guy received mixed reviews from critics and holds a 52% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
A review in the Los Angeles Times said ""Two Girls and a Guy" takes a lot of dubious side trips and ends with an event so unexpected it could have come from a different movie. Maybe if Toback had taken 11 days to write the script and four to shoot it, things would have worked out better. As it is, "Two Girls" is a small movie with some big moments and a lot of unfinished business.
The New York Times review said "When actors fall into tabloid hell, their careers too often are already on the skids. But Downey, who recently completed jail time for drug-related problems, proves again here that he is, professionally speaking, at the height of his powers. "Two Girls and a Guy" bursts into life as soon as this wildly inventive actor saunters into the story bellowing Vivaldi, and from that point on, it hangs on his every word. The two women here, especially the talented and ravishing Ms. Graham, aren't able to do anything of comparable interest."