50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
| 10 September 2004 (USA)
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover Trailers

s after an earthquake convince Owen, a writer of hack "as told to" autobiographies, to leave L.A. He burns his bridges telling people what he really thinks, quits his current client (a randy astronaut), and heads for the airport. Waiting for his flight to New York, he sees Val, a friend of his latest ex; they chat, and Owen postpones leaving just to make sure she's not for him.

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Reviews
Desertman84

How To Lose Your Lover is a romantic comedy that stars Paul Schneider, Tori Spelling,Poppy Montgomery and Jennifer Westfeldt. The story is about a biographer that decides to leave Los Angeles and restart his life on the East coast who suddenly meets the woman of his dreams before leaving.It is the feature debut of writer,producer and director Jordan Hawley.Owen,played by Schneider,wants to be a serious writer.He wants to move from Los Angeles since the only work he can get is co-writing trashy autobiographies for people who'd prefer he omit the unseemly truth.He thinks L.A. is keeping him from achieving his romantic and professional goals.Unfortunately,he can't bring himself to leave. After an earthquake,Owen's manipulative, unfaithful ex-girlfriend to tell him she wants nothing more to do with him.This inspire him to finally decides to get out of town. He arranges to write a biography for a Princeton physicist and then he tells all his friends and acquaintances the brutal truth so that he has every reason to leave L.A. He admits to Stephanie,played by Tori Spelling, that his other house mate, Allison,portrayed by the beauteous Poppy Montgomery, has always found her attractive, but he neglected to tell the former this because he doesn't like her. But he can't bring himself to say anything unpleasant to his promiscuous bisexual best friend, Allison. Owen is at the airport, ready to board his flight, when he runs into Val,played by Jennifer Westfeldt,who happens to be an attractive acquaintance of his ex. She's seeing off her former boyfriend and invites him to have coffee which caused him to miss his flight. There's an immediate attraction. But still,he is determined to leave town especially now that no one wants him around, but he has to take a few days to prove to himself that things would never work out with Val.Will Owen and Val end up together? The romantic comedy had its moments but it was boring most of the time.There was a feeling that some instances were contrived.Also,the most jokes weren't really that funny and the story wasn't even engaging as it was far from being well-written and well-developed. What's worse is that the ending came out of nowhere. Although I have a feeling that the movie tried to be an uncommon romcom,it unfortunately made the story somewhat preposterous and insult to the viewer's intelligence. Honestly,I felt that the romance between Owen and Val served as a misdirection as the viewer got engaged with the development of their relationship and yet it tries to surprise him at what going to happen in the end.And the worse did happen.At the conclusion of the movie, they don't it end up together due to some preposterous reason.When a writer uses misdirection instead of the plot device,then the viewer definitely feels cheated. What makes up for the poorly conceived story is the performances of the actors and actresses particularly Paul Schneider and Jennifer Westfeldt.I think that they did their best to make sure that the movie was still entertaining and far from being terrible.I still managed to give this a 7 out of 10 rating because of it.

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Danielle

I've had this movie on my radar for awhile, because it has Jennifer Westfeldt in it and I'm a huge fan of hers and want to make sure I see everything she's ever done (I know, I'm a pathetic groupie). Somewhat surprisingly, she's actually not the best thing about this film, and I think she's a little wasted in it (like they told her not to overdo it and she's a little muted). But Paul Schneider is terrific, and overall it's a really funny, charming movie. It's definitely low budget, which is not a problem at all for me, because the writing is sharp and the actors do a great job. I've always thought that independently-produced romantic comedies are always better than the Hollywood ones, because they're always funnier and more romantic. This film is more evidence for my theory. The idea of being totally honest to run someone off is reminiscent of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, but the concept is used to better effect in this movie and doesn't feel nearly as stilted as it did in Kate Hudson's film. The movie doesn't go quite where you think it's going either (at least not where I thought it was going) which is a bonus, and it has great kissing, another bonus. Definitely worth watching if you like movies that are smart and a little offbeat.

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jackhammer111

this is one of the worst films i've ever seen. to me, it represents the worst aspects of the movie "business". it's a product. not brand name at that. it's the grocery chain generic version of laundry soap or pop corn or a cheap version of a scouring pad/sponge. in order to sustain an industry you have to have product and this is pure product. OK, i've seen worse. at least they try to make a statement about finding love and the hoops we jump through but it contradicts itself time and time again until the characters stand for nothing. personally, i don't relate to any of them or care for them any more than i would poor schmucks caught in the wrong line in a grocery. and their plight seems to me no more serious than that. i give it four yawns. fortunately i was learning my new cell phone so it wasn't a total was of time. (sarcasm on) and how is it that Paul Schneider hasn't gone on to stardom. sarcasm off). this film is as replaceable as a piston rod.

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gradyharp

Jordan Hawley wrote and directed this dark 'comedy' about the current state of love/hate relationships in Los Angeles (or inability to create same) with about as much panache as yesterday's onion rings. The storyline has been used so many times that the tread is off the tires.LA ghostwriter Owen (Paul Schneider) is a 'nice guy' who sustains an inability to form a satisfactory love relationship. Exasperated with his life style he decides to become a cad: that must be what women (and men) want. He reverses his nice guy tactic and begins telling everyone he encounters just how he feels - and that is usually negative! The only person who doesn't but into his change is his roommate Allison (Poppy Montgomery) who is bisexual and therefore not wholly available. He decides to leave Los Angeles and move to the East Coast where a lucrative deal awaits him to write the memoirs of a famous man. At the last moment he meets one Val (Jennifer Westfeldt), an animal activist: the chemistry is there but each has a conflicting program. Owen is honest with her, a factor that does not chase her away, but both part ways to other parts of the world. Upon return to LA after a disappointing experience on the East Coast, tables turn and surprises arise. And the ending is a mixture of silly and unsatisfying.Movies like this are meant to entertain and some of the dialogue is clever albeit acerbic. It just that the idea of relationship examination under these terms is so worn out that the movie just doesn't spark any innovative thoughts. After about thirty minutes into the film this 'audience' lost interest.

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