THE NEXT BEST THING

'''The Next Best Thing''' (Working Title: One-Night-Stand) is a 2000 comedy-drama film directed by John Schlesinger starring Rupert Everett, Madonna, and Benjamin Bratt.

Contents

Plot

Cast

Reception

Soundtrack

Goofs

Trivia

External link

Plot

The film is about two best friends—one a straight woman, Abbie (Madonna), the other a gay man, Robert (Everett)—who decide to have a child together. Five years later, Abbie falls in love with a straight man (Bratt) and wants to move away with him and Robert's little boy, Sam. A nasty, full-of-surprises custody battle ensues.

Cast

★ Rupert Everett - Robert Whittaker

★ Madonna - Abbie Reynolds

★ Benjamin Bratt - Ben Cooper

★ Michael Vartan - Kevin Lasater

★ Josef Sommer - Richard Whittaker

★ Lynn Redgrave - Helen Whittaker

★ Malcolm Stumpf - Sam

★ Neil Patrick Harris - David

★ Illeana Douglas - Elizabeth Ryder

★ Mark Valley - Cardiologist

★ Suzanne Krull - Annabel

★ Stacy Edwards - Finn

Reception

The film was a critical and commercial disappointment. Madonna won a Razzie award for worst actress, and the film was nomimated for other Razzies including Worst Director, Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay. Critic Roger Ebert gave the film 1 Star, stating: "''The Next Best Thing'' is a garage sale of gay issues, harnessed to a plot as exhausted as a junkman's horse." [1]. Although considered a disappointment; the film managed to earn back its $25 million budget with a U.S. gross of $15 million and more than $9 million worldwide.
It was nominated as Outstanding Film at the 2001 GLAAD Media Awards; losing out to Billy Elliot.

Soundtrack

The Next Best Thing: Music from the Motion Picture is a soundtrack including two songs by singer Madonna (''American Pie'' and ''Time Stood Still'').

Goofs

When Madonna hits Rupert in the face, he touches the other cheek.

Trivia

★ Originally, Abbie was written to be a swimming instructor. However, Madonna, herself a yoga fanatic, requested that Abbie become a yoga instructor.

★ Rupert Everett's house in the film is actually famous director Cecil B. DeMille's old house. [2]

★ There is no mention in the promotion or trailer to the film that Rupert Everett's character is gay.

★ Both Madonna and Rupert Everett were not happy at the studio's promotion of the film commenting that they gave us "the same poster as Runaway Bride", a film released by the same studio the previous year.

★ Promotion for the film by Buena Vista in Europe and non-North American countries was changed to a still from the movie including a close up of Madonna and Rupert Everett's faces.

★ '''The Next Best Thing''' is John Schleshinger's final movie before his death in 2003.

★ Adam Sandler was originally cast as Robert but dropped out to do Big Daddy.

External link

★

★ Ruppert Everett's writing on Madonna says quite a bit about making of this movie.