Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004)

Director:

Robert Luketic

Writer (WGA):

Victor Levin (written by)

Release Date:

23 January 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

In every love story, there's only room for one leading man.

Plot:

A small-town girl wins a date with a male celebrity through a contest. When the date goes better than expected, a love triangle forms between the girl, the male celebrity, and the girl's best friend.

Plot Keywords:

Date | Contest | West Virginia | Best Friend | Small Town

Awards:

8 nominations

Cast

Kate Bosworth	...	Rosalee Futch
Topher Grace	...	Pete Monash
Josh Duhamel	...	Tad Hamilton
Nathan Lane	...	Richard Levy the Driven
Sean Hayes	...	Richard Levy the Shameless
Gary Cole	...	Henry Futch
Ginnifer Goodwin	...	Cathy Feely
Kathryn Hahn	...	Angelica
Octavia Spencer	...	Janine
Amy Smart	...	Nurse Betty
Ren Trostle	...	Porsche Woman
Wendy Worthington	...	Customer
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	George Ruddy
Moon Bloodgood	...	Gorgeous Woman
Mary Jo Smith	...	Sonja
Joe Convery	...	Mickey, Tad's Driver (as Joseph Convery)
Deena Dill	...	Reporter
Bob Glouberman	...	Rosalee's Limo Driver
Sam Pancake	...	Hotel Clerk
Jay Underwood	...	Policeman Tom
Patrick Thomas O'Brien	...	Father Newell (as Patrick O'Brien)
Larry Agney	...	90-Year-Old Man
Willow Bay	...	Herself
Todd Eckert	...	Maitre D'
David Walrod	...	Roger Bodger (as David Wolrod)
Jessy Moss	...	Herself
Marshall Goodman	...	Himself
Danny Weissfeld	...	Himself
Caleb Speir	...	Himself
Peter Iovino	...	Paparazzi
Alex A. Kvassay	...	Tad's Pilot (as Alex Kvassay)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dan Chudy	...	Piggly Wiggly Store Employee (uncredited)
Lauren Cohn	...	Crying Woman (uncredited)
Emmy Collins	...	Leering Customer (uncredited)
David Daskal	...	Piggly Wiggly Store Employee (uncredited)
Andrea Fellers	...	Wild Bar Patron (uncredited)
Norman Fessler	...	Piggly Wiggly Bakery Manager (uncredited)
Patrick Fischler	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Jennifer B. Hazel	...	Movie Patron (uncredited)
Jesse Heiman	...	Piggly Wiggly Shopper / Movie Patron (uncredited)
Terrance Huff	...	Piggly Wiggly Shopper (uncredited)
Bonnie McKee	...	Singer ("Somebody") (uncredited)
Jillian Murray	...	Concierge (uncredited)
Kinsey Packard	...	Woman by Pool (uncredited)
Dave Pounder	...	Upscale Customer (uncredited)
Brian Renner	...	Movie Patron (uncredited)
Karly Rothenberg	...	Piggly Wiggly Shopper (uncredited)
Diane Sellers	...	Hotel Maid (uncredited)
Jason Woodruff	...	Wounded Soldier (uncredited)
Nancy Young	...	Multi-Tasking Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Luketic

Writing credits (WGA)
Victor Levin		(written by)

Produced by
William S. Beasley	....	executive producer
Lucy Fisher	....	producer
Gail Lyon	....	executive producer
Douglas Wick	....	producer

Original Music by
Ed Shearmur		(as Edward Shearmur)

Cinematography by
Peter Lyons Collister		(director of photography) (as Peter Collister)

Film Editing by
Scott Hill

Casting by
Joseph Middleton

Production Design by
Missy Stewart

Art Direction by
Mark Worthington

Set Decoration by
Susan Mina Eschelbach

Costume Design by
Catherine Adair

Makeup Department
Merribelle Anderson	....	key hair stylist
Tammy Ashmore	....	key makeup artist
Germicka Barclay	....	department head hair stylist: second unit
Corey Jeen	....	makeup artist
Amy Lederman	....	makeup artist
Lori McCoy-Bell	....	hair department head

Production Management
Sharyn Shimada-Huggins	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Susie Balaban	....	second second assistant director
Albert Cho	....	first assistant director: second unit
John M. Morse	....	second assistant director
Justin Muller	....	first assistant director
Cecilia Sweatman	....	second second assistant director: additional photography

Art Department
Tom Altobello	....	assistant property master
Scottee Angel	....	set dressing assistant
Ron Ashmore	....	paint supervisor
Chuck Courrieu	....	lead man
J.P. Fitting	....	set dresser
Stephanie Gilliam	....	set designer
Lance Gunnin	....	construction foreman
Steve A. Hagberg	....	construction coordinator
Courtney Jackson	....	props
Charles Kern	....	stand-by painter
Christopher Morente	....	greensperson
Eric Rood	....	gang boss
Nithya Shrinivasan	....	assistant art director
Rick C. Taplin	....	art department assistant: additional photography
Sondra Thorpe	....	buyer
Chris Ubick	....	property master
Cheree Welsh	....	art department coordinator
Tony Wright	....	labor foreman

Sound Department
Richard L. Anderson	....	supervising sound editor
Gary C. Bourgeois	....	supervising sound mixer
Mike Chock	....	supervising sound editor
Thomas Giordano	....	sound technician
Michael Hertlein	....	dialogue editor
Thomas Jones	....	supervising adr editor
Howard London	....	adr mixer
Greg Orloff	....	supervising sound mixer
Jesse Pomeroy	....	dialogue editor
Erin Michael Rettig	....	sound engineer
David M. Ronne	....	sound mixer
Stefan Rüdel	....	additional adr mixer
Nick Shaffer	....	sound effects recordist
Ralph Stuart	....	first assistant sound editor
Cary Weitz	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Scott Dwyer	....	special effects technician
Michael Kay	....	special effects technician
Matt Kutcher	....	special effects director
Matt Kutcher	....	special effects supervisor
Jennifer M. Sheppard	....	special effects office coordinator
Kenneth Van Order	....	special effects technician
Arnold J. Verbiesen	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Jim Carbonetti	....	visual effects
Julie Groll	....	visual effects producer
Michael F. Hoover	....	digital effects artist
George Johnsen	....	visual effects chief technology officer
David Kenneth	....	visual effects producer
David Kenneth II	....	visual effects producer
Garrett McKerlie	....	digital artist
Dennis Michel	....	digital artist
Ray Mupas	....	visual effects editor
Greg Nelson	....	digital plate supervisor
Josh Novak	....	lead compositor: main title sequence
Malcolm A.S. Sim	....	digital artist
Tom Williamson	....	digital compositor
Toni Pace Carstensen	....	visual effects producer (uncredited)
Josh McGuire	....	digital effects artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Freddie Hice	....	stunt coordinator
Lisa Hoyle	....	stunt double
Oakley Lehman	....	stunt double: Josh Duhamel
Diana R. Lupo	....	stunts
Tim Rigby	....	stunts
Keith Tellez	....	stunts
Nancy Young	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Birk	....	rigging gaffer
Eric Budlong	....	grip
John S. Campbell	....	grip
Martha Cargill	....	camera loader
Matthew Coleman	....	electrician
Will Dearborn	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Ronald K. De torres	....	lighting console programmer
Alan R. Disler	....	first assistant camera
Steve Francis	....	electrician
Peter Iovino	....	still photographer
Shane D. Kelly	....	chief lighting technician
Gary Kelso	....	grip
Bob Leitelt	....	rigging key grip
Jim McComas	....	rigging electric best boy
Peter Mercurio	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Duane Mieliwocki	....	assistant camera
Daryn Okada	....	director of photography: second unit
Vince Onken	....	rigging grip
Ster Percy	....	best boy grip
Michael C. Price	....	key grip
Charles Smith	....	rigging grip best boy
Kurt E. Soderling	....	director of aerial photography
Monte Swann	....	24 frame video operator
Tommy Tieche	....	second assistant camera
Henry Tirl	....	Steadicam operator
Henry Tirl	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Jim Unsinn	....	video technician
Lance Jay Velazco	....	video assist operator
Brian Woronec	....	rigging electric
Mike Hodges	....	key grip (uncredited)
Robert J. Reilly	....	grip foreman (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Steve Constancio	....	set costumer
Amanda Gore	....	costumer
Amber Jordyn	....	set costumer
Shirley Kurata	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Noah Arntson	....	editorial assistant
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Martin Cohen	....	post-production executive
Sven E. Fahlgren	....	post-production coordinator
Dale E. Grahn	....	color timer
Steve Porter	....	final colorist
Alex Renskoff	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Christopher Brooks	....	music editor
Andrew Dorfman	....	composer: additional music
Andrew Dorfman	....	preview music editor
Chris Fogel	....	music scoring mixer
Mark Graham	....	music librarian
Darren Higman	....	music supervisor
Todd Homme	....	executive music supervisor
Daryl B. Kell	....	music editor
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
Jeff Toyne	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Denny Caira	....	transportation coordinator
Marc Lebeaune	....	driver
Mike Shannon	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Debra Leilani Bakeman	....	set medic
Heath Banks	....	production coordinator
Travis Bauer	....	assistant: Mr. Luketic
Christine Bonnem	....	location manager
Matt Brown	....	stand-in
Kym Bryant-Woods	....	location assistant
Karen K. Chang	....	office coordinator
Sue Chipperton	....	dog trainer
Cristina Christian	....	second assistant accountant
Kaiser Clark	....	assistant to cast
Caleb Duffy	....	key assistant location manager
Ray Felipe	....	script researcher
Marnie Gambit	....	assistant: Ms. Bosworth
Wilma Garscadden-Gahret	....	script supervisor
Marc W. Havener	....	key set production assistant
Travis Hills	....	set production assistant
Jean Hodges	....	food stylist
Wittney Horton	....	assistant to producer
Catherine Kagan	....	assistant location manager
Natasha Klibansky	....	assistant: Mr. Wick
Janet Lonsdale	....	production accountant
Sarah Lorenz	....	production secretary
Isaac Mejía	....	production assistant
Steven R. Molen	....	production executive
Stacy Opalewski	....	accounting clerk
Amy Peltonen	....	assistant: Mr. Wick
Robert Phillips	....	stand-in
Jacqui Popelka	....	production coordinator
Bobby Ravanshenas	....	assistant to cast
Bill Richards	....	helicopter pilot
Mike Riley	....	location scout
Tanya Ruby	....	stand-in
Meghan Snyder	....	assistant: Ms. Fisher
Michael Soleau	....	key assistant location manager
Jeffrey D. Stevens	....	construction medic
Jim Swidarski	....	payroll accountant
Kim Thio	....	rigging medic
Andrew Trosmans	....	research consultant
John Trujillo	....	layout board
Summer Valdes	....	production assistant
Onni Vosdoganes	....	assistant production coordinator
Troy Waters	....	marine coordinator
Tony Whitmore	....	rigging medic
Chris Withrow	....	production assistant
Alex L. Worman	....	unit publicist
Oorala J. Yamada	....	additional set production assistant
Kevin Bissada	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Warner Loughlin	....	acting coach (uncredited)
Cassandra Ulinski	....	assistant: George Johnsen (uncredited)

Production Companies

• DreamWorks SKG (presents) (as DreamWorks Pictures)
• Red Wagon Productions
• The Lot

Distributors

• DreamWorks Distribution (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Non-USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (2007) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Net5 (2007) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• SubTV (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Argentina) (all media)
• Universal Home Video (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2004) (Finland) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (200?) (Sweden) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Threshold Digital Research Labs (visual effects)
• International Business Machines (IBM) (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Act One Script Clearance  script clearance
• Aware Records  soundtrack published by
• Central Casting  extras casting
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Columbia Records  soundtrack published by
• Mission Post  sound post-production
• O'Henry Sound Studios  score recording
• Pacific Title  opticals
• Picture Mill, The  main titles
• Sony Music Soundtrax  soundtrack published by
• Sony Pictures Studios  sound re-recording
• Technicolor Weddington  sound editing

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, some drug references and language.

Runtime:

USA:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Finland:K-3 | South Korea:12 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Australia:PG | Argentina:13 | Canada:PG | Germany:o.Al. | Netherlands:AL | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40480)

Filming Locations:

Charleston, West Virginia, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

Paris Hilton shot a cameo appearance as a skydiver who lands in Tad's pool after Tad takes Rosie home. The scenes were cut for time, but they can be viewed in the deleted scene section of the DVD.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Spelling error in opening credits: "We will wisk you away..."

Quotes:

Pete: [kisses Rosie] I love you, Rosie. I *always* have. If I've been a jerk this last week, it's because I've been fighting - I've been fighting for you. I don't want to lose you to Tad Hamilton, or anyone else. You're the one.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Ring Two (2005)

Soundtrack:

Blue

makes up in charm what it lacks in edge

`Win a Date with Tad Hamilton' is a predictable fairy tale romance that skates by on the cleverness of its premise and the charm of its performances. Kate Bosworth stars as Rosalee Futch, a small town girl from West Virginia who has a mad crush on a hot Hollywood stud named Tad Hamilton. One day she enters a contest on the Internet, the prize being an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to spend an evening with her dreamboat. Rosalee, of course, wins the contest and has her magic fantasy moment, whereupon she flies back home, expecting to file the experience away in her heart as the high point of her life and then continue her humdrum existence working at the local Piggly Wiggly. What Rosalee doesn't anticipate is that Tad will be so smitten with her genuine goodness and unpretentious nature that he will wind up traveling to West Virginia in order to get to know her better. Complicating matters is the fact that Rosalee's long time friend and boss, Pete, is secretly, madly in love with her and isn't about to give her up without a fight to this fancy, flashy dude from Hollywood.

Given the premise, the makers of this film could, with a bit more self-confidence, have made a keen, hard-edged satire about the role celebrity-worship plays in the lives of ordinary folks. Instead, they've opted to take a softer, less abrasive approach, settling for a more conventional love triangle that still manages to win us over despite the formulaic nature of the story. The best part about `Win a Date with Tad Hamilton' is that it doesn't turn Tad into a boorish, self-centered jerk, which would have been so easy to do. As played by Josh Duhamel, Tad is, instead, a decent, well-meaning, good-natured young man who basically just wants the same thing out of life that we all do, namely love and commitment from that one special person. Even though we know how this triangle will most likely be resolved, the film still generates a certain amount of emotional tension because we actually come to like all three of the characters who make it up. We know Rosalee can't end up with both men, but each, in his own way, appears to be a viable alternative. This spirit of equanimity is not always the case with these types of stories.

Bosworth exudes such a healthy, radiant glow that we don't question for a second why both Tad and Pete are drawn to her. Duhamel pours on the celebrity charm without becoming smarmy and unctuous in the process. And Topher Grace nicely underplays the role of Rosalee's erstwhile secret devotee who faces a rival no Ordinary Joe should ever have to go up against.

`Win a Date with Tad Hamilton' isn't as good as it might have been had it opted for a riskier, edgier tone. But it's not bad as romantic comedies go – and in these days of `Along Came Polly,' `Alex and Emma,' `Chasing Liberty' et al., that's saying quite a bit indeed.