Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Doug Liman

Writer (WGA):

Simon Kinberg (written by)

Release Date:

10 June 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Romance | Thriller

Plot:

A bored married couple is surprised to learn that they are both assassins hired by competing agencies to kill each other.

Plot Keywords:

Assassin | Marriage | Female Killer | Desert | Neck Breaking Scene

Awards:

8 wins & 16 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 8

8:30 PM

Telemundo

Cast

Brad Pitt	...	John Smith
Angelina Jolie	...	Jane Smith
Vince Vaughn	...	Eddie
Adam Brody	...	Benjamin Danz
Kerry Washington	...	Jasmine
Keith David	...	Father
Chris Weitz	...	Martin Coleman
Rachael Huntley	...	Suzy Coleman
Michelle Monaghan	...	Gwen
Stephanie March	...	Julie - Associate #1
Jennifer Morrison	...	Jade - Associate #2
Theresa Barrera	...	Janet - Associate #3
Perrey Reeves	...	Jessie - Associate #4
Melanie Tolbert	...	Jamie - Associate #5
Jerry T. Adams	...	Guard - Bull

Also Known As:

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Australia)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, intense action, sexual content and brief strong language.

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Taiwan:PG-12 | Portugal:M/12 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | Malaysia:18SG | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:NC-16 (unrated DVD version) | Denmark:11 | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) (original rating) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Ireland:15 (video rating) | Ireland:15A (original rating) | Canada:18A (Manitoba) (unrated DVD version) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #41115) | France:U | USA:Unrated (unrated DVD version) | Australia:M | Finland:K-15 | Hong Kong:IIA | Poland:15 | Singapore:PG | UK:15 | Argentina:13 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Peru:14 | Sweden:11 | Greece:K-13 | Norway:15 | Brazil:14 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | New Zealand:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Germany:12 | Philippines:PG-13 | South Korea:15 | Indonesia:Dewasa

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Regency Enterprises

Trivia:

Brad Pitt reportedly left the project after Nicole Kidman dropped out and her replacement had not yet been found. Once Angelina Jolie signed on, he returned to the project.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the freeway pursuit, the mini-van slams through a line of water barrels. In the scene that immediately follows, the van is perfectly dry.

Quotes:

[first lines]
John Smith: [at the marriage counselor's] OK, I'll go first. Um... Let me say, uh, we don't really need to be here. See, we've been married for five years.
Jane Smith: Six.
John Smith: [chastened] Five, six years.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Greek: The Day After (#3.1)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

The Worst Day Since Yesterday

Should have payed attention

Movies, like books, can't be judged by the packaging. When it came out in '05, the reviews were above average, but didn't appear to ring everybody's chimes so I avoided seeing it.

Buying the DVD seemed like a safe bet when it came out. It had lots of action and two marquee stars. But having been burned buying movies I hadn't seen - Sideways, Lost In Translation (O.K., not burned but a bit disappointed) - I passed. I'd wait till it dropped below $10.

Time passed and now it's on T.V. I happened to be flipping channels when I stumbled on its opening scene at the marriage councilor. Right away I was hooked. It had the marriage milieu nailed in a few minutes, like Orson Welles in Citizen Kane: the awkward questions and answers, the poorly disguised discomfort, the seething resentment.

It got even better with the banality of home life: the glaring silences, the perfunctory politeness, the stilted discourse, the hidden frustration, ennui, equivocation, avoidance, and interior decorating conflicts. Maybe you actually have to be married to appreciate how true the representation was.

Then the plot twists that accentuated the facade. More twists. Don't let your guard down for an instant, or you may get killed! The subtle, pleading moments. Like when Jane hangs up on him in the car. Additional twists and action all the way into a grand finale with scads of bullets, bombs, etc.

Is the true love of shared experience beyond the banality of everyday life realized? Well, you have to see the movie.

Yes, the plot is complicated, and sometimes doesn't make sense, like marriage, but on closer inspection reveals hidden reservoirs of true feeling and connection.

I guess I had overlooked a great film, just like John and Jane had overlooked each other.