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| 10 | |
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 Original movie poster |
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| Directed by | Blake Edwards |
| Produced by | Tony Adams Blake Edwards |
| Written by | Blake Edwards |
| Starring | Dudley Moore Julie Andrews Bo Derek Robert Webber Dee Wallace-Stone |
| Music by | Henry Mancini |
| Cinematography | Frank Stanley |
| Editing by | Ralph Winters |
| Distributed by | Orion Pictures Corporation Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | October 5, 1979 U.S. release |
| Running time | 122 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $74,856,000 |
10 is a 1979 romantic comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Bo Derek, Dudley Moore and Julie Andrews. Considered a trend-setting film at the time, and one of the year's biggest box office hits, the movie made superstars of Derek and Moore. The original music score was composed by Henry Mancini.
Taglines:
- A temptingly tasteful comedy for adults who can count.
- Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water... (UK one-sheet)
Plot
During the surprise party for songwriter George Webber's 42nd birthday, he finds himself coping badly with incipient middle age. When he catches a glimpse of a mysterious woman (Bo Derek) en route to her wedding, he is instantly obsessed by her beauty, and - despite the presence of his lover Samantha Taylor (Julie Andrews) - follows the woman to the church where he is stung by a bee. George visits the priest, and learns that the woman is Jenny Miles, daughter of a prominent Beverly Hills dentist. Later that night, Sam is unhappy about George's unwillingness to pay attention to her, his use of the term broad, and the fact that he and his neighbor watch each perform carnal acts. George doesn't wish to lose an argument to her, resulting in Sam storming off.
The following day, George and Sam suffer a series of mishaps that prevent them from reconciling, including George spying on his neighbor until hitting himself with his telescope, causing him to miss Sam's phone call. In addition, George schedules a dental appointment with Jenny's father, and while in the dentist's chair, subtly leads the dentist into disclosing that his daughter and her husband went to Mexico for their honeymoon. The examination also reveals a mouthful of cavities, requiring the dentist to spend the entire afternoon inserting fillings in George's teeth. The after effects of the novocaine leave him virtually incapable of speaking and when Sam talks to him on the phone she mistakes him for a madman and calls the police. Once the police leave, he visits his neighbor's house to take part in an orgy and is inadvertently seen by Sam, who happened to be watching him through his telescope. This widens the rift between the two of them and George follows the newlyweds to their exclusive hotel in Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico, where the sight of Jenny - suntanned and dressed in a one-piece swimsuit - furthers George's obsession.
In the bar, George encounters an old aquaintance, Mary Lewis, who suffers from a lack of self-confidence because she blames herself for a series of failed relationships. When they attempt a fling that night, she interprets George's inadequacy in bed as confirmation of her insecurities despite her better-than-average looks.
One hot day, George notices that David, Jenny's husband, has fallen asleep on his surfboard. Pretending to inquire about renting a surfboard, George learns that beyond a certain point are powerful currents that can sweep a swimmer or surfer dangerously far from land. George rents a catamaran, saves David, and becomes a hero. Sam tries to make contact, but not knowing who the caller is, George has no interest in talking at that particular time. David is badly sunburned and stays in the hospital, allowing Jenny and George to spend time alone together, culminating in their having sex.
Although George unexpectedly finds all of his fantasies fulfilled, he is terrified when she takes a call from her husband and casually informs him of their adultery. He is even more confused when the husband responds with complete lack of concern (he had called to thank George for saving his life). When Jenny explains their open relationship and mutual honesty, he is appalled; and with the thrill of enjoying forbidden pleasures extinguished, he loses interest in Jenny (and conversely, Jenny loses interest in him) and he heads back to Beverly Hills.
At the end of the film, he reconciles with Sam and they make love with Ravel's Bolero playing in the background in full view of the neighbor's telescope shortly after the neighbor has walked away in disgust, complaining that has had enough of providing erotic entertainment to George and getting nothing in return.
Main cast
- Dudley Moore - George Webber
- Julie Andrews - Samantha Taylor
- Bo Derek - Jenny Hanley
- Robert Webber - Hugh
- Brian Dennehy - Don, the bartender
- Dee Wallace-Stone - Mary Lewis
- Sam J. Jones - David Hanley
The film made a star of Dudley Moore, but he only got the role after the film's original star George Segal quit the day before shooting was to commence, apparently unhappy at the amount of artistic input Edwards was giving his wife Julie Andrews.
External links
- 10 at the Internet Movie Database
- 10 at Allmovie
- 10 at Rotten Tomatoes
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