Editing How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

{{Short description|2003 romantic comedy film}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
| image          = HowToLoseAGuyimp.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster 
| director       = [[Donald Petrie]]
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Lynda Obst]]
* [[Robert Evans]]
* [[Sumner Redstone#Personal life|Christine Peters]]
}}
| screenplay     = {{Plainlist|
* [[Kristen Buckley]]
* [[Brian Regan (writer)|Brian Regan]]
* [[Burr Steers]]
}}
| based_on       = {{Based on|''How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days''|Michele Alexander|Jeannie Long}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Kate Hudson]]
* [[Matthew McConaughey]]
* [[Adam Goldberg]]
* [[Michael Michele]]
* [[Shalom Harlow]]
}}
| music          = [[David Newman (composer)|David Newman]]
| cinematography = [[John Bailey (cinematographer)|John Bailey]]
| editing        = [[Debra Neil-Fisher]]
| production_companies = {{Plainlist|
* [[Paramount Pictures]]
* W2 Film Production 
}}
| distributor    = {{Plainlist|
* Paramount Pictures (United States)
* [[United International Pictures]] (Germany)
}}
| released       = {{Film date|2003|2|7|United States|2003|4|17|Germany}}
| runtime        = 116 minutes<ref>{{cite web |title=How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/how-to-lose-a-guy-in-10-days-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmzk3mdy |website=bbfc.co.uk |access-date=8 February 2024}}</ref>
| country        = {{Plainlist|
* United States<ref name="afi">{{cite web |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/62774-HOW-TO-LOSE-A-GUY-IN-10-DAYS |title=How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003) |work=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=January 4, 2019 |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105043405/https://catalog.afi.com/Film/62774-HOW-TO-LOSE-A-GUY-IN-10-DAYS |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Germany<ref name="afi"/>
}}
| language       = English
| budget         = $50 million
| gross          = $177.5 million<ref name="BoxOfficeMojo" />
}}
'''''How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days''''' is a 2003 [[romantic comedy]] film directed by [[Donald Petrie]], from a script by [[Kristen Buckley]], [[Brian Regan (writer)|Brian Regan]], and [[Burr Steers]], and starring [[Kate Hudson]] and [[Matthew McConaughey]]. Loosely based on the [[picture book]] of the same name by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long, the plot concerns a women's magazine writer and an advertising executive who both begin a relationship with ulterior motives. While the story and characters in the film are original, the dating "don'ts" of the picture book are included in the film.

''How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days'' was released theatrically in the United States on February 7, 2003, and was a box office success, grossing over $177.5 million against a production budget of $50 million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003) - Financial Information |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/How-to-Lose-a-Guy-in-10-Days#tab=summary |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=The Numbers}}</ref> Despite this, the film garnered mixed reviews from critics, who praised Hudson and McConaughey's acting and chemistry, but criticized the script and predictable plot.

==Plot==
 <!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summary should be between 400 to 700 words. -->
Andie Anderson is a writer for the women's magazine ''Composure'' as the subject-matter expert for a series of "How to" articles. She is bored and wishes to write about more serious topics.

Andie's friend Michelle experiences yet another breakup and becomes despondent, saying she is not attractive enough. Andie argues that the problem is instead her needy, excessively emotional behavior with men, and is inspired to write an article, "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days". To prove her point, she will begin dating a man and, by imitating Michelle's behavior, provoke him to dump her within 10 days.

Advertising executive Benjamin Barry is looking to branch out from his usual remit of beer and sports campaigns by leading a prestigious ad campaign for a diamond company. At a bar, Ben's boss, Phillip, questions whether Ben has enough insight into the romance typically associated with diamonds.

In response, Ben wagers he can make any woman fall in love with him. Phillip says that if he can achieve this before the company ball in 10 days, he will allow him to lead the diamond campaign. Ben's rivals, Judy Spears and Judy Green, were at the ''Composure'' magazine offices earlier in the day and know about Andie's project. Seeing Andie at the bar, they suggest her as the woman he romance, and he agrees.

Ben goes and talks to Andie and they start their relationship, neither revealing their true intentions. She works hard to get him to first fall for and then break up with her, while he sticks to his task. She makes Ben miss the final shot at a Knicks game by sending him to get her a soda, gets him punched in a movie theater by talking loudly while watching a film, moves very girly things into his apartment, gets him a fern plant to represent their love and a [[Chinese Crested Dog]], and takes him to a [[Celine Dion]] concert instead of another Knicks game like he expected. But she also occasionally lets her normal side show, which Ben begins falling for.

Moving on, Andie behaves outrageously at Ben's boys' poker night and drives him to break up with her. However, Ben's friends Tony and Thayer push him to stay the course by proposing couple's therapy with Andie, so he chases after her and she reluctantly agrees.

Andie has Michelle pose as a therapist and together they criticize Ben, who counters by offering to introduce Andie to his family in [[Staten Island]] that weekend. When they visit, she finds she likes his family, and is moved when his mother hugs her and asks her not to break Ben's heart. Ben and Andie begin to form a genuine bond.

Andie and Ben go to the company ball together. After Phillip talks with Andie, he tells Ben that he "met her, she loves you, you win". To sabotage Ben, Judy and Judy tell Tony and Thayer that Andie knew about the bet all along and was playing along to help him win.

Tony and Thayer ask Andie to keep quiet, unwittingly making her aware of the bet. Simultaneously, Andie's boss Lana, unaware of Ben's role, tells him about Andie's article. Having learned of Ben's bet, Andie attempts to humiliate Ben in front of everyone at the party, but he responds in kind and the pair argue on stage and break up.

Tony shows Andie's subsequent article to Ben, in which she writes how she "lost the only guy I've ever fallen for". When he goes to see her, he discovers she quit her job at ''Composure'' (because Lana again refused to let her write about serious topics) and is on her way to Washington, D.C., for a job interview.

Ben chases her taxi and gets Andie to stop. After he says he has read her article and accuses her of running away, they reveal their true feelings for each other and kiss.

==Cast==
* [[Kate Hudson]] as Andie Anderson
* [[Matthew McConaughey]] as Benjamin Barry
* [[Adam Goldberg]] as Tony
* [[Bebe Neuwirth]] as Lana Jang
* [[Michael Michele]] as Judy Spears
* [[Shalom Harlow]] as Judy Green
* [[Robert Klein]] as Phillip Warren
* [[Kathryn Hahn]] as Michelle
* [[Thomas Lennon (actor)|Thomas Lennon]] as Thayer
* [[Celia Weston]] as Glenda
* [[Annie Parisse]] as Jeannie
* [[Liliane Montevecchi]] as Mrs. DeLauer
* [[Tony Longo]] as Sensitive Moviegoer
* [[William Duell]] as Old Concession Worker
* [[Marvin Hamlisch]] as himself (cameo)
* [[Warner Wolf]] as himself (cameo)

==Production==
[[Gwyneth Paltrow]] and director [[Mike Newell (director)|Mike Newell]] were originally attached to the project but producer Lynda Obst was unable to get Newell to commit to a date and Paltrow went on to work on the film ''[[View from the Top]]''.<ref name="ew-obst">{{cite magazine | author = EW Staff | date = February 7, 2003 | title = How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days | magazine = Entertainment Weekly | url = https://ew.com/article/2003/02/07/how-lose-guy-10-days/ | access-date = November 29, 2018 | archive-date = August 2, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210802114440/https://ew.com/article/2003/02/07/how-lose-guy-10-days/ | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/02/how-to-lose-a-guy-in-10-days-oral-history</ref>

The yellow gown Kate Hudson wore in the movie was created by [[Carolina Herrera]] with the film’s costume designer. The necklace she wears with the yellow gown is called, in the film, the "Isadora Diamond", named after [[Isadora Duncan]]. The 80-carat yellow diamond in the necklace was designed by [[Harry Winston]] and is worth $6 million.<ref>{{cite web | first1=Marc S. | last1=Malkin | first2=Deborah | last2=Schoeneman | title=Model Home Gets a Makeover | date=February 6, 2003 | url=https://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/columns/intelligencer/n_8336/ | work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] | access-date=May 29, 2021 | archive-date=June 2, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602212721/https://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/columns/intelligencer/n_8336/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

The apartment interiors were conceived by [[Yeadon, West Yorkshire|Yeadon]]-born sculptor Zoë Waterman, who said she thought the characters should live in "spaces which I consider to be dream spaces. That is to say their apartments are as close as I've seen on screen to my dream apartment. I just said to myself 'where would I absolutely love to live in my wildest dreams?', and the whole design came together in about fifteen minutes."

==Soundtrack==
{{Infobox album
| name       = How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: Music From the Motion Picture
| type       = Soundtrack
| artist     = Various Artists
| cover      =
| alt        =
| released   = {{Start date|2003|01|28}}
| recorded   =
| venue      =
| studio     = 
| genre      = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[Pop music|Pop]], [[Folk music|Folk]], World & [[Country music|Country]], Stage & Screen
| length     = {{Duration|m=42}}
| label      = [[Virgin Records]]
| producer   =
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title =
| next_year  =
}}

'''''How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: Music From the Motion Picture''''' was released on January 28, 2003, by [[Virgin Records]].

'''''How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: Music From the Motion Picture'''''

<!-- See [[Template:Tracklist]] if you want to improve this section --> 
# "[[Somebody Like You]]" – [[Keith Urban]] (3:51) 
# "Good Day" – [[Luce (band)|Luce]] (4:06) 
# "[[Feels Like Home (Randy Newman song)|Feels Like Home]]" – [[Chantal Kreviazuk]] (4:41) 
# "[[Who Do You Love? (Bo Diddley song)#George Thorogood and the Destroyers|Who Do You Love?]]" – [[George Thorogood]] and the Destroyers (4:21) 
# "[[Let's Stay Together (Al Green song)|Let's Stay Together]]" – [[Al Green]] (3:15) 
# "[[Follow You Down]]" – [[Gin Blossoms]] (4:29) 
# "[[You're So Vain]]" – [[Carly Simon]] (4:18) 
# "[[Kiss Me (Sixpence None the Richer song)|Kiss Me]]" – [[Sixpence None the Richer]] (3:19) 
# "L-O-V-E" – Fisher (2:37) 
# "Catch Me If You Can" – [[The Beu Sisters]] (3:35) 
# "Weight of the World" – Chantal Kreviazuk (3:34)

==Reception==
===Critical response===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]] the film holds an approval rating of 42% based on 150 reviews, with an average rating of 5.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson are charming together, but they can't overcome ''How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days''{{'}} silly premise and predictable script."<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/how_to_lose_a_guy_in_10_days | title = How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days | work = [[Rotten Tomatoes]] | access-date = 2024-08-28 | archive-date = 2020-07-04 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200704164347/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/how_to_lose_a_guy_in_10_days | url-status = live }}</ref> [[Metacritic]] gave the film a weighted average score of 45 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.<ref name=":0">{{cite web | url = http://www.metacritic.com/movie/how-to-lose-a-guy-in-10-days | title = How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days | work = [[Metacritic]] | access-date = 2011-01-11 | archive-date = 2015-02-17 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150217021308/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/how-to-lose-a-guy-in-10-days | url-status = live }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com/|title=Home|website=Cinemascore}}</ref>

===Box office===
The film was released on February 7, 2003, and earned $23.8 million in its first weekend. Its final gross is $105.8 million in the United States and Canada, and $71.7 million internationally (excluding Canada), for a worldwide gross of $177.5 million.<ref name="BoxOfficeMojo">{{cite web | website = [[Box Office Mojo]] | url = http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=howtoloseaguyin10days.htm | title = How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days | date = 2003 | access-date = 2011-01-11 | archive-date = 2017-11-10 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171110004942/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=howtoloseaguyin10days.htm | url-status = live }}</ref>

As of December 2003, the video sold 3,79 million copies, earning a profit of over $67.2 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2003/biz/news/year-end-2003-top-selling-titles-combined-vhs-and-dvd-626828/|title=Year End 2003 Top-selling titles (combined VHS and DVD)|work=variety.com|access-date=June 8, 2024}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0251127}}
* {{Mojo title|howtoloseaguyin10days}}

{{Donald Petrie}}

[[Category:2003 films]]
[[Category:2003 romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s German films]]
[[Category:American romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language German films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:Films about journalists]]
[[Category:Films directed by Donald Petrie]]
[[Category:Films produced by Robert Evans]]
[[Category:Films produced by Lynda Obst]]
[[Category:Films scored by David Newman (composer)]]
[[Category:Films set in a movie theatre]]
[[Category:Films set in New York City]]
[[Category:Films shot in New York City]]
[[Category:Films shot in Toronto]]
[[Category:German romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:Paramount Pictures films]]