''Date Night'' is a 2010 American

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

directed by

Shawn Levy Shawn Adam Levy (born July 23, 1968) is a Canadian film director, film producer, actor, and founder of 21 Laps Entertainment. He has worked across genres and is perhaps best known as the director of the '' Night at the Museum'' film franchise an ...

and written by

Josh Klausner Josh Klausner is an American screenwriter. He wrote ''Date Night'' (2010) and ''Shrek Forever After'' (2010). Biography Early life Josh Klausner graduated from Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. Career He started his career in the ...

. Starring

Steve Carell Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He played Michael Scott (The Office), Michael Scott in ''The Office (American TV series), The Office'' (2005–2011; 2013), NBC’s adaptation of the The Office (B ...

Tina Fey Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (1997–2006) and for creating the ...

Taraji P. Henson Taraji Penda Henson ( ; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in '' Baby Boy'' (2001). Sh ...

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

, and

Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, three ...

, the film tells the story of a case of

mistaken identity Mistaken identity is a defense in criminal law which claims the actual innocence of the criminal defendant, and attempts to undermine evidence of guilt by asserting that any eyewitness to the crime incorrectly thought that they saw the defendan ...

in New York City, which turns a bored married couple's attempt at a glamorous and romantic evening into something more thrilling and dangerous. ''Date Night'' premiered in New York City on April 6, 2010, and was released theatrically on April 9, 2010, by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

. It grossed $152.3 million against a $55 million budget.

Plot

Phil and Claire Foster are a married couple from

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

with two children, Ollie and Charlotte, and whose domestic life has become boring and routine. Their sex life is perfunctory and demystified. Phil is a tax lawyer while Claire is a

realtor A real estate agent or real estate broker is a person who represents sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and agen ...

. They are motivated to reignite their romance after learning that their best friends, Brad and Haley, are planning to divorce to escape the married-life routine and to have more excitement in their lives. To avoid the routine that had become their weekly "date night", Phil decides that he will take Claire to a trendy

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

restaurant, but they cannot get a table. Phil steals a reservation from a no-show couple, the Tripplehorns, despite Claire's misgivings. While eating, they are approached by two men, Collins and Armstrong, who question them about a

flash drive A flash drive is a portable computer drive that uses flash memory. Flash drives are the larger memory modules consisting of a number of flash chips. A flash chip is used to read the contents of a single cell, but it can write entire block of cell ...

they believe Phil and Claire stole from

mobster A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...

boss Joe Miletto. Phil and Claire explain that they are not the Tripplehorns, but the men do not believe them and threaten them at gunpoint. Not seeing any other way out, Phil lies and tells them it is in a boathouse in

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...

. At the boathouse, Claire pretends to search and while Collins and Armstrong's backs are turned, Phil hits them with a paddle and escapes with Claire in a boat. At a police station, Phil and Claire talk with Detective Arroyo, but discover Collins and Armstrong are also detectives, presumably on Miletto's payroll. Realizing they cannot trust the police, they decide to find the real Tripplehorns. They return to the restaurant and find the cellphone number of the Tripplehorns. Claire remembers a former client, Holbrooke Grant, a security expert and

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

-like action hero. At his apartment, Grant traces the cellphone signal to an apartment owned by Thomas Felton. Collins and Armstrong arrive, but Phil and Claire escape in Grant's

Audi R8 The Audi R8 is a mid-engine, 2-seater sports car, which uses Audi's trademark quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. It was introduced by the German car manufacturer Audi AG in 2006. The car is exclusively designed, developed, and manufactu ...

. They arrive at Felton's apartment and break in. They question Felton, nicknamed "Taste", and his wife "Whippit" about the flash drive and Joe Miletto. It turns out that they went to the restaurant, but left when they spotted Collins. Realizing they are in danger, the couple give the flash drive to Phil and flee. When Phil and Claire get back in the Audi, Armstrong and Collins shoot at them. Phil and Claire crash the Audi into a

Ford Crown Victoria The Ford Crown Victoria ("Crown Vic") is a full-size sedan that was marketed and manufactured by Ford. The successor to the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, two generations of the model line were produced from the 1992 to 2012 model years. The Ford ...

taxicab A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...

, resulting in the cars being attached at the bumpers. Phil and the cab driver decide to drive off to get away. Phil climbs into the Ford to navigate while Claire navigates the Audi. Phil inserts the flash drive into the driver's

Amazon Kindle Amazon Kindle is a series of e-readers designed and marketed by Amazon. Amazon Kindle devices enable users to browse, buy, download, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines and other digital media via wireless networking to the Kindle Store. ...

and finds pictures of district attorney Frank Crenshaw with prostitutes. After evading Collins and Armstrong, they are eventually hit and are separated by an

SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definiti ...

. The cab falls into the river; Phil and the driver escape, but without the flash drive. On the subway, Phil determines that Felton obtained the flash drive to blackmail Crenshaw. They return to Grant's apartment, and Grant is reluctant to help after becoming exhausted by their incompetence, but Phil begs and he agrees. Phil and Claire go to an illegal

strip club A strip club is a venue where strippers provide adult entertainment, predominantly in the form of striptease or other Erotic dancing, erotic or exotic dances. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or Bar (establishment), bar style, and can also ...

that Crenshaw frequents, with Claire under the guise of a new prostitute and Phil as her

pimp Procuring or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute or other sex worker in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. A procurer, colloquially called a pimp (if male) or a madam (if female, though the term pimp has still ...

. After performing a pole dance for Crenshaw, they confront him and tell him they are the Tripplehorns. Collins and Armstrong come in and hold them at gunpoint and take them up to the roof with Crenshaw. Miletto arrives with henchmen and it is revealed that Crenshaw has been paid by Miletto to keep him out of jail. When Phil mentions the photos, an argument escalates between the mobsters and Crenshaw, Collins and Armstrong talk. Phil asks Claire to count to three (her typical method of calming their children). When she does, a helicopter appears and Arroyo and the

SWAT team In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...

arrest Miletto, Crenshaw, and everyone else, as well as Collins and Armstrong. Arroyo reveals to Claire that she was notified by Grant, who supplied Phil with a wire. After being declared heroes, Phil and Claire enjoy breakfast at a diner, where Phil admits he would marry Claire and have their kids all over again if given the chance. When they return home, they engage in enthusiastic kissing on their front lawn before lying on their backs and watching the sky.

Cast

Production

Filming began in mid-April 2009.

Soundtrack

Confirmed songs for the soundtrack are listed below: * "

Blitzkrieg Bop Blitzkrieg Bop is a song by American punk rock band, Ramones, released in February 1976 as their debut single in the United States. It appeared as the opening track on the band's debut album, ''Ramones'', released two months later. The song, w ...

" by

The Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...

* "

Burn It to the Ground "Burn It to the Ground" is the fourth U.S. single (fifth single in Canada after " I'd Come for You") released from Canadian rock band Nickelback's sixth studio album '' Dark Horse''. The song has been used extensively for various promotional use ...

" by

Nickelback Nickelback is a Canadian Rock music, rock band formed in 1995 in Hanna, Alberta. It is composed of guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist Ryan Peake, bassist Mike Kroeger, and drummer Daniel Adai ...

* "Love Gun" by

Cee-Lo Green Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls ...

featuring

Lauren Bennett Lauren Diane Bennett (born 23 June 1989) is an English singer who is known for being a member of the girl group G.R.L. Bennett has also worked with the Paradiso Girls, CeeLo Green, Robin Antin, The Pussycat Dolls, and LMFAO. She was featured on ...

* "

Heartbreak Warfare "Heartbreak Warfare" is a song by American singer-songwriter John Mayer, featured on his fourth studio album, '' Battle Studies'' (2009). Written by Mayer and produced by Mayer and drummer Steve Jordan, the song is the opening track on the album ...

" by

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left and moved to Atlanta in 1997 with ...

* "

Cobrastyle "Cobrastyle" is a song performed by Swedish band Teddybears, featuring Jamaican singer Mad Cobra. The song was released on their 2004 album ''Fresh'', and reissued on their 2006 album '' Soft Machine''. It was released as a single on 6 June 2006 ...

" by Teddybears featuring

Mad Cobra Ewart Everton Brown (born 31 March 1968), better known by his stage name Mad Cobra or simply Cobra, is a Jamaican dancehall musician.Huey, Steve " Mad Cobra Biography, AllMusic, retrieved 2010-01-31Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia ...

* "Why Me" by Margie Balter * "Date Night Blues" by

The Rave-Ups The Rave-Ups are an American rock group founded in 1979 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who gained greater attention after relocating to Los Angeles, California. They are best known for their alternative rock hit songs "Respectfully King of Rain" an ...

* "French Connection" by Solar Budd * "I'll Never Dream" by

Kaskade Ryan Gary Raddon (born February 25, 1971), better known by his stage name Kaskade, is an American DJ, record producer and remixer. ''DJ Times'' voted Kaskade "America's Best DJ" in 2011 and 2013. ''DJ Mag'' named Kaskade fifty-first on its 200 ...

* "Moving On" by

Morgan Page Morgan Wolf Page (born May 31, 1981) is an American DJ and music producer. His tracks include "The Longest Road", "Fight for You" and "In the Air". Page has received two Grammy Award nominations; a personal nomination for best remix with Nadia ...

* "Fresh Groove" by Muddy Funksters * "I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You" by

Leon Haywood Otha Leon Haywood (February 11, 1942 – April 5, 2016) was an American funk and soul singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his 1975 hit single "I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You", which has been frequently sampled by ...

* "Sex Slave Ship" by

Flying Lotus Steven Ellison (born October 7, 1983), known by his stage name Flying Lotus or sometimes FlyLo, is an American record producer, Disc jockey, DJ, filmmaker and rapper from Los Angeles. He is also the founder of the record label Brainfeeder. Flyi ...

* "God Created Woman" by A. B. O'Neill * "

Elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae an ...

" by Spiral System * "Production" by Lemonworks * "Something Bigger, Something Better" by

Amanda Blank Amanda Blank (born Amanda Mallory McGrath; March 21, 1983) is an American singer, rapper and member of the performance art band Sweatheart based in Philadelphia. Early life Amanda Blank was born in Germantown, Philadelphia, Germantown, a neighb ...

* "Stone" by Terry Lynn * "

(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" is an R&B song written by Gary Jackson, Raynard Miner, and Carl Smith. It was recorded by Jackie Wilson for his album '' Higher and Higher'' (1967), produced by Carl Davis, and became a Top 10 ...

" by

Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer of the 1950s and 60s. He was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a mas ...

Reception

Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, a

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

, the film has an approval rating of 66% based on 231 reviews and an average rating of 6.10/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "An uneasy blend of action and comedy, ''Date Night'' doesn't quite live up to the talents of its two leads, but Steve Carell and Tina Fey still manage to shine through most of the movie's flaws." On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

, the film has a score of 56 out of 100 based on 37 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by

CinemaScore CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data. Background Ed Mintz founded Ci ...

gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

gave the film three and a half stars, saying "If you don't start out liking the Fosters and hoping they have a really nice date night, not much else is going to work." Jim Vejvoda of

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

gave the movie 3 out of 5 stars saying "Date Night suggests a lot of comedic possibilities (Wahlberg's character being just one of them, and the Fosters' escape from the police station being another example) but it never quite capitalizes on all of these set-ups. Despite these shortcomings, the film still manages to be a lot of fun".

Box office

On its opening weekend,

reported that ''Date Night'' grossed $27.1 million, about $200,000 more than

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

reported for '' Clash of the Titans''. In a recount, ''Clash of the Titans'' retained the number-one spot for a second-straight weekend with $26.6 million. ''Date Night'' debuted at number two with $25.2 million, nearly $2 million less than Fox had reported a day earlier. The film went on to gross $98.7 million in the United States and Canada and $53.6 million in other countries totaling a worldwide gross of $152.3 million.

Awards and nominations

The film won the Teen Choice Award for Movie Comedy and Fey won the Teen Choice Award for Movie Actress: Comedy.

Home media

''Date Night'' was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

and

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...

on August 10, 2010.Date Night – DVD Sales
The Numbers The DVD includes both the theatrical (88 minutes) and extended (101 minutes) versions of the film, alternate scenes, two featurettes,

public service announcement A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. In the UK, they are generally called a public information film (PIF); in Hong Kong, ...

s, and a gag reel.

References

External links

* * * * * {{Teen Choice Award Choice Movie Comedy 2010 films 2010 crime films 2010 romantic comedy films 2010s chase films 2010s crime comedy films 2010s English-language films 2010s screwball comedy films 20th Century Fox films Regency Enterprises films 21 Laps Entertainment films American chase films American crime comedy films American romantic comedy films American screwball comedy films Dune Entertainment films Films about couples Films directed by Shawn Levy Films scored by Christophe Beck Films set in New Jersey Films set in New York City Films shot in Los Angeles Films shot in New York City Films with screenplays by Josh Klausner Romantic crime films 2010s American films

Plot

Cast

Production

Soundtrack

Reception

Critical response

Box office

Awards and nominations

Home media

See also

References

External links