''Dating The Enemy'' is a 1996 Australian comedy about a recently broken up couple who mystically

swap bodies A swap body, swop body, exchangeable container or interchangeable unit, is one of the types of standard freight intermodal container, containers for road and rail transport. Based on and very similar to the more widespread Intermodal container, ...

and have to live as each other.

Plot

One Valentine's evening a group of single, dateless friends get together to play Trivial Pursuit. Brett (

Guy Pearce Guy Edward Pearce (born 5 October 1967) is an Australian actor. Born in Ely, Cambridgeshire in England, and raised in Geelong, Victoria (Australia), Victoria in Australia, he started his career portraying Mike Young (Neighbours), Mike Young in ...

), a friend of the host from Melbourne, has just landed a job as presenter of a TV gossip show. He is brash and self-confident. Tash (

Claudia Karvan Claudia Karvan (born 19 May 1972) is an Australian actress, producer and scriptwriter. As a child actor, she first appeared in the film, '' Molly'' (1983) and followed with an adolescent role in ''High Tide'' (1987). She portrayed a teacher in ...

) is a science journalist for a national newspaper, studious, intense and self-conscious. They have nothing in common, so naturally they get it together. A year later and Brett's career is going well, there is the possibility of a job in New York and popularity has gone to his head. Tash is still trying to write serious scientific articles for a paper more interested in gossip and sex and struggling to prevent her articles being buried on page 12. Their relationship is on the rocks. That night during a Valentine's boat trip on Sydney Harbour, an argument ensues and Brett decides he has had enough and ends the relationship. Tash tells him: 'I wish you could be me, so you could see how I feel for once. I wish I could be you, so I could show you what an idiot you've become!'. That night is a full moon and fate decides to lend a hand. They wake to find that each is in the other's body. A month of each pretending to be the other ensues and they have to learn what it's really like to be in the other person's shoes. Tash has to try to keep Brett's high-profile career on track. Brett is so bored by Tash's job, he ends up trying to make science sexy. Each learns to appreciate the other as only together can they make this enforced predicament work out.

Cast

as Brett *

as Tash *

John Howard (Australian actor) John Howard (born 22 October 1952) is an Australian stage and screen actor. Howard is best known for his appearances in the television series ''Blue Heelers'', ''SeaChange'', ''Always Greener'', '' All Saints'' and ''Packed to the Rafters''. C ...

as Davis *

Matt Day Matthew Day (born 28 September 1971) is an Australian actor and filmmaker. Early life Day was born in Melbourne, Victoria. When he was 11 years old, he went to live in the United States with his father, a newspaper correspondent, where he be ...

as Rob

Production

The film was co-financed by French distributor Pandora Film.

Reception

One review described ''Dating the Enemy'' as: "A fast and funny look at relationships in the 90s, the smash-hit romantic comedy 'Dating the Enemy' brings a whole new meaning to the battle of the sexes."

Soundtrack

The soundtrack includes the OMC song "Right On". The original video for "Right On" features clips from the movie.

Box office

'' Dating The Enemy '' grossed $2,620,325 at the box office in Australia, which is equivalent to $3,668,455 in 2009 AS dollars.

References

External links

* *{{Rotten Tomatoes, dating_the_enemy
Dating The Enemy at the National Film and Sound ArchiveDating the Enemy
at Oz Movies 1996 films 1996 romantic comedy films Australian romantic comedy films Body swapping in films Films scored by David Hirschfelder 1990s English-language films