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''It's Complicated'' is a 2009 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 ...
film written and directed by
Nancy Meyers Nancy Jane Meyers (born December 8, 1949) is an American filmmaker. She has written, produced, and directed many critically and commercially successful films including ''Private Benjamin (1980 film), Private Benjamin'' (1980), ''Irreconcilable D ...
. It stars
Meryl Streep Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...
as a bakery owner and single mother of three who starts a secret affair with her ex-husband, played by
Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. In his early career, Baldwin played both leading and supporting roles in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), Mike Nichol ...
, ten years after their divorce – only to find herself drawn to another man: her architect, Adam (portrayed by
Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2013. Additionally, he was nominated ...
). The film also features supporting performances by
Lake Bell Lake Siegel Bell (born March 24, 1979) is an American actress, screenwriter and director. She has starred in various television series, including '' Boston Legal'' (2004–2006), ''Surface'' (2005–2006), ''How to Make It in America'' (2010–2 ...
,
Hunter Parrish Hunter Parrish Tharp (born May 13, 1987) is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing the role of Silas Botwin in the Showtime series '' Weeds'' and for his performances in the Broadway productions of ''Godspell'' in the role of Jesu ...
,
Zoe Kazan Zoe Swicord Kazan (; born September 9, 1983) is an American actress, playwright, and screenwriter. She made her acting debut in the film ''Swordswallowers and Thin Men'' (2003) and later appeared in films such as '' The Savages'' (2007), ''Revol ...
,
John Krasinski John Burke Krasinski (; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom ''The Office''. He also served as a producer and occasional director of the series throughout its nine ...
,
Mary Kay Place Mary Kay Place (born September 23, 1947) is an American actress, singer, director, and screenwriter. She is known for portraying Loretta Haggers on the television series ''Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'', a role that won her the 1977 Primetime Emmy ...
,
Robert Curtis Brown Robert Curtis Brown (born Robert Nelson Brown, April 27, 1957) is an American television, film, and stage actor. Early life Brown was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and was raised in Yardley, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The mid ...
, and
Rita Wilson Rita Wilson (born Margarita Ibrahimoff; October 26, 1956) is an American actress, singer, and producer. Her film appearances include ''Volunteers'' (1985), ''Sleepless in Seattle'' (1993), '' Now and Then'' (1995), ''That Thing You Do!'' (1996), ...
, among others. The film was met with average reviews from critics, who praised the acting of its ensemble cast but declared its story rather predictable. It became another commercial hit for Meyers, however, upon its
Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...
2009 opening release in the United States and Canada. It played well through the holidays and into January 2010, ultimately closing on April 1 with $112.7 million. Worldwide, ''It's Complicated'' eventually grossed $219.1 million, and surpassed ''
The Holiday ''The Holiday'' is a 2006 romantic comedy film written, produced and directed by Nancy Meyers. Coproduced by Bruce A. Block, it was filmed in both California and England and stars Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz as Iris and Amanda, two lovelorn ...
'' (2006) to become Meyer's third-highest-grossing project to date. For their performances, the cast was awarded a National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Award for Best Ensemble Cast the same year. In addition, the film was nominated at both the
Critics' Choice Awards The Critics' Choice Movie Awards (formerly known as the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award) is an awards show presented annually by the American-Canadian Critics Choice Association (CCA) to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. Writt ...
and the
Satellite Awards The Satellite Awards are annual awards given by the International Press Academy that are commonly noted in entertainment industry journals and blogs. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards. The award ceremonies take place ...
and garnered Meyers two
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and
Best Screenplay Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporatio ...
. Streep and Baldwin each were individually recognized with
Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress awar ...
and Best Supporting Actor nominations at the Golden Globe and BAFTA award ceremonies, respectively.


Plot

Jane, who owns a successful bakery in
Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coas ...
, and Jake Adler, a successful
attorney Attorney may refer to: * Lawyer ** Attorney at law, in some jurisdictions * Attorney, one who has power of attorney * ''The Attorney'', a 2013 South Korean film See also * Attorney general, the principal legal officer of (or advisor to) a gove ...
, divorced ten years earlier. They had three children together, two daughters and a son, who are grown. Jake has married the much younger Agness, the woman he cheated on Jane with. Jane and Jake attend their son Luke's graduation from college in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. After a dinner together, the two begin an affair, which continues in Santa Barbara. Jane is torn about the affair; Jake is not. While Agness has Jake scheduled for regular sessions at a fertility clinic, Jake is secretly taking medication to decrease his frequent urination, the side effects of which are decreased sperm count and dizziness. After one of his sessions, he has a lunchtime rendezvous with Jane at a hotel. Jake collapses in the hotel room and a doctor is called. The doctor speculates that the reason for Jake's distress may be the medication and says he should stop taking it. Jake and Jane's children know nothing of the affair, but Harley, who is engaged to their daughter Lauren, spots the pair and the doctor in the hotel but keeps silent. Adam is an architect hired to remodel Jane's home. Still healing from a divorce of his own, he begins to fall in love with Jane. On the night of Luke's graduation party in Santa Barbara, Jane invites Adam to the party. She is stoned when he picks her up because she has taken a hit from a marijuana joint that Jake had given her earlier. Before going into the party, Adam smokes some of the joint with Jane. Once inside, they are laughing and happily high, Jake becomes jealous observing them, and after pressing Jane, smokes some with her also. Agness then observes Jake and Jane dancing together and senses they are having an affair. When they leave the party, Adam asks Jane if they could have something to eat. Jane takes him to her bakery and they make chocolate
croissants A croissant is a buttery, flaky, Austrian viennoiserie pastry inspired by the shape of the Austrian kipferl but using the French yeast-leavened laminated dough. Croissants are named for their historical crescent shape, the dough is layered wi ...
together, ending the evening with a romantic kiss. Jake and Agness separate, although it is not clear who leaves whom. Eventually, by a
webcam A webcam is a video camera which is designed to record or stream to a computer or computer network. They are primarily used in videotelephony, livestreaming and social media, and security. Webcams can be built-in computer hardware or peripheral d ...
in Jane's bedroom, Adam sees Jake naked and realizes that the two have been having an affair. Adam tells Jane he cannot continue seeing her because it will only lead to heartbreak. Jane's kids also find out, and they are not happy about their parents getting back together because they are still recovering from the divorce. Jane tells them she is not getting back with Jake. Jane and Jake talk and end their affair on amicable terms. The film ends with Adam at Jane's house ready to commence the remodeling. Before the credits roll, Jane and Adam are seen laughing about the chocolate croissants while walking into her house.


Cast

*
Meryl Streep Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...
as Jane Adler, a successful bakery owner. *
Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2013. Additionally, he was nominated ...
as Adam Schaffer, Jane's architect. *
Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. In his early career, Baldwin played both leading and supporting roles in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), Mike Nichol ...
as Jacob "Jake" Adler, Jane's ex-husband. *
Lake Bell Lake Siegel Bell (born March 24, 1979) is an American actress, screenwriter and director. She has starred in various television series, including '' Boston Legal'' (2004–2006), ''Surface'' (2005–2006), ''How to Make It in America'' (2010–2 ...
as Agness Adler, Jake's wife. *
Hunter Parrish Hunter Parrish Tharp (born May 13, 1987) is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing the role of Silas Botwin in the Showtime series '' Weeds'' and for his performances in the Broadway productions of ''Godspell'' in the role of Jesu ...
as Luke David Adler, Jane and Jake's son. *
Zoe Kazan Zoe Swicord Kazan (; born September 9, 1983) is an American actress, playwright, and screenwriter. She made her acting debut in the film ''Swordswallowers and Thin Men'' (2003) and later appeared in films such as '' The Savages'' (2007), ''Revol ...
as Gabby Adler, Jane and Jake's younger daughter. *
Caitlin FitzGerald Caitlin FitzGerald (born August 25, 1983) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is best known for her role as Libby Masters in the Showtime television drama ''Masters of Sex'' and as the elusive Simone in Starz series '' Sweetbitter''. Ear ...
as Lauren Adler, Jane and Jake's older daughter. *
John Krasinski John Burke Krasinski (; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom ''The Office''. He also served as a producer and occasional director of the series throughout its nine ...
as Harley, Lauren's fiancé. *
Mary Kay Place Mary Kay Place (born September 23, 1947) is an American actress, singer, director, and screenwriter. She is known for portraying Loretta Haggers on the television series ''Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'', a role that won her the 1977 Primetime Emmy ...
as Joanne *
Rita Wilson Rita Wilson (born Margarita Ibrahimoff; October 26, 1956) is an American actress, singer, and producer. Her film appearances include ''Volunteers'' (1985), ''Sleepless in Seattle'' (1993), '' Now and Then'' (1995), ''That Thing You Do!'' (1996), ...
as Trisha *
Alexandra Wentworth Alexandra "Ali" Wentworth (born January 12, 1965) is an American actress, comedian, author, and producer. Early life Wentworth's mother, Muffie Cabot (née Mabel Bryant Hobart), was Nancy Reagan's White House Social Secretary, White House soci ...
as Diane *
James Patrick Stuart James Patrick Stuart is an American actor, currently portraying Valentin Cassadine on the daytime soap opera ''General Hospital'', for which he received three consecutive Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama ...
as Dr. Moss, the plastic surgeon *
Blanchard Ryan Susan Blanchard Ryan (born January 12, 1967) is an American actress. After working in MTV and other minor parts on television and independent film, she went on to star in the 2003 film '' Open Water'', for which she won the 2004 Saturn Award f ...
as Annalise * Michael Rivera as Eddie *
Robert Curtis Brown Robert Curtis Brown (born Robert Nelson Brown, April 27, 1957) is an American television, film, and stage actor. Early life Brown was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and was raised in Yardley, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The mid ...
as Peter *
Peter Mackenzie Peter Mackenzie (born January 19, 1961) is an American actor. Career He co-starred in films ''Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987), ''Torch Song Trilogy'' (1988), ''Lorenzo's Oil'' (1992) and '' Trumbo'' (2015). He is also known for his television ro ...
as Dr. Alan, Jane's therapist. * Rosalie Ward as Alex *
Jimmy Clabots James Ryan Clabots (born 1980) is an American screenwriter, producer, actor, and physical therapist. In 2009 he became a male escort, and retired in 2012. Since 2014 he’s been working as a writer, Alexander Technique teacher, and PTA in Los Ange ...
as Chase *
Emjay Anthony Emjay Anthony Salazar (born June 1, 2003) is an American teen actor and model. His major films include '' It's Complicated'', '' Chef'', ''Krampus'', ''Replicas'', and ''Bad Moms''. Biography Emjay Anthony Salazar was born on June 1, 2003, in ...
as Pedro Adler *
Emily Kinney Emily Rebecca Kinney is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She is known for her role as Beth Greene on AMC's horror drama television series '' The Walking Dead'' (2011–2015, 2018). Kinney has also appeared on several other televisio ...
as Waitress. *
Nora Dunn Nora Dunn (born April 29, 1952) is an American actress and comedian. She was a cast member on the NBC sketch variety TV series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1985 to 1990, Dr. Reynolds in ''The Nanny'' (1998-1999), and Muriel in ''Home Economics' ...
as Sally *
Bruce Altman Bruce Altman (born July 3, 1955) is an American film and television actor. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama. Early life Altman was born in The Bronx, New York. He is of Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish ...
as Ted *
Lisa Lynn Masters Lisa Lynn Masters (March 20, 1964 – November 15, 2016) was an American actress, writer and model. Early life and education Masters was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. She graduated from Appalachian State Uni ...
as the beautiful woman in elevator. * Pat Finn as Hotel Doctor *
Valente Rodriguez Valente Rodriguez (born February 14, 1964) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Ernie Cardenas on the sitcom ''George Lopez''. He also starred as Cesar in the TV Land sitcom ''Happily Divorced'', as well as guest starring on ' ...
as Reynaldo *
Andrew Stewart-Jones Andrew Stewart-Jones is an English actor, best-known for playing the role of Crispus Allen in '' Gotham''. Career Stewart-Jones first came on to the television scene in 2003 in HBO's ''Sex and the City'' as Jules. Next he guest starred in 2005 ...
as Restaurant Host *
Geneva Carr Geneva Carr (born May 6, 1971) is an American television and stage actress with an extensive acting résumé. She is best known for her portrayal of Marissa Morgan on the CBS television series ''Bull'' and for her performance as Margery in the or ...
as Woman at Fertility Clinic *
Deidre Goodwin Deidre Goodwin (born September 15, 1969, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) is an American actress known for such films and television series as ''Chicago'', '' Half Nelson'', ''Life on Mars'', '' The Bourne Legacy'' and '' Across the Universe''. Career ...
as Fertility Nurse *
Jessica St. Clair Jessica St. Clair is an American actress and improvisational comedian from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. With frequent collaborator Lennon Parham, she co-created and co-starred in NBC's ''Best Friends Forever'' and USA Network's '' Playi ...
as Wedding Specialist *
Marina Squerciati Marina Teresa Squerciati is an American actress. She currently appears as a regular in ''Chicago P.D.'' as Officer Kim Burgess. Early life Marina Squerciati was born in New York City and she is of Italian heritage. She is the daughter of acade ...
as Melanie * Robert Adamson as College Kid at Party *
Heitor Pereira Heitor Teixeira Pereira () (born November 29, 1960), or Heitor TP, is a Brazilian composer, songwriter, musician, arranger, and record producer. In his career, Pereira has recorded with the band Simply Red and several famous musicians, such as Elt ...
as Party Musician *
Ramin Djawadi Ramin Djawadi (, fa, رامین جوادی; born 19 July 1974) is an Iran, Iranian and Germans, German film score, score composer. He is known for his scores for the 2008 Marvel film ''Iron Man (2008 film), Iron Man'' and the HBO series ''Game o ...
as Party Musician *
Alan Cumming Alan Cumming (born 27 January 1965) is a British actor. His London stage appearances include ''Hamlet'', the Maniac in ''Accidental Death of an Anarchist'' (for which he received an Olivier Award), the lead in '' Bent'', The National Theatre o ...
as TV Actor (uncredited) * Anne Lockhart as Party Guest (uncredited) *
Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...
as Herself (uncredited)


Production


Casting

In May 2008,
Nancy Meyers Nancy Jane Meyers (born December 8, 1949) is an American filmmaker. She has written, produced, and directed many critically and commercially successful films including ''Private Benjamin (1980 film), Private Benjamin'' (1980), ''Irreconcilable D ...
agreed to a project for
Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
that she would write and direct, to be co-produced with
Scott Rudin Scott Rudin (born July 14, 1958) is an American film, television, and theatre producer. His films include the Academy Award-winning Best Picture ''No Country for Old Men,'' as well as ''Uncut Gems'', '' Lady Bird, Fences, The Girl with the Dragon ...
. The project was referred to as ''The Untitled Nancy Meyers Project'' during its inception and early production. Establishing commitments from the principals began in 2008, with
Meryl Streep Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...
and
Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. In his early career, Baldwin played both leading and supporting roles in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), Mike Nichol ...
entering discussions in August, and
Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2013. Additionally, he was nominated ...
joining the cast in October. Casting continued through 2009, with
Zoe Kazan Zoe Swicord Kazan (; born September 9, 1983) is an American actress, playwright, and screenwriter. She made her acting debut in the film ''Swordswallowers and Thin Men'' (2003) and later appeared in films such as '' The Savages'' (2007), ''Revol ...
,
Lake Bell Lake Siegel Bell (born March 24, 1979) is an American actress, screenwriter and director. She has starred in various television series, including '' Boston Legal'' (2004–2006), ''Surface'' (2005–2006), ''How to Make It in America'' (2010–2 ...
, and
Hunter Parrish Hunter Parrish Tharp (born May 13, 1987) is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing the role of Silas Botwin in the Showtime series '' Weeds'' and for his performances in the Broadway productions of ''Godspell'' in the role of Jesu ...
joining in January,
John Krasinski John Burke Krasinski (; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom ''The Office''. He also served as a producer and occasional director of the series throughout its nine ...
in February,
Rita Wilson Rita Wilson (born Margarita Ibrahimoff; October 26, 1956) is an American actress, singer, and producer. Her film appearances include ''Volunteers'' (1985), ''Sleepless in Seattle'' (1993), '' Now and Then'' (1995), ''That Thing You Do!'' (1996), ...
in March, and Caitlin Fitzgerald in June.


Filming

While the majority of the film is set in
Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coas ...
, most of the filming – including nearly all of the interiors – took place in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Principal photography began on February 18, 2009 at the Broadway Stages in the
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
borough, where the interior scenes of Jane's house were shot. Several other key locations were used during the first portion of filming in New York, including Picnic House, a large, studio-sized structure in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, where Jane's bakery was built inside; the facilities at Sarabeth's Bakery in the
Chelsea Market Chelsea Market is a food hall, shopping mall, office building and television production facility located in the Chelsea neighborhood of the borough of Manhattan, in New York City. The Chelsea Market complex occupies an entire city block with a ...
; and a commercial loft building in New York's Chelsea district, where scenes at Adam's office were filmed in. As Martin was soon to embark on a concert tour to promote '' The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo'' (2009), his schedule required the team to complete shooting his scenes during the first two months of filming. In April 2009, the company relocated to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, where cast and crew started filming scenes taking place outside Jane's house, for which a ranch house located in
Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, United States. It is in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles, approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown. It is named after the many oak tree ...
in the north of Los Angeles was used. In mid-April, the crew spent a few days filming exteriors in Montecito and Santa Barbara – just days before
wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire ...
s took a heavy toll on the area. Additional scenes were taken in front of numerous downtown landmarks, including the
Santa Barbara County Courthouse The Santa Barbara County Courthouse is a Spanish Colonial Revival style building designed by William Mooser IIIEl Paseo section. Afterwards, the team returned to Los Angeles for completion of the scenes at Jane's house and for the filming at the Bel-Air Bay Club in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. In early May, principal photography returned to Brooklyn for completion. For Luke's graduation scenes, shooting took place at
St. John's University St John's University may refer to: *St. John's University (New York City) **St. John's University School of Law **St. John's University (Italy) - Overseas Campus *College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, St. Joseph, Minnesota and Col ...
in
Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
and on
Park Avenue Park Avenue is a wide New York City boulevard which carries north and southbound traffic in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Avenu ...
in
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 ...
. Several different locations stood in for the fictional Park Regent hotel: While a residence building on Park Avenue and 59th Street was used for exterior shots, the lobby and Jane's hotel room were in the
JW Marriott Essex House The JW Marriott Essex House (commonly known as the Essex House) is a luxury hotel at 160 Central Park South in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, at the southern border of Central Park. Opened in 1931, the hotel is 44 stories tall and contains 4 ...
. The hotel bar was the interior of a restaurant on Tenth Avenue. Filming eventually completed in August 2009. The sets were easy to design. Most scenes take place in the protagonist's home and interior courtyard, and as such the details had to be fastidiously worked out, but the rooms were kept bare to reflect the character's functional tastes and limited budget. There are relatively few decorations, just "a bunch of thrift-store things haphazardly thrown together", in the words of production designer
Jon Hutman Jon Hutman is an American production designer. Some of his film credits in that field include ''Heathers'' (1988), '' A River Runs Through It'' (1992), ''Quiz Show'' (1994), ''French Kiss'' (1995), '' The Horse Whisperer'' (1998), '' Coyote Ug ...
. The building itself is a traditional 1920s Spanish-ranch-style adobe-mud house which "epitomised the Santa Barbara area."


Reception


Critical response

On
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 ...
, the film has an approval rating of 58% based on 183 reviews, with an average rating of 5.80/10. The website's critical consensus is: "Despite fine work by an appealing cast, ''It's Complicated'' is predictable romantic comedy fare, going for broad laughs instead of subtlety and nuance." Another review aggregator,
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 ...
, which assigns a
weighted average The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...
, gave the film a score of 57 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences surveyed 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 a grade A−.
Wesley Morris Wesley Morris (born 1975) is an American film critic and podcast host. He is currently critic-at-large for ''The New York Times'', as well as co-host, with Jenna Wortham, of the ''New York Times'' podcast '' Still Processing.'' Previously, Morr ...
of the ''
Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' called the film "the most emotionally sophisticated of all Meyers’s fantasies" and praised the acting performances in it. He noted that the film felt like "a made-for-Meryl film
n which N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...
Streep deploys all her best moves ..in movie star mode, and she’s irresistible," and declared Baldwin a worthy match to her, writing: "''It’s Complicated'' unleashes an unabashedly, desperately romantic side of Baldwin that we haven’t seen before. He doesn’t steal this movie so much as grant all Streep’s fluttering and twirling and hand-fanning an exuberant counterweight." In his review for the ''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', Michael O'Sullivan called the film a "very grown-up – and very funny – love story
hich Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...
manages to be both light on its feet and heavy enough to deliver something of a message." He concluded: "Food Network porn, hot, middle-age sex and a happy, if slightly bittersweet, ending. For a particular audience – but not just for that audience – what's not to love?"
Peter Travers Peter Joseph Travers (born ) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film interview prog ...
of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' called the film an "unapologetic chick flick" and wrote that "you don't have to feel guilty for lapping up this froth. Just don't expect nourishment." He rated the film two and a half stars out of four.
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 ...
of the ''
Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...
'' also gave it two and a half stars and called the film a prime example of Meyers' established "cottage industry of movies about romantically inclined middle-aged people." He found praise for the cast of both Baldwin and Streep, the latter of whom he felt "inspires as so often our belief that she's good at everything she does," but noted that while the film contained "funny stuff" and likeable characters, ''It's Complicated'' was more of "a rearrangement of the goods in Nancy Meyers' bakery, and some of them belong on the day-old shelf." Writing for ''
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'' magazine, Mary Pols complimented Streep's "radiant, funny and endearingly vulnerable" performance and Meyers' "clever and fresh ..intent in showing the reality of the fantasy coming true." However, she felt that ''It's Complicated'' "is positioned more as a which-guy-will-she-choose story" which misses "dramatic tension to feed that plot line."
Lisa Schwarzbaum Lisa Schwarzbaum (born July 5, 1952) is an American film critic. She joined ''Entertainment Weekly'' as a film critic in the 1990s and remained there until February 2013. Career She has been featured on CNN, co-hosted '' Siskel & Ebert at the Mov ...
of ''
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'' gave the film a B− rating and declared the film a "middle-aged porn, the specialty of Meyers, who also set ladies and interior decorators drooling over homes and gardens in 2006's ''The Holiday''."
Lou Lumenick Louis J. Lumenick (born September 11, 1949) is an American film critic. He was the chief film critic and film editor for the ''New York Post'' where he reviewed films from 1999 until his retirement in 2016. He is currently researching the histor ...
from ''
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'' stated that it "coulda had more laughs, but in the spirit of seasonal good cheer, let me predict that the best-chocolate-croissant-making montage in Hollywood history is going to help this one clean up at the box office." He found that Martin seemed "uncomfortable in his thankless role," while "Streep and Baldwin, though, seem to be thoroughly enjoying themselves" and compared the film to
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's classic farce ''
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''.
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writer Stephanie Zacharek dismissed the film as "another missive from romantic-comedy hell," and felt that "Alec Baldwin -- in his undershorts, no less -- saves Nancy Meyers' latest midlife whingefest."


Box office

Released on December 25, 2009 in the United States, the film opened in 2,887 locations and placed fourth on the US box office after its first weekend. It charted behind ''
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'', ''
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'', and '' Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel'' with $22.1 million, scoring a $7,655 average income per theatre. It played well through the holidays and into January 2010, ultimately closing on April 1 with $112.7 million in North America and a total of $219.1 million worldwide.


Accolades


Home media

''It's Complicated'' became available on
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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 ...
Tuesday, April 27, 2010.


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:It's Complicated (Film) 2009 films Films directed by Nancy Meyers 2009 romantic comedy-drama films Universal Pictures films Relativity Media films American sex comedy films 2000s English-language films American romantic comedy-drama films Comedy of remarriage films Films set in Santa Barbara, California Films set in California Films set in New York City Films scored by Hans Zimmer Films produced by Scott Rudin Films with screenplays by Nancy Meyers 2000s sex comedy films 2009 comedy films 2000s American films