''Things That Make Living Worthwhile'' ( es, Cosas que hacen que la vida valga la pena, links=no) is a 2004 Spanish romantic

comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

film directed by

Manuel Gómez Pereira Manuel Gómez Pereira (born 8 December 1958 in Madrid) is a Spanish screenwriter and film director of comedies. His 1999 film ''Between Your Legs'' was entered into the 49th Berlin International Film Festival. He is the nephew of the film dire ...

, starring

Ana Belén María del Pilar Cuesta Acosta (born 27 May 1951, Madrid), known professionally as Ana Belén, is a Spanish actress and singer. Life/career Born in 1951, Ana Belén is the oldest of three children. Her father was a cook in Hotel Palace, and ...

and

Eduard Fernández Eduard Fernández Serrano (born 25 August 1964) is a Spanish screen and stage actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including three Goya Awards and four Gaudí Awards. Biography Eduard Fernández was born in Barcelona on 25 August ...

Plot

The plot features the relationship between Hortensia, a divorced woman working as a civil officer at the INEM, and Jorge, an also divorced unemployed man and recovering alcoholic.

Cast

Production

The film was directed by

whereas the screenplay was penned by

Joaquín Oristrell Joaquín Oristrell Ventura (born 15 September 1953) is a Spanish film director and screenwriter. Biography Born in Barcelona on 15 September 1953, he is the cousin of actress Yolanda Ventura and nephew of trumpeter . He has written scripts ...

Yolanda García Serrano Yolanda García Serrano (born 1958) is a Spanish film director and writer, the winner of the 1994 Goya Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film ''All Men Are the Same (1994 film), All Men Are the Same''. Biography García studied Public Re ...

, and

Luis Piedrahita Luis Piedrahita Cuesta (born 1977) is a Spanish stand-up comedian, magician, script writer, broadcaster and author. He is known as "El Rey de las Cosas Pequeñas" ("The King of Small Things"), due to his monologues in which he critiques the lack o ...

. It was produced by BocaBoca Producciones with the participation of TVE and

Canal+ Canal+ (Canal Plus, , meaning 'Channel Plus'; sometimes abbreviated C+ or Canal) is a French premium television channel launched in 1984. It is 100% owned by the Groupe Canal+, which in turn is owned by Vivendi. The channel broadcasts several ki ...

Release

The film screened at the 7th

Málaga Spanish Film Festival Málaga (, ) is a municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 578,460 in 2020, it is the second-most populous city in Andalusia after Seville and the sixth most pop ...

(FMCE) in 2004. Distributed by Columbia Tristar Spain, the film was theatrically released in Spain on 26 November 2004.

Reception

Jonathan Holland of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' deemed the film be "an enjoyable, adult-oriented comedy romancer beefed up by a thought-provoking darker side". Mirito Torreiro of ''

Fotogramas ''Fotogramas'' is Spanish digital and print film magazine which has been in circulation since 1946. It is one of the early film magazines in Spain. History Founded in Barcelona, it was first published on 15 November 1946 by Antonio Nadal-Rodó a ...

'' gave it 4 out of 5 stars highlighting the chemistry between the leads to be the best about the film.

Accolades

, - , align = "center" , 2004 , , 7th

, , colspan = "2" , Public Choice Award , , , , , - , align = "center" rowspan = "4" , 2005 , , rowspan = "2" , 19th Goya Awards , , Best Actor , , Eduard Fernández , , , , rowspan = "2" , , - ,

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 aw ...

, , Ana Belén , , , - , rowspan = "2" , 14th Actors and Actresses Union Awards , , Best Film Actor in a Leading Role , , Eduard Fernández , , , , rowspan = "2" , , - , Best Film Actress in a Leading Role , , Ana Belén , ,

References

External links

*
''Things That Make Living Worthwhile''
at ICAA's ''Catálogo de Cinespañol'' {{authority control 2004 films 2004 romantic comedy-drama films 2000s Spanish-language films BocaBoca Producciones films Films shot in Madrid Spanish romantic comedy-drama films 2000s Spanish films