Film Snail

Uptown Girls
Uptown Girls

6.8

Uptown Girls

PG-13·2003·92m

Summary

Molly Gunn, the freewheeling daughter of a deceased rock legend, is forced to get a job when her manager steals her money. As nanny for precocious Ray, the oft ignored daughter of a music executive she learns what it means to be an adult while teaching Ray how to be a child.

Crew

Director

Boaz Yakin

Screenplay

Julia Dahl

Screenplay

Mo Ogrodnik

Screenplay

Lisa Davidowitz

Story

Allison Jacobs

Reviews

Wuchak

Wuchak

March 15, 2018

7

Way more than a shallow “chick flick” romcom.

RELEASED IN 2003 and directed by Boaz Yakin, "Uptown Girls" is a dramedy with a little romance about Molly (Brittany Murphy), a fun-loving 22 year-old who suddenly loses her inherited riches and is forced to become a nanny to a stoical neat-freak girl, Ray (Dakota Fanning). Heather Locklear plays Ray’s distant mother who’s an exec in the music biz while Jesse Spencer plays a hunky musician who gets signed. Marley Shelton and Donald Faison are on hand as friends of Molly.

The first act didn’t do much for me, but at the halfway point something made me bust out laughing and I busted out four more times before it was over. More importantly, the movie is rich with quality mind/spirit food. Both Molly and Ray are broken people who handle their grief in opposite ways. And each has what the other needs to heal and escape their disorder.

“Uptown Girls” boldly reveals that “meds” (drugs) cannot heal or deliver a person; the best they can do is help a person cope. In fact, they usually have negative side-effects, mentally and physically. Sadly, six years after the release of the film Murphy ironically died of cardiac arrest due to inadvertent overdoses of a mixture of over-the-counter & prescription drugs taken (they presume) for a respiratory infection. She was only 32.

The flick encourages growing up and achieving true success through (1.) recognizing “golden connections” and taking advantage of them (after all, no one makes it alone, no one; they had help); and (2.) discerning and cultivating one’s special talent(s). I’d say more, but it’s better to see the movie, enjoy it, and quarry the gems for oneself.

THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour 32 minutes and was shot in New York City (Manhattan & Brooklyn with studio work done in Queens). WRITERS: Julia Dahl, Mo Ogrodnik & Lisa Davidowitz wrote the script based on Allison Jacobs’ story.

GRADE: B+

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$20,000,000.00

Revenue:

$44,600,000.00

Keywords

new york city
nanny