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Desperate But Not Serious

  • 1999
  • R
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
4.0/10
462
YOUR RATING
Claudia Schiffer, Paget Brewster, and Christine Taylor in Desperate But Not Serious (1999)
Comedy

Lily is a twenty-something aspiring writer who receives an invitation to attend a wedding reception with Jonathan, a handsome entomologist who also happens to be the man of her dreams. The o... Read allLily is a twenty-something aspiring writer who receives an invitation to attend a wedding reception with Jonathan, a handsome entomologist who also happens to be the man of her dreams. The only problem is that she's in San Francisco and the wedding is in L.A. Lily is therefore fo... Read allLily is a twenty-something aspiring writer who receives an invitation to attend a wedding reception with Jonathan, a handsome entomologist who also happens to be the man of her dreams. The only problem is that she's in San Francisco and the wedding is in L.A. Lily is therefore forced to enlist the aid of her friend Frances, an unrepentant party girl who has the L.A. n... Read all

  • Director
    • Bill Fishman
  • Writers
    • Nicole Coady
    • Halle Eaton
    • Abbe Wool
  • Stars
    • Christine Taylor
    • Paget Brewster
    • Claudia Schiffer
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    4.0/10
    462
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Bill Fishman
    • Writers
      • Nicole Coady
      • Halle Eaton
      • Abbe Wool
    • Stars
      • Christine Taylor
      • Paget Brewster
      • Claudia Schiffer
    • 18User reviews
    • 6Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win total

    Photos16

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    Top cast44

    Edit
    Christine Taylor
    Christine Taylor
    • Lili
    Paget Brewster
    Paget Brewster
    • Frances
    Claudia Schiffer
    Claudia Schiffer
    • Gigi
    John Corbett
    John Corbett
    • Jonathan
    Max Perlich
    Max Perlich
    • Todd
    Joey Lawrence
    Joey Lawrence
    • Darby
    Toledo Diamond
    Toledo Diamond
    • Self
    • (as Toledo)
    Bill Cusack
    Bill Cusack
    • Trendy Guy
    Cu Ba Nguyen
    • Cambodian Waiter
    Wendie Jo Sperber
    Wendie Jo Sperber
    • Landlady
    Brent Bolthouse
    Brent Bolthouse
    • Steve
    Patton Oswalt
    Patton Oswalt
    • Auteur #1
    Brian Posehn
    Brian Posehn
    • Auteur #2
    Stacy Sanches
    Stacy Sanches
    • Shauna
    Patti Tippo
    Patti Tippo
    • Development Woman
    John Fleck
    John Fleck
    • Landon Liebowitz
    Judy Greer
    Judy Greer
    • Molly
    Conrad Goode
    Conrad Goode
    • Security Guard
    • Director
      • Bill Fishman
    • Writers
      • Nicole Coady
      • Halle Eaton
      • Abbe Wool
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews18

    4.0462
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    Featured reviews

    6seltzer

    Dumb but charming, like its lead characters

    This is not a great movie, and maybe even good is too strong a word, but there is something goofily charming about it and I got sucked into watching it. Christine Taylor is cute and ostensibly the lead in search of her perfect match, played by John Corbett. It's a trite storyline but at least it lets the rest of the film happen. Paget Brewster is her hip would-be actress friend who leads her around LA from one party to another in search of her friends guy. So, it's a horrible story with a predictable ending, but the parties they go to and the people they meet are a bunch of nice jabs at the movie industry and the culture around it. Claudia Schiffer and Joey Lawrence appear and cameos by some mid-grade stars only add to the comedy. The scenes with Patton Oswalt and Brian Posehn are the funniest things to ever be recorded on film in the history of film. A mediocre movie with lots of treats to make it worth watching, and Paget Brewster is impossibly cute. Watch all the way to the end of the credits to see the funniest scenes in the film.
    2sklug

    Seriously wishing I hadn't watched this movie...

    This was almost the worst movie I have ever seen. I think the actors were trying, but with this movie's script they never stood a chance. Nothing about this movie was entertaining; not the "Lily Lily Lily!" allusion to Christine Taylor's role as Marsha in the Brady Bunch Movie, not the endless vibrator jokes, and certainly not the time I wasted watching it.
    TheVid

    An annoying valley-girl, party movie, the likes of which went out of style in the 80's.

    This childish escapade featuring a couple of California bimbos shouldn't appeal to anyone, thanks to the labored humor and mindless performances. What this picture lacks is what it really needs: the leads should have taken their clothes off as often as possible to offset their acting abilities. Everyone is noticeably taller than Joey Lawrence in this movie.
    Jeremy-34

    Should Have Been An Alan Smithee!

    The title is very appropriate. Anyone associated with this film had to be desperate and not at all serious.

    I can't even begin to imagine why anyone would want his or her name attached to this project. Especially the writers! Who would admit to this? There's no wit or purpose to any of the dialogue. It's like watching bad improv.

    And the Pink Dot jokes? I've lived in LA for a long time and they're STILL not funny.

    This is bad, so bad. I'm upset that I wasted this much energy hating this movie. I can't believe I sat and watched it when somewhere in the world there was paint drying that I could have watched instead.
    jbelkin800

    Worst vanity movie of all time!

    I don't know the real story behind the genesis and making of this film but it seems to have been made by an un-talented offspring of a Hollywood agent or TV producer.

    They were obviously able to pull in a lot of favors in dragging in a bunch of semi-famous TV actors - everybody was scared to say no and didn't want to risk offending the powerful parent.

    You know any movie is in trouble when the best actor in a movie is Joey Lawrence and Claudia Schiffer is second.

    There are probably 10,000 unproduced scripts in Hollywood about fringe Hollywood players and their story in modern day Hollywood/LA. You know the cliches - usually, it's some unattractive schlub cruisng the Strip, the Hills, etc ... with his best bud - making the scene - all the name of ripping the lid off of the true Hollywood. Of course, it's not very revealing or interesting - SWINGERS is probably the exception to the rule. They get credit for casting a woman in the lead, Paiget Brewster (TV actor) but they made (with her help) her character shrill, annoying, un-likeable, vile and like the men who played the exact same part in 1,000 movies before her - making her so unattractive you wonder why anyone would care what happens to her.

    The story - riddled with a million bad cliches ultimately even gets smaller - and ends as a tribute to "Pink Dot" - the ultimate Hollywood insider wink-wink. AS IF WE CARE!!!!! It's not even funny or clever - there's no point in explaining what Pink Dot is but here goes (it's a late night delivery service - the Hollywood webvan except they've been around for 20 years) - are you laughing yet?

    This is a movie where the kid of a powerful person decided to make a movie - since their life's experience amounted to hanging out with second-rate wanna-be's and ordering from Pink Dot - that's the movie! Now, you figure how many favors you can call in and you write the story around when they can show up.

    There are cable access shows with more imagination.

    Just bad.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Having already had her earlobes pierced especially for her appearance in Black & White (1999), Claudia Schiffer also had her nose, belly button and the cartilage of both ears pierced especially for her part in this movie.
    • Connections
      References A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
    • Soundtracks
      Might be in Love
      Performed by Juliana Hatfield

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    FAQ15

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 12, 1999 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • liner-notes.com
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Reckless + Wild
    • Production companies
      • Desperate Inc.
      • Fallout Entertainment
      • Phoenician Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 34m(94 min)
    • Color
      • Color

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