''Carolina'' is a 2003 American-German
romantic comedy film directed by
Marleen Gorris, starring
Julia Stiles
Julia O'Hara Stiles (born March 28, 1981) is an American actress. Stiles began acting at the age of 11 as part of New York's La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. Her film debut was a small role at age 15 in '' I Love You, I Love You Not'' (1996), ...
,
Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty; April 24, 1934) is an American actress and author. With a career spanning over 70 years, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Shirley MacLaine, numerous accolades, including a ...
,
Alessandro Nivola
Alessandro Antine Nivola (born June 28, 1972) is an American actor. His work includes both screen and stage, and his accolades include a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for a Tony Award and an Independent Spirit Award.
Ni ...
,
Mika Boorem
Mika Sue Boorem (; born August 18, 1987) is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress, appearing on television in small guest roles on ''Touched by an Angel'' and ''Ally McBeal'', before earning critical acclaim for her perfor ...
,
Randy Quaid
Randy Randall Rudy Quaid (born October 1, 1950) is an American actor and comedian known for his roles in both serious drama and light comedy.
He was nominated for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award for his role in '' The ...
, and
Jennifer Coolidge
Jennifer Coolidge (born August 28, 1961) is an American actress and comedian. Known for her work in the comedy genre, Coolidge is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2023, she wa ...
.
Lisa Sheridan has a cameo role in the film, and
Barbara Eden
Barbara Eden (born Barbara Jean Morehead; August 23, 1931) is an American actress and singer, who starred as the title character in the sitcom ''I Dream of Jeannie'' (1965–1970). Her other roles included Roslyn Pierce opposite Elvis Presley in ...
has the uncredited part of Daphne.
It is set in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. Shot in 2003, the film failed to find a distributor and was released
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...
in 2004.
Miramax Films
Miramax, LLC, formerly known as Miramax Films, is an American independent film and television production and distribution company owned by beIN Media Group and Paramount Global. Based in Los Angeles, California, it was founded on December 19, ...
was the domestic distributor, but failed to release it in theaters. When
Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein (, ; born March 19, 1952) is an American film producer and convicted sex offender. In 1979, Weinstein and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent ...
screened the film he told the producers, "You have a hit movie on your hands. We're going to blast this on MTV all over Super Bowl Weekend." The producers never heard about it again until 2004 when it was suddenly released direct-to-DVD.
The film began principal photography in July 2001.
Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actress. Kathy Bates filmography, Her work spans over five decades, and List of awards and nominations received by Kathy Bates, her accolades include an Academy Awards, Academy Award, t ...
was cast in the role of Grandma Millicent Mirabeau, but dropped out after make-up and hair tests due to the shut down of the original production shoot date.
Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty; April 24, 1934) is an American actress and author. With a career spanning over 70 years, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Shirley MacLaine, numerous accolades, including a ...
eventually stepped in to play the role.
Plot
Carolina Mirabeau was raised 'free-spirited' with her two sisters Georgia and Maine by eccentric, domineering, paternal grandma Millicent in the countryside. When she grows up, she moves into
LA, although regularly keeps in contact with them.
Carolina's city neighbor, talented and witty Jewish author Albert Morris, is her best friend and confidant. She is unlucky in love, never getting beyond a third date with anyone. On Thanksgiving they go to Millicent's, where a wide array of colorful characters abound and Albert is shown to be the wacky family's favorite guest.
The girls' father Ted point-blank asks Albert if he's sleeping with Carolina yet, but he insists that maintaining the friendship is the most important. Playing cards with her, Millicent and high-priced hooker Aunt Marilyn, they discuss Daphne St. Claire's romance novels thanks to Carolina, as the pseudonym is actually Albert's.
Carolina, who works for a TV studio where she's a dating show candidates-screener, gets fired for being distracted during a broadcast. Heath Pierson, one of the last show's contestants responsible for her losing her job, asks her out to dinner. Albert comes over to Carolina's with a consilatory chocolate cake, asking her to the movies, but she already has the dinner plans with the 'all too perfect' upper class, brilliant Britton. The date ends on a positive note.
The next day, Carolina helps Georgia haul her things to Millicent's. Not finding the right moment to break the news about her pregnancy, she does it amidst one of their grandmother's typical public outbursts.
Encouraged by Albert to throw caution to the wind, when Heath comes to pick her up to see a show, she throws herself at him. Albert comes by to wish her a happy birthday, which even she had forgotten about, but she ignores his knocking.
The next morning, Albert meets Heath as he's leaving. Later, he and Carolina are in the Hollywood Bowl and he questions her decision to go to bed with him on the second date. She tells him she's invited Heath to Christmas dinner, so Albert leaves perturbed.
When Carolina complains about it to Millicent, she points out she's dense. At the dinner, Albert doesn't bring Debbie who he is supposedly dating. Heath does come, and is both met with open hostility, and taken aback by how risqué and free everyone is. He leaves early, and Millicent points out he's uptight.
Albert thoughtfully hires two cleaners to pick up after the dinner. He surprises Carolina with a book under his real name, about his great love for her. Shocked, she rejects Albert and they cut off ties. Heath also disappears, so Carolina spends months alone.
One day, Maine finally knows she must submit the lottery numbers she's been slowly collecting over the years, but as a minor isn't able to get the ticket. Meanwhile, Carolina goes to a bookstore to pick up a book for Millicent. The author turns out to be Albert, who is doing a reading from it. She gets called away before hearing too much, as her grandmother has died in a car crash.
Once Carolina is able to recover Millicent's things from her impounded car, they learn she'd been playing Maine's numbers for awhile. Her accident most likely occurred while she was going to buy her winning ticket, but Maine doesn't mind as she says winning might have brought her bad luck.
Aunt Marilyn tells Carolina that Millicent had saved her from her mother's rich parents, who'd almost had her aborted. Carolina finally sees Albert, telling him about her passing, and that she saw his note about her. When she says he must have been who she'd been waiting for, he says no, abruptly leaving.
Three months later, at the Thanksgiving lunch in the countryside, the father of Georgia's baby has moved in and the whole motley crue is there. Just as Caroline is saying a few blessings, Albert shows declaring he plans on coming every year onward, and he and Carolina finally kiss.
Cast
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Carolina
2003 direct-to-video films
2003 films
2003 romantic comedy films
Films directed by Marleen Gorris
Films produced by Martin Bregman
American romantic comedy films
Films scored by Steve Bartek
2000s English-language films
2000s American films
English-language romantic comedy films