Please Give

Please Give
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Nicole Holofcener
Written by	Nicole Holofcener
Produced by	Anthony Bregman
Starring	Catherine Keener Amanda Peet Oliver Platt Rebecca Hall Ann Guilbert Sarah Steele
Cinematography	Yaron Orbach
Edited by	Robert Frazen
Music by	Marcelo Zarvos
Production company	Likely Story
Distributed by	Sony Pictures Classics
Release dates	January 22, 2010(2010-01-22)(Sundance) April 30, 2010(2010-04-30)(United States)
Running time	87 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$3 million
Box office	$4.5 million

Please Giveis a 2010 Americancomedy-dramafilm written and directed byNicole Holofcener.It starsCatherine Keener,Amanda Peet,Oliver Platt,Rebecca Hall,Ann Guilbert,andSarah Steele.It revolves around married antique-dealers butting heads with the granddaughters of the elderly woman who lives in the apartment the couple owns.

The film had its world premiere at theSundance Film Festivalon January 22, 2010, and was theatrically released in the United States on April 30, 2010, bySony Pictures Classics.It grossed over $4.5 million worldwide against a $3 million budget. It received positive reviews from critics, who mostly praised Holofcener's screenplay and the performances of the cast, and was named one of the top 10 independent films of 2010 by theNational Board of Review.At the26th Independent Spirit Awards,the film was given theRobert Altman Awardand Holofcener was nominated forBest Screenplay.

Plot summary

Kate and Alex are a couple living in a New York City apartment with their teenage daughter, Abby. Kate and Alex own a furniture store specializing in usedmodern furniture,which they buy atestate sales.They have bought the apartment adjacent to theirs, but its occupant, the elderly and cranky Andra, will stay in it until she dies. Andra has two granddaughters, the dutiful and generous Rebecca, amammography technologist,and the cynical, sharp-tongued Mary, acosmetologist.

Kate is troubled by the profits she makes from furniture sellers who do not know the value of what they are selling; the contrast between homeless people in her neighborhood and her own comfortable life; and the fact that her family will only be able to expand their apartment when Andra dies. She tries to assuage her guilt through volunteer jobs (which leave her weeping) and donations to homeless individuals (which sometimes backfire).

Cast

• Catherine Keeneras Kate
• Amanda Peetas Mary
• Oliver Plattas Alex
• Rebecca Hallas Rebecca
• Ann Guilbertas Andra
• Sarah Steeleas Abby
• Thomas Ian Nicholasas Eugene
• Lois Smithas Mrs. Portman
• Josh Paisas Adam
• Amy Wrightas Erin
• Elizabeth Keener as Cathy
• Elise Ivy as Marissa
• Scott Cohenas Dr. Lerner
• John Srednicki as Tommy
• Timothy Doyle as Kevin
• Rebecca Budigas Big Back
• Romy Rosemontas Carrie-Ann
• Kathleen Doyle as Anita
• Kevin Corriganas Don
• Elizabeth Berridgeas Elyse
• Portia as Mrs. Melnick
• Paul Sparksas Blind Date
• Arthur Frenchas Man Waiting for a Table

Release

Please Givewas screened out of competition at the60th Berlin International Film Festival,and had a limited U.S. release on April 30, 2010. It opened with $118,123 in five theaters, averaging $23,625 per cinema.

Filming

Please Givewas filmed almost entirely inNew York City.The bulk of the film was shot inChelsea,including the spa scenes at Skintology, a day and medical spa.

Reception

Box office

Please Givegrossed $4,033,574 in the United States and Canada, and $533,088 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $4,566,662.

Critical response

On thereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes,86% of 142 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Nicole Holofcener's newest might seem slight in places, but its rendering of complex characters in a conflicted economic landscape is varied, natural, and touching all the same."Metacritic,which uses aweighted average,assigned the film a score of 78 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Manohla DargisofThe New York Timesopined, "Few American filmmakers create female characters as realistically funny, attractively imperfect and flat-out annoying as does Ms. Holofcener."

Kenneth Turanof theLos Angeles Timesstated, "Please Giveconcerns itself with the free-floating, amorphous guilt that's often characteristic of the modern urban condition. Obviously, it is a fine thing to help, to give, butPlease Givewonders whether a good thing can be overdone, whether too much liberal guilt can leave you feeling too bad for too many people to do any real good. "

Lisa SchwarzbaumofEntertainment Weeklygave the film an "A−" and wrote, "With their shared characteristics of sex, age, motherhood, and brunet hair, Keener has become Holofcener's artistic alter ego. InPlease Give,the sharp-eyed filmmaker sends her vibrant representative out into the world to explore what it means for a woman to be lucky and still feel itchy. "

Justin ChangofVarietycommented, "Like Holofcener's previous pictures,Please Givederives its narrative energy less from a series of plotted incidents than from its keenly observed interplay of clashing personality tics and worldviews. "

David EdelsteinofNew York Magazinedescribed the film as "an engagingly high-strung comedy about lack of empathy and the gnawing guilt that can attend it" and remarked, "Holofcener's plotting can seem casual, but her dialogue is smart, an oscillating mixture of abrasiveness and balm, of harsh satire and compassionate pullback."

Peter TraversofRolling Stonegave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars and noted, "The pitch-perfect performances help Holofcener stir up feelings that cut to the heart of what defines an ethical life. There's no movie around right now with a subject more pertinent. It'll hit you hard."

Peter BradshawofThe Guardiangave the film 3 out of 5 stars and stated, "Please Giveis an interesting and refreshing turn for the better. As an ensemble comedy, it has more bounce, more life and more comic oxygen. "

External links

• Official website
• Please GiveatIMDb
• Please GiveatAllMovie