MOVIEmeter
SEE RANK
Down 975 this week

Laurel Canyon (2002)

R  |   |  Drama  |  28 March 2003 (USA)
6.5
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 6.5/10 from 12,801 users   Metascore: 61/100
Reviews: 146 user | 95 critic | 36 from Metacritic.com

When an uptight young man and his fiancee move into his libertine mother's house, the resulting clash of life attitudes shakes everyone up.

Director:

Writer:

Watch Trailer
0Check in
0Share...

Watch Now

From $2.99 on Amazon Video

ON DISC

The 25 Most Immersive Worlds in Cinema

Highly immersive cinematic worlds can carry a movie, and we've rounded up the best of the best.

See the full list

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 30 titles
created 21 Jan 2012
 
a list of 37 titles
created 28 Jan 2012
 
a list of 21 titles
created 16 Oct 2013
 
a list of 41 titles
created 9 months ago
 
a list of 30 titles
created 6 months ago
 

Related Items

Search for "Laurel Canyon" on Amazon.com

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: Laurel Canyon (2002)

Laurel Canyon (2002) on IMDb 6.5/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of Laurel Canyon.

User Polls

2 wins & 5 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

Photos

Learn more

People who liked this also liked... 

Metroland (1997)
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.4/10 X  

The sudden reappearance of his best friend Toni, after ten years absence, causes Chris to remember his past, to question some of his lifestyle decisions and to re-evaluate his life and marriage to Marion.

Director: Philip Saville
Stars: Christian Bale, Lee Ross, Emily Watson
Adventure | Drama | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.1/10 X  

Bobby Platt is a mentally slow young man who escapes an abusive, hateful stepfather who has killed his pets one by one. To save himself, Bobby runs away and meets a strange old man who ... See full summary »

Director: Jeremy Thomas
Stars: John Hurt, Christian Bale, Daniel Benzali
Royal Deceit (1994)
Adventure | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.8/10 X  

This re-telling of Hamlet goes back to the original Danish source material. The opening scenario remains the same: Hamlet's father murdered by his brother who then weds the widowed mother. ... See full summary »

Director: Gabriel Axel
Stars: Gabriel Byrne, Helen Mirren, Christian Bale
Shaft (2000)
Action | Crime | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.9/10 X  

New York City police detective John Shaft (nephew of the original 1970s detective) goes on a personal mission to make sure the son of a real estate tycoon is brought to justice after a racially-motivated murder.

Director: John Singleton
Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Vanessa Williams, Christian Bale
Drama | Music | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.9/10 X  

When a fisherman leaves to fight with the Greek army during WWII, his fiancee falls in love with the local Italian commander.

Director: John Madden
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Penélope Cruz, John Hurt
Harsh Times (2005)
Action | Crime | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X  

A tough-minded drama about two friends in South Central Los Angeles and the violence that comes between them.

Director: David Ayer
Stars: Christian Bale, Eva Longoria, Freddy Rodríguez
Drama | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.8/10 X  

London of the late 19th century is a haven for political exiles of all sorts - refugees, partisans, anarchists. Verloc has made his living spying for the Russian government, an agent ... See full summary »

Director: Christopher Hampton
Stars: Bob Hoskins, Patricia Arquette, Gérard Depardieu
Biography | Drama | Music
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X  

Ruminations on the life of Bob Dylan, where six characters embody a different aspect of the musician's life and work.

Director: Todd Haynes
Stars: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger
Mary, Mother of Jesus (TV Movie 1999)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.7/10 X  

A believable telling of the life of Mary, the chosen by God, mother of Christ. The story follows Mary before conception, at the revealing of the impending birth by the angel Gabrie, and ... See full summary »

Director: Kevin Connor
Stars: Christian Bale, Pernilla August, Melinda Kinnaman
Swing Kids (1993)
Drama | Music
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.7/10 X  

The story of a close-knit group of young kids in Nazi Germany who listen to banned swing music from the US. Soon dancing and fun leads to more difficult choices as the Nazis begin ... See full summary »

Director: Thomas Carter
Stars: Robert Sean Leonard, Christian Bale, Frank Whaley
Drama | Music
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X  

In 1984, British journalist Arthur Stuart investigates the career of 1970s glam superstar Brian Slade, who was heavily influenced in his early years by hard-living and rebellious American singer Curt Wild.

Director: Todd Haynes
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Christian Bale
Reign of Fire (2002)
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.2/10 X  

A brood of fire-breathing dragons emerges from the earth and begins setting fire to everything, establishing dominance over the planet.

Director: Rob Bowman
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Christian Bale, Izabella Scorupco
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
Sam
...
...
...
...
Fripp (as Louis Knox Barlow)
Russell Pollard ...
Rowan
Imaad Wasif ...
Dean
Mickey Petralia ...
Mickey
...
Claudia
Alexandra Carter ...
Darla
Michelle DeMirjian ...
China (as Michelle Demirjian)
...
Wyatt
Dennis Howard ...
Mr. Elliot
...
Mrs. Elliot
Edit

Storyline

Newly graduated psychiatrist Sam and his fiancee Alex move to Los Angeles for Sam's residency and into Sam's mother's house in upscale Laurel Canyon. Only problem is, Sam's mother is still there, supposedly finishing up a record that she's producing for the band of her new boy toy, Ian. She seems more interested in smoking pot and drinking than actually working though. Alex doesn't mind but Sam is quite upset. Alex starts off focused on her work (finishing a dissertation on genomics), but is soon distracted by the rock-'n-roll lifestyle going on around her. Meanwhile, Sam is equally distracted by beautiful Israeli intern Sara. Written by Jon Reeves <jreeves@imdb.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

On the road to the perfect life, Sam & Alex took a little detour.

Genres:

Drama

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality, language and drug use | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
Edit

Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

28 March 2003 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Atracção Acidental  »

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$149,099 (USA) (7 March 2003)

Gross:

$3,661,906 (USA) (25 July 2003)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

The second of two movies pairing Christian Bale and Kate Beckinsale. See more »

Goofs

On the plane, Sam and Alex ask for scotch and juice, respectively. The stewardess hands them a bottle (presumably of scotch), a glass of ice, and an empty glass. See more »

Quotes

Alex: What do you want me to do?
Ian McKnight: Finish it.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Special thanks to Christie Gaumer & Shakespeare and to Red Hot Chili Peppers. See more »

Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: The Dark Knight Rises (2012) See more »

Soundtracks

Tear Off Your Own Head (Doll Revolution Remix)
Written by Elvis Costello
Performed by Elvis Costello
Courtesy of The Island Def Jam Music Group
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

Absorbing character study with California ambience
2 March 2003 | by (Miami, Florida) – See all my reviews

I saw this film at the Miami International Film Festival and was thoroughly absorbed and entertained. I don't know if it will be as successful as the director's much-lauded "High Art" from several years ago; "Laurel Canyon" is not as serious, though it does explore some of the same themes. All of the performances are pitch-perfect. I suspect audiences will especially enjoy and identify with Kate Beckinsale's character: a studious and sheltered young doctoral student who takes to the hedonistic Los Angeles lifestyle in a big way. Frances McDormand and Christian Bale are also wonderful.

Music is almost another character in this film; it pervades the atmosphere. The music, by such artists as Mercury Rev and Clinic, complements and underscores the dynamics between the characters. It's been awhile since I've seen a movie with such an intoxicating sense of place as well: whether accurate or not, Los Angeles is portrayed as a sybaritic wonderland. The film revels in the sensuality and freedom of this rarefied realm, and it's intriguing to see the effect on the young couple.

When Frances McDormand's music producer character asks Alex her opinion on the record she's producing, Alex declines, saying she doesn't know much about popular music. McDormand responds, "Follow your instincts. It either pulls you in or it doesn't." This movie pulled me in.


15 of 17 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
Short Analysis PB_Floyd
This movie sucked! dvrader
ending??? sharrrri
the cover looks like a grand theft auto cover goleafsgo34
Sexiest Scene Ever? simonecarmona
ALESSANDRO NIVOLA get_murked
Discuss Laurel Canyon (2002) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page

Create a character page for:
?