Rating: PG
Genre:
Comedy
Release Date: 04/06/2004
SubTitles: Espanol
Dubbed: English/French
Sound: DDS
Run Time: 95 Minutes
Flags: Violence, Questionable for Children, Adult Language, Profanity
Distributor/Studio: Walt Disney Video
This is an offbeat
romantic comedy that's the directorial debut of TV producer
Joshua Brand, co-creator of
St. Elsewhere (1982-88) and
Northern Exposure (1990-95).
John Leguizamo stars as Sergio, a Toronto pastry shop worker who faints whenever he sees Hattie (
Sadie Frost), a neighborhood girl with whom he is smitten. Hattie, however, wants to see the world and avoids all commitments. Sergio's employer, the kindly Linzer (
Armin Mueller-Stahl), wants his shop burned down so that he can use the insurance money to give his wife (
Joan Plowright) the lifestyle she deserves, so he offers Sergio $20,000 to torch the store. Sergio refuses but then one night the bakery is burnt to the ground. The real culprit is Garet (
William Baldwin), a wealthy pyromaniac with a limp who's madly in love with Stephanie (
Erika Eleniak). The slightly unhinged Garet uses the fire as his public declaration of affection. Although innocent, Sergio also claims culpability so that he can use Linzer's payoff to whisk Hattie away. To protect Sergio, however, Linzer confesses to the crime, and to prevent her husband from being jailed, Mrs. Linzer also claims responsibility. With four people confessing, local constable Sgt. Zikowski (
Mike Starr) is at a loss.
~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide