| 10 | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster byJohn Alvin | |
| Directed by | Blake Edwards |
| Written by | Blake Edwards |
| Produced by | Blake Edwards Tony Adams |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Frank Stanley |
| Edited by | Ralph E. Winters |
| Music by | Henry Mancini |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 122 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5-6 million[1] |
| Box office | $107 million[2] |
10 is a 1979 Americanromantic comedy film written, produced and directed byBlake Edwards and starringDudley Moore,Julie Andrews,Robert Webber, andBo Derek. It was considered a trendsetting film at the time of its release and became one of the year's biggest box-office hits. The film follows middle-aged composer George Webber who becomes infatuated with Jenny Hanley, a newlywed young woman he has never met, and pursues her to Mexico.
Actress Samantha Taylor throws a surprise 42nd birthday party for her boyfriend, the wealthy and famous composer George Webber. During it, George finds that he is coping badly with his age. From his car, George glimpses a bride on her way to be married and is instantly obsessed with her beauty. Following her to the church, he crashes into a police cruiser, is stung by a bee and nearly disrupts the wedding ceremony.
Later that night, Sam and George argue over his treatment of women and his habit ofspying on the intimate acts of a neighbor with his consent. George later visits the minister who performed the wedding and learns that the woman is Jenny Miles, daughter of a prominentBeverly Hills dentist. The following day, while spying on his neighbor, George hits himself with the telescope and falls down an embankment, causing him to miss Sam's phone call. Still obsessed with Jenny, he schedules a dental appointment with her father and learns that Jenny and her husband David have gone to Mexico for theirhoneymoon. The effects of a large amount of treatment accompanied by a heavy dose ofnovocaine, aggravated by immediate heavy drinking, leave George completely incoherent. Sam finally reaches him on the phone, but mistakes him for an intruder and calls the police, who hold George at gunpoint while trying to understand his gibberish. George visits his neighbor's house to take part in an ongoing orgy, but Sam spots him through his telescope, widening the rift between them.
George impulsively boards a plane to follow the newlyweds to their exclusive resort in Mexico. In the bar, George encounters old acquaintance Mary Lewis, who lacks self-confidence. When they attempt a fling, Mary interprets George's inadequacy in bed as confirmation of her own insecurities.
At the beach, George sees Jenny in a swimsuit and is awestruck again by her beauty. Noticing that her husband has fallen asleep on a surfboard, George rents acatamaran and rescues David, making him a hero. Sam sees George on a TV newscast and tries to contact him unsuccessfully. David is hospitalized withsunburn, allowing Jenny and George to spend time alone together. Jenny smokes marijuana and seduces George while playingRavel's "Boléro," but he is horrified when Jenny takes a call from David and casually informs him of George's presence. George is even more confused with David's complete lack of concern. Jenny explains that she is in anopen marriage and married David only because of pressure from her conservative father. George leaves after realizing that Jenny sees their tryst as nothing more than a casual fling.
After flying home, George reconciles with Sam by performing an apologetic new song and demonstrating greater maturity. He suggests getting married, but they agree that they should first work on arguing less and having sex more. George takes an idea from Jenny when he starts "Boléro" on his phonograph and has sex with Sam in full view of the neighbor's telescope. However, the neighbor has already stopped watching out of frustration that he provides erotic entertainment for George and gets nothing in return.
10 originally had a budget of $5–6 million and was due to start filming on October 2, 1978, butGeorge Segal didn't show up and the production was cancelled.[3][4]Dudley Moore was a last-minute replacement and the script was rewritten.[5][4]Blake Edwards sued Segal and won $270,000.[6] Due to the stopping and restarting of production, the budget was expected to be higher than originally planned. Filming took place inLos Angeles and Mexico.[4]
Peter Sellers originally had a cameo as a night club drummer but the scene was cut.[citation needed]
10 was released byWarner Bros. on October 5, 1979, opening in 706 theaters.[7] It was released onDVD throughWarner Home Video on May 21, 1997, and aBlu-ray edition was released on February 1, 2011. The supplemental material consists of the original theatrical trailer and a four-minute promotional documentary, present on both media.
10 opened at number one in the United States, grossing $3,526,692 ($15.3 million in 2024) for its opening weekend. The film went on to make a total of $74,865,517 ($239 million in 2024) in the U.S. and Canada by the end of 1980, making it one of the top-grossing films released in 1979.[7] Worldwide, it grossed over $107 million.[2] It received mostly positive reviews from critics. OnRotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 65% based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 6.40/10. The site's consensus states: "Blake Edwards' bawdy comedy may not score a perfect 10, but Dudley Moore's self-deprecating performance makes this midlife crisis persistently funny."[8] OnMetacritic, the film has a score of 68% based on reviews from seven critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[9]
Vincent Canby ofThe New York Times described10 as "frequently hilarious", praising the performances by Moore andJulie Andrews and concluding that the film "is loaded with odd surprises".[10]Roger Ebert gave the film four stars in his review for theChicago Sun-Times, calling it "one of the best films Blake Edwards has ever made";[11] he also ranked it 10th on his annual top-ten list.[12]Gene Siskel of theChicago Tribune called the film "a very funny comedy that couldn't be more serious about the plight of its lead character". He also noted that the film "turns out to be a gentle essay on the problems of male menopause".[13]
The New York Times included the film on itsBest 1,000 Movies Ever list from 2003.[14]
| Award | Category | Recipients | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Original Score | Henry Mancini | Nominated |
| Best Original Song | "It's Easy to Say": Music by Henry Mancini; Lyrics byRobert Wells | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Nominated | |
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Dudley Moore | Nominated | |
| Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Julie Andrews | Nominated | |
| Best Original Score – Motion Picture | Henry Mancini | Nominated | |
| New Star of the Year – Actress | Bo Derek | Nominated | |
| Jupiter Awards | Best International Actress | Nominated | |
| National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Film | 4th Place | |
| Best Director | Blake Edwards | 4th Place | |
| Best Screenplay | 5th Place | ||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Comedy – Written Directly for the Screenplay | Nominated | |
Bo Derek's role shot her to instant stardom and status as a sex symbol. Her beaded and plaitedcornrow hairstyle in the film was widely copied.[15][16]
The film also brought renewed fame to the one-movement orchestral pieceBoléro byMaurice Ravel, whose music was still under copyright at the time. As a result of the film, sales ofBoléro generated an estimated $1 million in royalties and briefly made Ravel the best-selling classical composer 40 years after his death.[17] Derek appeared in a 1984 film namedBolero, titled to capitalize upon the piece's renewed popularity.
In 2003, it was announced that Blake Edwards would direct a remake to be titled10 Again forMDP Worldwide, but the project was abandoned.[18]
| International | |
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| National | |
