Spread (film)

Spread is a 2009 sex comedy film starring Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche and directed by David Mackenzie. The film was released under the name L.A. Gigolo in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, as Toy Boy in France, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands, Oh yeah in Argentina, as American Playboy in Spain and Portugal, Jogando com Prazer in Brazil, Love, Sex and Celebrity in Japan, and S-Lover in South Korea. The film was released at the Sundance Film Festival on January 17, 2009, and was released in North American theaters on August 14, 2009.[2]

Spread
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDavid Mackenzie
Produced byJason Goldberg
Ashton Kutcher
Peter Morgan
Written byJason Hall
Story byPaul Kolsby
StarringAshton Kutcher
Anne Heche
Margarita Levieva
Sebastian Stan
Narrated byAshton Kutcher
Music byJohn Swihart
CinematographySteven Poster
Edited byNicholas Erasmus
Distributed byAnchor Bay Films
Release date
  • August 14, 2009 (2009-08-14)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4,789,700
Box office$12,032,983 [1]

Plot

Narcissistic gigolo Nikki (Ashton Kutcher) lives in Los Angeles, drifting from one relationship to another without a steady job or even a place to live. He preys on women who can provide for him. After meeting Samantha (Anne Heche) at a club he moves in with her, using his looks and sexual prowess to keep her happy.

Before long, however, Nikki starts cheating on Samantha, first with his friend Emily (Rachel Blanchard), then with Christina (Sonia Rockwell), whom he met at another party. Emily disapproves of Nikki's free-wheeling lifestyle and has expressed a desire for a relationship, but Nikki has no real interest in her except for her wealth. Samantha catches Nikki with Christina, but they come to an uneasy arrangement where she will ignore his infidelity.

While Samantha is out of town, Nikki meets a waitress named Heather (Margarita Levieva). He enlists his friend Harry (Sebastian Stan) to help him get Heather interested, but she does not fall for his charms. Although he eventually gets a date with her, she abandons him midway through the date.

Soon after, Heather unexpectedly shows up in Samantha's pool and they end up having sex. The next morning Nikki is moving Heather's car and realizes it does not belong to her but to her "boyfriend", after she told him she was single. Nikki throws her out in anger. However, he cannot stop thinking about her, and his obsession frustrates Samantha to the point that she gets fed up and throws him out, quickly taking him back. Nikki, however, leaves on his own accord, still enchanted by Heather.

Nikki searches for a place to stay, but has a falling out with Harry and cannot get into the parties he once did. He runs into Heather at a swanky hotel, and she admits that she was only interested in him as she believed he was rich. It transpires that she is the same as Nikki, scamming rich men for money in the same way he does with women. She lets him move in with her and her stoner roommate Eva (Ashley Johnson) and they begin dating, though Heather continues to scam and hustle, with some reluctant assistance from Nikki.

One day, an upset Heather reveals to Nikki that she just broke up with her fiancé because she is in love with Nikki. She further tells him her fiancé's family owns the New York Rangers and that he is who has been paying her bills and living expenses. Nikki, who has also fallen in love with her, is nonetheless angry that she kept her engagement from him, and leaves in a huff. When he returns he only finds a note that says she has left for New York City. At Eva's urging and with Harry paying for the airfare, Nikki follows her.

He finds her at a plush penthouse and begs her to come back to LA with him. She refuses, telling him she cannot afford to let him chase his fantasies while she gets the funds they would need to live. He then proposes to her, but she tells him that she is already married, breaking his heart. Heather says that she cannot get a divorce because she needs a marriage with stability and financial security. Her husband (Hart Bochner) returns home and Heather passes Nikki off as a grocery boy, dismissing him.

Nikki returns to LA, finally seeing that life is worth the struggle, getting an honest job delivering groceries and living with Harry. He delivers groceries to Samantha's house, where they are picked up by the kept man who has replaced Nikki. The ending credits show Nikki feeding a mouse to Harry's African Bullfrog.

Cast

Production

The film was directed by David Mackenzie, and was produced by Jason Goldberg, Ashton Kutcher, Peter Morgan, and Karyn Spencer (assistant producer).[3][4]

Reception

Critical reception

Spread received generally negative reviews from critics. At Rotten Tomatoes, based on 59 reviews, the movie rated an aggregate score of 21% positive reviews, noting that, "Despite occasional detours into surprisingly dark territory, Spread overall is an ineffectual celebration of vacuous Los Angeles high life rather than a deconstruction of it."[5]

Box office

The film was released on August 14, 2009. At the box office, the film grossed $12,032,983, of which $250,618 was from North America.[1]

References
  1. "Spread". Box Office Mojo. February 15, 2014. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  2. Spread – Release Dates
  3. Hernandez, Eugene (January 24, 2009). "Updated: Ashton Kutcher's "Spread" Sale Stirs Sundance". IndieWire. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  4. "Spread: Interview with Ashton Kutcher". Emanuel Levy. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  5. "Spread – Movie Reviews, Trailers, Pictures – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.
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