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Is this a "Remake" of "Paris-When It Sizzles?"

posted 21 years ago by nocturnerose
21 replies | jump to latest

When I read the story outline of this movie, (Alex & Emma) it sounded almost exactly like the Audrey Hepburn and William Holden film "Paris-When It Sizzles." The story is a little different (Holden's character is a screenwriter forced to write a script in two days for his boss; Wilson's character is just a novelist who needs to make a winning novel to pay off his gambling debts). But, both stories have almost uncanny similarities. First, both men (Holden & Wilson)are men who have bent the rules a bit, but are good people at heart. Holden's character was living it up in Paris before he realized he had to finish writing a script before he got in trouble; Wilson's character was living it up gambling before he realized he had to write a novel to pay off his bosses. Sound familiar? Secondly, and most sriking, are the women. Audrey is also a stenographer in "Paris-When It Sizzles" and she also acts out the story Holden is envisioning. She gives her input, and he takes it in, then they both agree the story needs more fine tuning after the actual story has been acted out by her. Kate Hudson's character in "Alex & Emma" does the same thing. She acts out his story in the same way, as his vision. And well, as both stories go, the two main characters fall in love in both the "story" and out of the "story." It's a little funny that the Hepburn/Holden flick never was very successful, and it seems with the Wilson/Hudson semi "remake," it doesn't look like much of a winning formula, even in the year 2000.

[–] 21 years ago

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[–] jack_the_brat 20 years ago

It is very similar to "Paris when it sizzles" but it is closer to a film called The Gambler, from 1997. That story is a period peice, but it has the exact same story line. An author has a gambling debt, and he has to finish his novel in 28 days top be able to pay it off. He hires a stenographer to write for him, named Anna. I haven't actually seen it myself, but I remember reading the blurb, and I'm pretty sure he sees her in the role, and they fall in love and blah blah blah.

Everyone makes mistakes, that's why they put erasers on pencils...

[–] irriana_moonweaver 20 years ago

'Alex and Emma' is also known as 'The Gambler'..... :D

[–] jukrat 18 years ago

Correct, and as the film "The Gambler", "Alex & Emma" is based on Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel "The Gambler". I've tried to update the info on this IMDb page, but it's not allowed because the credits are provided by WGA and therefore LOCKED for update...

[–] frenchkisseverafter 18 years ago

good luck with that. i tried updating several things unsuccessfully.

the answer to all movie questions = see it again.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] cinderfelladown 20 years ago

That's funny because all this time I've been wondering if I was the only person who'd made the connection. lol I was starting to think I was crazy. I think it's a complete rip off "Paris" and unfortunately so. I mean, the Hepburn/Holden flick was a flop even despite being a quite endearing film. It was quirky and fun but also a bit of a departure from what audiences were used to seeing from Hepburn (sadly, that's what seems to hurt a lot of good movies--the unwillingness of the general public to accept change). "Alex & Emma" on the other hand, just seemed bland and sleepy, with a few moments of obvious comedy. Even with the failure of "Paris," I feel that the Hepburn/Holden silliness worked in the film, while that of the Hudson/Wilson antics just fell flat.

[–] Masugahau 19 years ago

"Paris when it sizzles" was a much better film, although the jokes don't exactly transend the ages.

So God *is* a women... And a relative! -Lorelei

[–] frenchkisseverafter 19 years ago

this is the 2nd movie that kate hudson made that suck big time. the other one is le divorce. i do like her in other movies but both of these are pointless.

it's not hard to make a girl cry. the challenge is getting her to genuinely laugh out loud

[–] mote5 19 years ago

Jeremy Leven is simply a plagiarist. This movie marketing itself as anything but a remake seems criminal. Also, not saying Paris-When It Sizzles is terribly awful, but you could definitely pick a better script to copy.

Alex & Emma is one of the worst movies I have ever seen, and that is not a claim I make very often.

[–] SuperMando27 19 years ago

I totally agree! I'm a HUGE Audrey Hepburn fan and I have always thought that "Paris - When It Sizzles" was her WORST film! (Especially when you consider the fact that she starred opposite Bill Holden who was supposedly the first love of her life!) Which is why I totally agree that Leven could have chosen a much better script from which to lift a plot line! But that's just my two cents.

[–] StairwayDenied 19 years ago

I'm a huge fan of Paris When It Sizzles and I remember as soon as she came in at the beginning of the film I started making comparisons... But I thought Paris When It Sizzles was very good. Although to this day I cannot watch the part where they get drunk and write the vampire scene... that's particularly awful (although the idea is pretty funny). I thought Alex & Emma was pretty nice and harmless... there were a few parts that I laughed out loud at.
Paris When It Sizzles is definitely better though...

[–] patriciawiseman 19 years ago

I recently saw Paris when It Sizzles on TV and you are all right - Alex & Emma has uncanny similarities, but is not even as good as that so-so movie. I thought the best thing in it (other than Audrey Hepburn), was the cameo by Tony Curtis. One thing that I found interesting, being a Broadway Musical fan, is that there is a song played in Paris When It Sizzles called "That Face" which is surprisingly similar to one of the songs from The Producers, also called "That Face", written by Mel Brooks for his show in 2001. When I first heard the song in the film I thought that sounds very familiar, then I realized the film was from the 1960's, but the show The Producers is from 2001. Seems someone else borrowed from Paris When It Sizzles.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] bringhope13 17 years ago

ahhh hahaha awesome, i just posted this on the paris when it sizzles boards, wondering if anyone else had noticed. guess i went to the wrong movie to comment!

[–] imagine85 17 years ago

lol! i came here to ask this very question! i guess i was beat to it!

[–] shannonkm2k 17 years ago

Me too!

[–] tsavc 17 years ago

I believe the working title for this film was something like "Loosely based on a true love story". The writer of this, Jeremy Leven, has indeed stolen liberally from "Paris - when it sizzles", but he's also borrowed from the life of Dostoevsky. The Russian novelist had a similar situation to Alex's here, and hired a similarly opinionated stenographer whom he went on to marry, while writing a novel called "The gambler", which did, indeed, have certain similarities to their real-life story. Karoly Makk's film of "The gambler" takes about equal measure from Dostoevsky's life and from the novel (and, sadly, isn't all that good). What Leven has done is cross Dostoevsky with George Axelrod's screenplay for "Paris..." and, I'm afraid, made this rubbish.

Is this a &quot;Remake&quot; of &quot;Paris-When It Sizzles?&quot;

Is this a "Remake" of "Paris-When It Sizzles?"