About Adam (2000)

68% of critics liked it
(57 reviews)
44% of users liked it
(9,007 ratings)

Gerard Stembridge directs this charming comedy about a handsome stranger who wreaks havoc on an entire family. Pub torch singer Lucy Owen (Kate Hudson) falls for Adam (Stuart Townsend) as soon as she lays eyes on him. Tired of a string of failed short-termed relationships, she succumbs to Adam's… More Gerard Stembridge directs this charming comedy about a handsome stranger who wreaks havoc on an entire family. Pub torch singer Lucy Owen (Kate Hudson) falls for Adam (Stuart Townsend) as soon as she lays eyes on him. Tired of a string of failed short-termed relationships, she succumbs to Adam's radiate charisma and agrees to marry him after only knowing him for a scant couple of days. Yet when she brings him home to her family, she finds to her dismay that his magnetism works equally well on her two older sisters. The middle one, Laura (Frances O'Connor), is a shy bookish sort whose love for poetry proves to be her weakness, while eldest sister Alice (Charlotte Bradley) is aloof at first, but eventually she also yields to his wiles. This film was screened at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Gerard Stembridge
Written By: Gerard Stembridge
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 28, 2000 Wide
On DVD: Oct 23, 2001
Studio: Miramax Films

Critic Reviews

Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Townsend ... makes quite an impression in the title role.
Jay Carr, Boston Globe
Stembridge keeps things bustling along at a lively enough pace to deflect any introspective focus on the matchups that are never presented as relationships, only flings.
Jane Sumner, Dallas Morning News
A glowing Hudson radiates high spirits, and Mr. Townsend ... makes his chameleon character seem credible.
Desmond Ryan, Philadelphia Inquirer
For his part Townsend does Adam with a lightness of touch that fits in with the film's cheery view of his unscrupulousness.
Paul Tatara, CNN.com
If anybody still thinks Kate Hudson is getting too much mileage out of being Goldie Hawn's daughter, they'll be pleasantly surprised by the range she shows in About Adam.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
A sly romantic comedy made with wit and style.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Charming, explicit love story for mature teens.
Harry Guerin, RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)
It's smart, it knows its audience can join dots and it actually makes you think about - and not just laugh at - the messes that people get themselves in over four letters.
Hazel-Dawn Dumpert, L.A. Weekly
While the film strives to prove its cool, it's also built on [an] insufferably antique idea.
Brent Simon, Entertainment Today
An airy, accented romantic comedy romp of infidelity and animal attraction [that hinges on] your personal threshold for average, of-the-moment romantic comedies.
Alex Ramirez, Cinenganos
Tres hermanas y una madre (y un hermano, y la novia...) no pueden estar equivocadas todas al mismo tiempo... o s?
Michael Szymanski, Zap2it.com
The movie is upbeat, unpredictable and is a smart romantic comedy in a season of half-hearted attempts.
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com
For the disc itself, there isn't much to commend--but luckily there isn't really anything to condemn, either.

Read all 13 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Steven C

Every once and a while they let Kate Hudson be in a good movie ("Almost Famous," "Dr. T & the Women," "The Skeleton Key," "Nine," "The Killer Inside Me") and "About Adam" is certainly one of them. Unfortunately, Hudson is… More
Every once and a while they let Kate Hudson be in a good movie ("Almost Famous," "Dr. T & the Women," "The Skeleton Key," "Nine," "The Killer Inside Me") and "About Adam" is certainly one of them. Unfortunately, Hudson is the very weak link in this terrific cast. Her abominable Irish accent (and subsequent singing in said accent) nearly topple the film in the first 3 minutes, but stick around, because there is plenty of fun to be bad. Stuart Townsend is sexy and sly as a man who charms his way into the private lives of three sisters and their brother. The film may be unscrupulous and naughty, but that's all apart of the whimsy. "About Adam" is a devilish Irish comedy full of deceptive surprises and wit to spare. If you are looking for a first rate romantic comedy with bite and energy, "About Adam" is your ticket.
Remi L

This movie was HILARIOUS! Stuart, you ROCK!!
Leo L

A favorite.