Down to You (2000)

3% of critics liked it
(59 reviews)
50% of users liked it
(50,648 ratings)

This Big Apple-based romantic comedy charts the tumultuous relationship between liberal arts student and budding chef Al (Freddie Prinze Jr.) and his first girlfriend, Imogen (Julia Stiles), a self-possessed freshman who wants to become an artist. After meeting in a bar, the pair jump into a giddy,… More This Big Apple-based romantic comedy charts the tumultuous relationship between liberal arts student and budding chef Al (Freddie Prinze Jr.) and his first girlfriend, Imogen (Julia Stiles), a self-possessed freshman who wants to become an artist. After meeting in a bar, the pair jump into a giddy, passionate affair that's grown-up enough to include face time between the young lovers and Al's DJ mom and TV-chef dad (Henry Winkler). After a summer abroad, however, Imogen feels like the relationship is robbing her of her youth, and the couple must struggle with romantic and domestic growing pains. Meanwhile, their wacky friends -- who include porn stars (Selma Blair and Zak Orth), stoners (Rosario Dawson), a mullet-haired lunkhead (Shawn Hatosy), and a Jim Morrison look-alike named Jim Morrison (Ashton Kutcher) -- provide laughs, advice, and sexual temptation. The debut film from writer/director Kris Isacsson, the teen-themed Down to You marked a change of pace for normally grown-up Miramax Films. In addition to a slew of recent rock and pop, the film prominently features music from such downtown New York fixtures of the past decade as Deee-Lite ("Groove is in the Heart") and Cibo Matto ("Moonchild"). ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 37 min.
Directed By: Kris Isacsson
Written By: Kris Isacsson
Genres: Comedy, Romance

In Theaters: Jan 21, 2000 Wide
On DVD: Jul 11, 2000

Critic Reviews

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
It's like watching the dreckiest of teen puppy courtships trying to pass itself off as 'Annie Hall.
Brendan Kelly, Variety
It's all reasonably pleasant to watch, but Isacsson doesn't seem to know what to do with the story once Al and Imogen fall in love.
Lisa Alspector, Chicago Reader
[A] relentlessly adolescent romantic comedy.
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
Belongs to that other kind of American teen comedy... movies of crushes and wagers and sex jokes, with patchwork plots and a standby army of eccentric comic sidekicks.
Robert Horton, Film.com
Doesn't summon up quite enough quirky personality to maintain its momentum through the final act.
John Petrakis, Chicago Tribune
Writer/director Kris Isacsson, in his directorial debut, clearly has little confidence in the romantic 'A' story supporting his film.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Weak and often inappropriate romantic comedy.
Ted Murphy, Hollywood.com
Both Julia Stiles and Freddie Prinze Jr. deserve better.
, Time Out
Al (Prinze) and Imogen (Stiles) are 19-year-olds tackling New York college life. The course of their relationship is charted in numbing detail and interspersed with the antics of their quirky friends.
Scott A. Mantz, Scott Mantz' Movie Reviews
It's hard to determine exactly where I gave up on Down to You, but I'm pretty sure it was right after the opening credits.
Jamie Graham, Sight and Sound
[Director Kris Isacsson] tries to bring a little enterprise to the inevitable scenes of bickering and moody silence, but by now the vitalising tactics seem out of place.
Jonathan R. Perry, Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas)
Julia Stiles is fetching, but no surprises rain on the limpid parade of familiar post-adolescent love.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
a mostly bitter, sometimes downright grim fairy tale in which Cinderella becomes a stoner and Prince Charming winds up getting his stomach pumped.
Michael Tunison, Boxoffice Magazine
When the lovers finally do find a reason to fight, the film takes a turn into hand-wringing melodrama from which it never recovers.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
The script, which simply doesn't work at all, and reduces the characters to lumpen, uninteresting blobs, despite the handsome cast.
Garth Franklin, Dark Horizons
A disappointment.
Karina Montgomery, Cinerina
Aimless and weird- like looking at a beautiful two dimensional picture postcard - but from the edge.
Jorge Avila Andrade, Moviola
Cinta con severas deficiencias y falta de ingredientes, siendo el principal de ellos la falta de corazón
Dustin Putman, DustinPutman.com
Never rises above being merely skin-deep.
Susan Granger, rec.arts.movies.reviews
There's no real dramatic thrust.

Read all 21 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

bland, stiles continued employment baffles me.
Flutie A

Julia Stiles at her chick-flick best....It's good, not great.
Dean M

A quite okay romantic-comedy, but bit ridiculous.
Leigh R

So sweet.
Nate Z

[font=Arial][color=darkred]The latest sacrifice to Almighty Gods that are the teenage market with wide pockets arrives and proves not only is the teen comedy dead - it is having its grave danced upon. And with eight inch heels worn by the fiend known as 'Down To… More
[font=Arial][color=darkred]The latest sacrifice to Almighty Gods that are the teenage market with wide pockets arrives and proves not only is the teen comedy dead - it is having its grave danced upon. And with eight inch heels worn by the fiend known as 'Down To You'.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Want an old-fashioned love story? Boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy tries to get girl again, and boy gets girl. Pretty old and pretty much nothing more to 'Down to You', minus the addition of two porn stars and a nymphomaniac. The story is the same well-beaten path where they keep the leads as far away from each other and just let 'em loose at the end. Everyone hugs and we can all go home. Geez, I've seen more substance in a bag of Fat-Free potato chips.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]The movie is very uninteresting and rather pointless as it drolls on. Freddie Prinze Jr. can smile all he wants to but I'll still never believe he's a down on his luck college coed. At least he's out of high school in this one. Way to go Freddie, educate yourself for the good of the people! I wonder if his major circulates around the topic of dimples. Everything in this movie has a recycled feel to it, so much so that some environmentalist group should confiscate this entire movie. People, it's that bad. Imagine every cliché, expanded character stereotype, redundant joke, and you still have no idea how toothless this script is. What the writer/director/fascist believes is quirky and cute falls closer to annoying and irresponsible.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]The rest of the actors are faceless unknowns that you might as well search for on the back of a milk carton. Julia Stiles and Freddie Prinze Jr. have zero chemistry between them and are either bickering or blushing in embarrassment. Doesn't sound like a good relationship worth a dozen flashbacks to me. Stiles at least puts forth an effort but Prinze just runs through the motions of another teenybopper flick for his resume and comes off as nothing more than a mannequin with a goofy grin.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]I stand and make a plea - please for the love of God end this Hollywood fascination with high school romantic comedies! It might have been cute to start out with but this trend has taken us to the lows of human civilization. The only way the madness of teen romantic comedies will end is if the teens themselves stop supporting them. Wise up America. Take action![/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]If this comedy is supposed to be about the school of life I'd say it overslept its class.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate's Grade: D-[/color][/font]
Marion R

meh
Leo L

A favorite.
Kit X

bad bad bad film. this film should burn in hell - slowly. only gave it a star because you have to. Freddie Prinze Jr is a c*nt
Laurence C

Stale and unoriginal; can't believe I really watched this. Stay away from this one, even if the sight of Freddie Prinze Jr. should already leave you running for the door.

Read all 9 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Joanna Adler as Piercing Woman

            Freddie Prinze Jr. as Al Connelly

            Julia Stiles as Imogen

            Jennifer Albano as Emma

            Caroline Ambrose as Kissing Babe-Woman

            Selma Blair as Cyrus

            Shawn Hatosy as Eddie Hicks

            Zak Orth as Monk Jablonski

            Jason M. Bailey as Angry Audience Member

            Ashton Kutcher as Jim Morrison

            Chloe Beardman as Young Imogen 11 Years

            Rosario Dawson as Lana

            Henry Winkler as Chef Ray

            Lucie Arnaz as Judy Connelly

            Susan Blommaert as Psychologist

            Mark Blum as Interviewer

            Lauren German as Lovestruck Woman

            Julian Caiazzo as Young Al 5 Years

            Zay Harding as Lovestruck Man

            Amanda Barfield as Faith Keenan

            Adam Carolla as Host

            Chloe Hunter as Megan Brodski

            Jerry Carreccio as Young Al 12 Years

            Granger Green as Haley Heller

            Michael J. Conti as SWAT Team

            Jed Rhein as Gabe Stiano

            Chris Desmond as Man With Emma

            Joseff Stevenson as Ted McGurran

            Richard Galella as SWAT Team

            Elizabeth Levin as Carbs Girl

            Lola Glaudini as Parolee

            Robin Nance as Daddy's Girl

            Mary Wigmore as Pearly Whites

            Jimmy Kimmel as Host

            Mimi Langeland as Leather Woman

            David Logan as Suburban Husband

            Joanna Myers as Suburban  Wife

            Elizabeth Page as Stage Manager

            Frank Wood as Doctor
See full cast