Jump Tomorrow (Life: A User's Manual) (2001)

81% of critics liked it
(54 reviews)
86% of users liked it
(788 ratings)

A lovelorn matchmaker tries to set up two people about to be married -- but not to each other -- in this independent romantic comedy. George (Tunde Adebimpe) is a Nigerian expatriate living in upstate New York, where he has pledged to marry a woman in a marriage arranged for him in childhood, though… More A lovelorn matchmaker tries to set up two people about to be married -- but not to each other -- in this independent romantic comedy. George (Tunde Adebimpe) is a Nigerian expatriate living in upstate New York, where he has pledged to marry a woman in a marriage arranged for him in childhood, though he's not especially enthusiastic about the idea. George goes to Buffalo to pick up his fiancée as she arrives in America, only to discover she's already moved on to Niagara Falls, where the wedding will be held in three days. On his way back home, an annoyed and downcast George meets Gerard (Hippolyte Girardot), a man from France who is wallowing in sorrow after being dumped by his girlfriend, and Alicia (Natalia Verbeke), a light-hearted Latin-American woman who is due to marry her fiancé Nathan (James Wilby) in less than a week. Alicia finds George amusing but thinks he needs to loosen up a bit, so she invites him to a party; George brings Gerard along, feeling he needs some cheering up, and Gerard notices an obvious attraction between Alicia and George. Gerard fancies himself an authority on matters of the heart, and is certain George and Alicia would rather be with each other than with the people they're engaged to marry, so joining George, Alicia, and Nathan for a trip to visit Alicia's parents en route to Niagara Falls, he hatches a plan to break Alicia and Nathan apart -- and bring Alicia and George together. Jump Tomorrow was shown in competition at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Joel Hopkins
Written By: Joel Hopkins
Genres: Drama, Romance, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 19, 2001 Wide
On DVD: Sep 16, 2003
Studio: IFC Films

Critic Reviews

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
Sweet-natured and goofy and funny in all the right places.
Jane Sumner, Dallas Morning News
If Jump Tomorrow is any barometer, [Hopkins] should have a bright future.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
A delightfully deadpan comedy about the liberating power of love.
Susan Stark, Detroit News
It cheerfully if often recklessly leaps across barriers of race, culture, custom and habit to assure viewers that love, after all, conquers all.
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
Doesn't so much charm as insinuate; like its female protagonist, it's under your skin before you know it.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Very sweet.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A formulaic road film (about finding oneself) with some possibility of being unpredictable until its predictable sweet ending.
Joshua Tanzer, Offoffoff
Fresh points of view and lovable characters make Jump Tomorrow more than just a formula romance.
Anthony Miele, Film Threat
George is one of the great characters in recent memory and, along with the comedy of Gerard and the free-spiritedness of Alicia, the film works on almost all levels.
Jean Lowerison, San Diego Metropolitan
These are just stock characters without an original thought in their heads.
Keith H. Brown, Eye for Film
This unpretentious, entertaining little comedy of culture clashes marks a solid feature debut for British writer/director Joel Hopkins.
Neil Smith, BBC
Though the lackadaisical style becomes tiresome after a while, the film is ultimately held together by star-in- the-making Adebimpe.

Read all 12 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Daniel P

What a sweet movie! It moves slowly, and in one sense it's predictable, but it's so simplistic that the smallest jokes earn the biggest laughs. A joy to watch, on one hand it feels like unorthodox film-making, and on the other it seems like the only difference between a… More
What a sweet movie! It moves slowly, and in one sense it's predictable, but it's so simplistic that the smallest jokes earn the biggest laughs. A joy to watch, on one hand it feels like unorthodox film-making, and on the other it seems like the only difference between a major studio release and its relative obscurity was the financial backing... I could easily see Eugene Levy and Bill Murray doing this movie 10-20 years ago, but it might just be for the best that it is what it is. Great early work from Joel Hopkins (Last Chance Harvey), who I hope has hit his stride and will be rewarded with more work in the future. Seriously, watch this film, you'll love it without being able to explain it, it's great!