Kate and Leopold #TimeTravel #Movie

Kate and Leopold is a time travel, romantic comedy which tells the story of a Duke from 1876 who travels to modern New York City and falls in love with Kate, a contemporary career woman in advertising.

Release date: Dec 25, 2001

It stars the ever adorable Meg Ryan, who even after her unnecessary collagen lip injections, is still cute in the film. Her new lips were photo-shopped out of the promo shots, but can be seen in the picture below.

It also stars X-men/Wolverine star, Hugh Jackman in his handsome, elegant, Victorian, charm as Leopold Alexis Elijah Walker Gareth Thomas Mountbatten, Duke of Albany.

Natasha Lyonne as Darci, Kate's work assistant. . Shown simply because I like the "Orange is the New Black" actress.

Cast:

Meg Ryan as Kate McKay
Hugh Jackman as Leopold
Liev Schreiber as Stuart Besser
Breckin Meyer as Charlie McKay
Natasha Lyonne as Darci
Stephanie Sanditz as psychiatric nurse Gretchen

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But my favorite star of the film is Bart, the Anatolian Shepherd Dog.

Leopold:
Are you suggesting madam that there exists a law compelling a gentleman to lay hold of canine bowel movements?

Police Officer:
I'm suggesting that you pick the poop up.

This is a light, fun film, rather than a serious time travel movie. I enjoyed the effects, such as the sepia lighting used when in 1876, but the film is full of historical inaccuracies. For instance Leopold talks about seeing the premier of Pirates of Penzance, but the play didn’t premiere until three years later in 1879. Also in the opening segment, Leopold is watching a speech by John A. Roebling, the engineer who built the Brooklyn Bridge. But in real life, Roebling died in 1869 and never saw the opening of his “Grand Erection”. (A joke used in the movie)

Sepia tones.

There are other notable quotes in the film and my favorite is from Stuart (Liev Schreiber) telling his psychiatric nurse, Gretchen (Stephanie Sanditz) about his time travel discovery:

STUART: "It is no more crazy than a dog finding a rainbow. Dogs are colorblind, Gretchen. They don't see color. Just like we don't see time. We can feel it, we can feel it passing, but we can't see it. It's just like a blur. It's like we're riding in a supersonic train and the world is just blowing by, but imagine if we could stop that train, eh, Gretchen? Imagine if we could stop that train, get out, look around, and see time for what it really is? A universe, a world, a thing as unimaginable as color to a dog, and as real, as tangible as that chair you're sitting in. Now if we could see it like that, really look at it, then maybe we could see the flaws as well as the form. And that's it; it's that simple. That's all I discovered. I'm just a... a guy who saw a crack in a chair that no one else could see. I'm that dog who saw a rainbow, only none of the other dogs believed me."

GRETCHEN: “I believe you.”

Liev Schreiber as Stuart Besser

The time travel portal that Stuart discovered was located just under the Brooklyn Bridge. To travel between times, you had to jump off the bridge and through the time opening. It was stated that you needed the speed of gravity to make it through. My only thought was, the scenes never showed them landing in the water or even being wet afterwards. If a person could commit suicide by jumping from the bridge, how is it they are able to land safely at the same speed, but in another time?

The fun of this movie certainly was not found in the details, but I suppose none of that was really the point. It was the fact that Leopold found himself in a strange New York City (by his standards) and ends up falling for Kate.

Breckin Meyer as Charlie McKay

Breckin Meyer as Charlie McKay, Kate’s brother is another likable actor from the film. He believes the Duke is method acting and is staying in character 24/7. Leopold teaches him how to meet women with charm and respect.

Hugh Jackman was nominated in 2001 for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. The film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Song for the song "Until...", written and performed by Sting. The same song was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song.

Another Quote Scene:

Leopold:
I tell you, that thing is a damn hazard!

Kate:
It's just a toaster!

Leopold:
Why is it called a toaster when it produces no toast, but simply warm bread, and inserting it two times produces charcoal? The ideal toaster would have one and a half insertions to produce the correct toast.

Kate:
You know something? Nobody gives a rat's ass that you have to push the toast down twice, and you know why? Because everybody pushes their toast down twice!

Leopold:
Not where I come from!

Kate:
Oh, right. Where you come from, toast is a result of reflection and study!

I won’t give any spoilers. I will just say that the film comes to a satisfying conclusion.

Kate:
I don't want it to be Sunday. I want more of this... more 1876.


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