IMDb RATING
5.6/10
1.7K
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A successful playwright falls in love with his new actress Hilary (Thandie Newton) and, in an attempt to leave his wife Elena (Anna Galiena) without incident, recruits a handsome Hollywood a... Read allA successful playwright falls in love with his new actress Hilary (Thandie Newton) and, in an attempt to leave his wife Elena (Anna Galiena) without incident, recruits a handsome Hollywood actor (Jon Bon Jovi) to seduce her.A successful playwright falls in love with his new actress Hilary (Thandie Newton) and, in an attempt to leave his wife Elena (Anna Galiena) without incident, recruits a handsome Hollywood actor (Jon Bon Jovi) to seduce her.
Thandiwe Newton
- Hilary Rule
- (as Thandie Newton)
Danny Worters
- Danny Webb
- (as Daniel Worters)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
This erotic thriller is quite engaging. The charming lead is a real bad boy, but I can't bring myself to hate him. I feel sorry for the victims of his manipulation.
This was a below-average soap opera about British actors and general low-life people. The worst of them all was the lone American, played by singer Jon Bon Jovi, who did a decent job of acting, playing the part of American movie star "Robin Grange."
Lambert Mason playing British playwright "Felix Webb" is the other main guy. He's an adulterer and one who gets caught up with his mistress demanding things. It's the usual story of the younger mistress demanding the older man can his wife and settle down with her. Yawn! How many times have we seen that?
It winds up being a soap opera about so-and-so fooling around with people they shouldn't, observers seeing all of this and putting their two cents in, and .......well, I might as well not spoil it for anyone who likes this sort of thing.
The main problem with the movie, in my opinion and in a nutshell, was that it was boring and it had too many characters one simply doesn't care about. Add those two negatives up and a you get a "not recommended" film.
Lambert Mason playing British playwright "Felix Webb" is the other main guy. He's an adulterer and one who gets caught up with his mistress demanding things. It's the usual story of the younger mistress demanding the older man can his wife and settle down with her. Yawn! How many times have we seen that?
It winds up being a soap opera about so-and-so fooling around with people they shouldn't, observers seeing all of this and putting their two cents in, and .......well, I might as well not spoil it for anyone who likes this sort of thing.
The main problem with the movie, in my opinion and in a nutshell, was that it was boring and it had too many characters one simply doesn't care about. Add those two negatives up and a you get a "not recommended" film.
This was a very decent movie on a very indecent topic, right up until the end. Unfortunately, the final plot twists leave you scratching your head and asking yourself, "What's wrong with this picture?" (pardon the pun). Still worth watching, but be warned, it will leave you twisted.
6=G=
"The Leading Man" peers into the lives of thespians including a playwright who is having an affair with an actress much to the chagrin of his wife. Enter the leading man, Bon Jovi, who offers to seduce the playwright's wife to distract her from her constant ruminations about her husbands affair. What happens after that is probably not what you would expect which is what makes this movie a pleasant surprise. Well cast, acted, written, directed, and shot, "The Leading Man" is an enjoyable little sleeper for mature tv audiences.
This movie was kinda weird. It had Jon Bon Jovi in it...so of course...I HAD to see it. The actors were good, the story line was good, but it just didn't CLICK to me...lol. Jon Bon Jovi's acting was horrible in it...sorry. :( I love him, but *shakes head* I thought at this point of his acting career he should've stuck with singing. I don't know what it was tho. The movie dragged out badly in some parts and I kept checking my watch thru out the whole thing. Sure...there were some 'good' parts in it...*evil grin*, but I didn't really enjoy it.
Did you know
- TriviaIn a 2020 interview with Vulture, Thandiwe Newton expressed her regret having appeared in this film, which was directed by John Duigan, who had groomed and abused her during the making of Flirting (1991) and had bullied her into participating. During a scene where Newton was topless, Duigan told her that the camera was framed above her breasts, and Newton was mortified to later discover that was not the case.
- GoofsThe exterior of the theatre in which the play is performed is obviously The Playhouse, Charing Cross, London but the interior is the Theatre Royal, Stratford, London.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Movie Show: Episode dated 1 June 1997 (1997)
- SoundtracksBurning Down the House
Performed by Talking Heads
Composed by David Byrne (as Byrne), Chris Frantz (as Frantz), Tina Weymouth (as Weymouth) AND Jerry Harrison (as Harrison)
- How long is The Leading Man?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $18,012
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $2,483
- Mar 8, 1998
- Gross worldwide
- $18,012
- Runtime1 hour 40 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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