Collateral Beauty
A grieving man writes to Love, Time, and Death.
In the 2016 fantasy drama Collateral Beauty, directed by David Frankel from a script by Allan Loeb, a grieving New York advertising executive writes letters to Love, Time, and Death. The ensemble cast includes Will Smith, Edward Norton, Keira Knightley, Michael Peña, Naomie Harris, Jacob Latimore, Kate Winslet, and Helen Mirren. After receiving personal replies, he discovers how these forces connect, revealing meaning in loss.
Quick Facts
- Director
- David Frankel
- Writer
- Allan Loeb
- Producer
- Bard Dorros
- Michael Sugar
- Allan Loeb
- Anthony Bregman
- Kevin Frakes
- Starring
- Will Smith
- Edward Norton
- Keira Knightley
- Michael Peña
- Naomie Harris
- Jacob Latimore
- Kate Winslet
- Helen Mirren
- Cinematography
- Maryse Alberti
- Editing
- Andrew Marcus
- Music
- Theodore Shapiro
- Released
- 13 December 2016, Dubai, 16 December 2016, United States
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Howard Inlet, a successful New York advertising executive, once gave a speech urging his employees to remember Love, Time, and Death. Three years after his young daughter's death, Howard is clinically depressed, rarely sleeping or eating, and spends his time building domino chains at the office. His business partners Whit Yardsham, Claire Wilson, and Simon Scott fear for his health and their company's future, as his behavior has cost them clients and left them near bankruptcy. The trio hires private investigator Sally Price to prove Howard unfit, and she intercepts three letters he wrote to Love, Time, and Death. They then hire three struggling actors—Amy, Raffi, and Brigitte—to impersonate those concepts and confront Howard, while Sally records the encounters to later digitally erase the actors and make him appear unbalanced. The actors prepare by spending time with the partners, each of whom faces personal struggles: Simon has cancer, Whit struggles with his daughter after infidelity, and Claire seeks sperm donors. Howard attends a grief support group where Madeleine, who lost her own daughter to cancer, befriends him. She tells him about noticing 'collateral beauty'—acts of selfless kindness after tragedies.
Production
The project was announced on May 13, 2015, with Hugh Jackman and Rooney Mara attached to star, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and written by Allan Loeb. Loeb wrote the script on spec, having meditated for years on the idea of someone who suffered a terrible loss and wrote letters to the Universe. Michael Sugar and Bard Dorros were set to produce through Anonymous Content. On June 9, 2015, PalmStar Media's Kevin Frakes came on board to produce and fully finance the film, with Likely Story co-producing and Loeb also producing. On June 15, 2015, Jason Segel was reported in talks to join. On July 15, 2015, Jackman exited due to his commitment to Logan, and producers considered Johnny Depp. On August 4, 2015, Will Smith was cast as the lead, replacing Jackman, and Smith's Overbrook Entertainment also produced. On September 8, 2015, New Line Cinema took on worldwide distribution, and Mara left. On October 5, 2015, Gomez-Rejon exited over creative differences. On November 10, 2015, David Frankel neared a deal to direct. On December 1, 2015, Helen Mirren was in early talks. On January 14, 2016, Edward Norton, Michael Peña, and Naomie Harris were cast, with Rachel McAdams in negotiations. Village Roadshow Pictures co-financed. On February 9, 2016, Keira Knightley joined, and Kate Winslet was cast the next day. Enrique Murciano and Jacob Latimore also joined. On March 10, 2016, Ann Dowd signed on. Principal photography began February 22, 2016, in Queens and Manhattan, and on March 10, 2016, filming occurred at the Whitney Museum of American Art. The soundtrack includes five songs plus Theodore Shapiro's score, among them 'Way Down We Go' by Kaleo.
Release
Collateral Beauty was released by Warner Bros. Pictures on December 16, 2016. It grossed $31 million in the United States and Canada and $57.2 million elsewhere, for a worldwide total of $88.2 million against a $36 million budget. Opening alongside Rogue One and the wide expansion of Manchester by the Sea, it was initially expected to gross $11–13 million from 3,028 theaters. It made $2.4 million on its first day, lowering projections to $7.5 million, and ultimately grossed $7.1 million, finishing fourth and marking the lowest opening of Will Smith's career. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 14% approval rating from 184 reviews, with the consensus calling it 'well-meaning but fundamentally flawed.' On Metacritic, it scored 23 out of 100, indicating 'Generally Unfavorable' reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave it an average grade of A−. Critics such as Vince Mancini of Uproxx and Richard Roeper criticized the film's dialogue and contrived foundation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is Collateral Beauty?
Collateral Beauty has a running time of 97 minutes.
How much did Collateral Beauty earn at the box office?
Collateral Beauty grossed $88.5 million.
What was the budget of Collateral Beauty?
Collateral Beauty had a budget of $36–40.3 million.
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