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Let's discuss "The Next Best Thing" (2000)

Starring DL fave Madonna as an upper-class LA yoga teacher who gets knocked up by her gay best friend (Rupert Everett), after which the two attempt to co-parent their child. This relic from the early 2000s was eviscerated by critics at the time and seems to be mostly forgotten. I remember my mom renting it from the video store when I was a kid, and it being one of the first depictions I'd ever seen of an adult gay man onscreen. Rupert is very hot in it. Madonna's acting is typically flat. It was the swan song of John Schlesinger, better known for much better films such as "The Day of the Locust", "Marathon Man", and "Midnight Cowboy".

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by Anonymousreply 31June 8, 2025 9:53 PM

It's forgotten because it was terrible

by Anonymousreply 1June 8, 2025 7:20 PM

R1 BUT it spawned Madge's masterpiece single, a cover of Don McLean's "American Pie"!

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by Anonymousreply 2June 8, 2025 7:21 PM

Let’s not, OP.

by Anonymousreply 3June 8, 2025 7:22 PM

R3 the film is a disaster and therefore, I believe it warrants DL discussion

by Anonymousreply 4June 8, 2025 7:23 PM

Rupert Everett has always insisted he did not become a huge star back then only because he was out of the closet, but I think it had more to do with the fact he mumbled all his lines.

by Anonymousreply 5June 8, 2025 7:28 PM

I’m one of the few who didn’t hate the movie and liked Madonna’s cover of American Pie.

by Anonymousreply 6June 8, 2025 7:36 PM

R5. What's wrong with mumbling lines?

by Anonymousreply 7June 8, 2025 7:39 PM

Didn't John Schlesinger's partner once say making this movie with Madonna and Everett is what killed him?

by Anonymousreply 8June 8, 2025 7:45 PM

let's discuss benjamin bratt’s nipples and chest ... scars....

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by Anonymousreply 9June 8, 2025 7:46 PM

Madge was none too happy and made it known when co Everett faghag at the time Julia Roberts (peak fame) turned up at the premiere with Benjamin Bratt and the crowd went wild completely upstaging Madonna. As she was being interviewed with the crowd screaming for Roberts behind them the reporter mentioned it to Madonna to which she replied "well she's the one person almost as famous as me." Later inside Everett brought Julia over to say hi to Madonna and said "Hi I'm Julia" and the nasty bitch replied with "I know who you are" and walked away. Meow bitch.

by Anonymousreply 10June 8, 2025 7:51 PM

Am I remembering rightly that the baby wasn't Rupert's but some random guy? It wasn't the case that he was the sperm donor. He just decided to be a dad to someone else's kid.

by Anonymousreply 11June 8, 2025 7:52 PM

Awful film. They tried to save it by having competent actors like Lynn Redgrave, Illeana Douglas, Fran Bennett, Michael Vartan, etc... play supporting roles but it didn't help.

I remember the kid doing a film where he played Fairuza Balk's son who would late night call some older jock and pretend to be a woman to engage in phone sex.

by Anonymousreply 12June 8, 2025 8:06 PM

It’s so funny how this OP googles movies, reads about them and then posts here.

I can assure you, knowing who is posting the thread and looking at his posting history, this person has not watched these movies.

by Anonymousreply 13June 8, 2025 8:09 PM

From "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" to this shite was a precipitous fall for the director in 30 years.

by Anonymousreply 14June 8, 2025 8:15 PM

Madonna is a movie killer. She should not be in movies.

by Anonymousreply 15June 8, 2025 8:17 PM

R8:

This was the last film directed by openly gay, Oscar-winning director John Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy). It was said that difficulties he had with Madonna during filming contributed to a stroke he suffered after the film wrapped, which he never fully recovered from (he died in 2003). However, in an interview in the Advocate Everett chivalrously took the blame, admitting that he pushed the 73-year old Schlesinger too hard in an effort to have the movie made the way Everett envisioned.

by Anonymousreply 16June 8, 2025 8:17 PM

Neil Patrick Harris gave the best performance in the whole rotten movie!

by Anonymousreply 17June 8, 2025 8:19 PM

NPH was terrible. Especially during that funeral scene.

by Anonymousreply 18June 8, 2025 8:20 PM

I bought the soundtrack on CD but I never liked the film itself.

by Anonymousreply 19June 8, 2025 8:25 PM

awful. A last push to make M a movie star. No dice.

by Anonymousreply 20June 8, 2025 8:27 PM

Never saw it, but I remember liking the song (even though it's kind of awful).

by Anonymousreply 21June 8, 2025 8:28 PM

[quote]From "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" to this shite was a precipitous fall for the director in 30 years.

He had an amazing run though. Not everyone can sustain greatness forever.

From the 80s onwards there was very little to recommend other than the British dramas Madame Sousastka, A Question of Attribution and Cold Comfort Farm.

Pacific Heights was some good Hitchcockian schlock and I never saw the Sally Fields kills her daughter's rapist movie.

by Anonymousreply 22June 8, 2025 8:29 PM

[quote]I never saw the Sally Fields kills her daughter's rapist movie.

You really should. The film is absolutely hilarious!

Seriously, it rivals Showgirls with the laugh factor.

Sally is at her most histrionic!

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by Anonymousreply 23June 8, 2025 8:39 PM

Every man she encounters is the man who killed her daughter.

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by Anonymousreply 24June 8, 2025 8:42 PM

I think this 1 is on tubi if you have interest. I don't. I could never sit through the film due to the poor performance of the leading lady. Rupert was good. There was a push to make him a movie star too, Again, no dice. but not due to lack of talent. He reminded me of an educated Cary Grant, no chemistry with his female leads.

by Anonymousreply 25June 8, 2025 8:58 PM

The only leading lady Rupert has ever really had chemistry with is Colin Firth

by Anonymousreply 26June 8, 2025 9:01 PM

R20. Ahem..... Did we forget about Peepee?

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by Anonymousreply 27June 8, 2025 9:03 PM

Poor Dorothy, she’s been saying Hail Marys since 1987.

by Anonymousreply 28June 8, 2025 9:21 PM

They should've hired me, but they set out to make an Elvis film by casting Madonna.

by Anonymousreply 29June 8, 2025 9:43 PM

Nail in coffin, r27. Finito for real.

by Anonymousreply 30June 8, 2025 9:47 PM

[quote] Everett brought Julia over to say hi to Madonna and said "Hi I'm Julia" and the nasty bitch replied with "I know who you are" and walked away. Meow bitch.

Julia would never be a bitch, EVER

by Anonymousreply 31June 8, 2025 9:53 PM
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