No Strings Attached

Director: Ivan Reitman Ivan Reitman

Overview

Lifelong friends Adam (Ashton Kutcher) and Emma (Natalie Portman) attempt to avoid falling in love after falling into each other's beds in this comedy exploring the complexities and quirks of having friends with benefits. Adam was a typical, hormonal 14-year-old when he first came on to Emma at summer camp -- and got shot down in flames. In the years that followed, however, Adam and Emma continued to cross paths until, eventually, they both caved to their animal instincts. Despite an intense session of earth-shaking sex, however, Emma makes it clear to Adam that the last thing she wants is a committed relationship. And thanks to the fact that Adam's father (Kevin Kline), a fallen television star, has just begun dating his son's ex-girlfriend, the horrified bachelor has developed an aversion to monogamy as well. At first their casual stance on sex works great for both; Emma can focus on her career instead of allowing her emotions to dictate her decisions, and Adam can play the field without fear of hurting her feelings. Over time, though, a funny thing happens -- Adam begins to develop feelings for Emma that he never had for any of his countless conquests. Before they both know it, love has reared its ugly head and they've gotten too emotionally involved to cut the relationship off cold. But is commitment in the cards for the couple that always swore it would never get serious, or has the time come for them to finally part ways once and for all?

Product Details

Release Date:	01/24/2017
UPC:	0032429257574
Original Release:	2011
Source:	PARAMOUNT
Language:	English

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Natalie Portman	Emma
Ashton Kutcher	Adam
Kevin Kline	Alvin
Cary Elwes	Dr. Metzner
Greta Gerwig	Patrice
Lake Bell	Lucy
Olivia Thirlby	Katie
Chris "Ludacris" Bridges	Wallace,Actor
Jake Johnson	Eli
Matthew Moy	Chuck
Mindy Kaling	Shira
Talia Balsam	Sandra Kurtzman
Ophelia Lovibond	Vanessa
Guy Branum	Guy
Ben Lawson	Sam
Jennifer Irwin	Megan
Adhir Kalyan	Kevin
Brian Dierker	Bones,Bones
Abby Elliott	Joy
Vedette Lim	Lisa
Gary David Goldberg	Emma's Relative
Armen Weitzman	Taxi Driver
T. Shaun Russell	LACMA Guard,LACMA Guard
Nealla Gordon	Lydia (Female Doctor)
Seth Morris	Man With Dog
Nasim Pedrad	Writer
Elizabeth Meriwether	Writer
Mollee Gray	Sari
Derek Ferguson	Benji
Tyne Stecklein	Victoria
Kym Connor	Stage Mom
Renna Bartlett	Stage Assistant Director
Jennifer Hamilton	On Camera Choreographer
Krystal Ellsworth	Secret High Dancer
Megan Honore	Secret High Dancer
Moira "Anjolie" Marfori	Secret High Dancer
Casey KC Monnie	Secret High Dancer
Dalphe Morantus	Secret High Dancer
William T. Loftus	Secret High Dancer
Nicholas Lanzisera	Secret High Dancer
Jason Williams	Secret High Dancer
Heather Phillips	Secret High Dancer
Britt Stewart	Secret High Dancer
Katrina Katie Norman	Secret High Dancer
Kim Lofko Germar	Secret High Dancer
Paula Van Oppen	Secret High Dancer
Hugo Chakrabongse	Bar Group
John Gerald Barclay	Bar Group
Tom Tangen	Eli's Dad
Tim Matheson	Eli's Dad
Ben Lautman	Rabbi
Joshual Allen Andreacola	Boy at Wake
Milton Greenberg	Boy at Wake
Rachel McDermott	STK Waitress
Robert Trapp	Mini-Golfer
Rachel Markarian	Frat Party Dancer
Kherington Payne	Frat Party Dancer
Dylan Hayes	Young Adam
Stefanie Scott	Young Emma
Joanna Colbert	Actor
Joshua Allen Andreacola	Boy at Wake
Rachael Markarian	Frat Party Dancer
John Debney	Composer

Technical Credits

Elizabeth Meriwether

Michael Samonek

Elizabeth Meriweather

Ivan Reitman	Director,Producer
Elizabeth Meriwether	Screenwriter
Jeffrey Clifford	Producer
Joe Medjuck	Producer,Director
Gary Barber	Executive Producer,Producer
Roger Birnbaum	Executive Producer,Producer
Jonathan Glickman	Executive Producer,Producer
Natalie Portman	Executive Producer
Conrad Palmisano	Stunts
Paul Sanchez	Camera Operator
Jane Goldsmith	Script Supervisor
Edward Tise	Sound Mixer
Doug Jackson	Sound Effects
Chuck Michael	Sound Effects
Nancy MacLeod	Sound Effects
Tom Pollock	Producer,Executive Producer
John Wildermuth	Producer
Jimmy N. Roberts	Stunts
Michael Samonek	Screenwriter
Elizabeth Meriweather	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

A sexually liberated, sweet-and-sour romance buoyed by a cracking freshman screenplay and some sophisticated characterization that elevates it above the usual rom-com fare, No Strings Attached benefits tremendously from star Natalie Portman's strong centerpiece performance and a unique combination of talent behind the camera. And while few who buy a ticket will ever doubt how the story will end, the journey is the destination as Elizabeth Meriwether's vivaciously libertine story treats convention like a one-night stand while detailing the inherent flaws of friends-with-benefits relationships. Adam (Ashton Kutcher) was a typical hormonal 14-year-old when he first came on to Emma (Portman) at summer camp -- and got shot down in flames. In the years that followed, however, Adam and Emma continued to cross paths until, eventually, they both caved to their animal instincts. Despite an intense session of earth-shaking sex, however, Emma makes it clear to Adam that the last thing she wants is a committed relationship. And thanks to the fact that Adam's father (Kevin Kline), a fallen television star, has just begun dating his son's ex-girlfriend, the horrified bachelor has developed an aversion to monogamy as well. At first their casual stance on sex works great for both of them; Emma can focus on her career instead of allowing her emotions to dictate her decisions, and Adam can play the field without fear of hurting her feelings. Over time, though, a funny thing happens -- Adam begins to develop feelings for Emma that he never had for any of his countless conquests. Before they both know it, love has reared its ugly head and they've gotten too emotionally involved to cut the relationship off cold. But is commitment in the cards for the couple that always swore it would never get serious, or has the time come for them to finally part ways once and for all? Perhaps, given the dialogue-driven nature of No Strings Attached, the film's youthful take on contemporary romance, and the distinct lack of big-budget set pieces that frequently crop up in Ivan Reitman's movies, it may come as a slight surprise that the veteran director's first feature in five years plays a bit more like one of his son Jason's introspective dramedies than one from the man who brought us such special-effects-heavy spectacles as Ghostbusters, Evolution, and My Super Ex-Girlfriend -- but the result is arguably his most consistently satisfying film since the early '90s. Reitman obviously knows a good screenplay when he sees one, and Meriwether's observant, salaciously charming first effort certainly qualifies. She wastes no time in setting the frank sexual tone in an efficient, compulsively funny setup, and continues to impress with her natural instinct for comic timing as Adam and Emma's lusty arrangement gradually gives way to something of real substance. Somewhere between Reitman's assured direction, Meriwether's puckish writing style, and a great ensemble cast including Kevin Kline, Greta Gerwig, and Lake Bell, No Strings Attached strikes an ideal balance between convention and kink, continually blindsiding us with a series of witty verbal sucker punches and off-kilter character beats. All of this leads us to the film's single strongest asset: Natalie Portman. No Strings Attached hits theaters almost immediately following Portman's Golden Globe win for Best Actress in Black Swan, offering further proof that she has rightfully earned her status as one of the most talented, versatile actresses in Hollywood. While credit must be given to Meriwether for conceiving a character much more complex than your stereotypical rom-com paramour, it's Portman who instills Emma with a sense of depth and damage that doesn't weigh down the proceedings even after she's hit rock bottom. And despite the fact that we really only get a superficial glimpse into the factors that have rendered Emma unable to get involved in a committed relationship, Portman retains our sympathy by allowing the character's emotions to register honestly and genuinely as she begins to realize what she's letting slip through her fingers. Kutcher's effective blend of handsome looks and goofy charm makes Adam the type of good-hearted everyman any girl could fall for, even if the two romantic leads seem like the most unlikely of couples offscreen. The end result is an atypical "chick flick" that's sure to make the ladies swoon, and give their reluctant male companions some genuine laughs at the same time.