De-Lovely is a 2004 musical film that chronicles the life of songwriter Cole Porter. The film is staged as the rehearsal for a musical telling the famous composer's life and takes place on a musical stage as well as in several locations of his life; it focuses especially on Porter's love life and his bisexuality yet controversially suggests that the real love of his life was his wife.
It is told loosely as a three-act review with Porter watching. In act one, Porter and Linda meet in Paris, fall in love and marry with her knowledge of his being gay; on to Venice and New York, where parties, music, and their love lead him to decide to compose professionally. Act two is New York and Hollywood, where success awaits, as do an increasing number of young men who take Porter's attention from Linda and leave her lonely and apart. Act three begins with a crippling accident that brings Linda back to Porter's side, their attentiveness to each other renewed in his pain and her illness.
Director
Irwin Winkler
Writer
Jay Cocks
Cast
Kevin Kline … Cole Porter
Ashley Judd … Linda Porter
Jonathan Pryce … Gabe
Kevin McNally … Gerald Murphy
Sandra Nelson … Sara Murphy
Allan Corduner … Monty Woolley
Peter Polycarpou … Louis B. Mayer
Keith Allen … Irving Berlin
James Wilby … Edward Thomas
Kevin McKidd … Bobby Reed
Richard Dillane … Bill Wrather
Edward Baker-Duly … Boris Kochno
Angie Hill … Ellin Berlin
Harry Ditson … Dr. Moorhead
Tayler Hamilton …. Honoria Murphy
Trivia
- Kevin Kline played the piano himself in the scenes where his character plays.
- The old Cole Porter make-up took 5 hours to complete.
- A lot of singing in the movie, especially that done by Kline was recorded on set.
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