De-Lovely

Directed by Irwin Winkler

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.