Barnes & Noble

If chivalry isn't dead, it's certainly in need of resuscitation -- which is exactly what it gets in this cheerfully preposterous romantic comedy starring preternaturally perky Meg Ryan and rising star Hugh Jackman. She plays Kate, a brusque, cynical market-research professional dedicated to making unpalatable products appealing to consumers. He plays Leopold, the third Duke of Albany, a 19th-century English lord who designed the Brooklyn Bridge and invented the elevator. Their paths cross when Kate's eccentric inventor friend (Liev Schreiber) discovers an opening in the matrix of time, goes back to 1876, and returns to 21st-century New York City with a befuddled Leopold -- his great-great-grandfather -- in tow. Director James Mangold (Girl, Interrupted) milks the predictable fish-out-of-water gags for all they're worth, but Leopold's dislocation isn't the movie's focal point; his budding romance with Kate, who's initially nonplused by his courtly manner, gradually assumes narrative prominence. Mangold clearly laments the diminution of courtesy in our fast-paced, increasingly urbanized society, but that's not a message he pushes too forcefully. This is, after all, a comedy, and one that is perceptive, witty, and often dreamy. Kate & Leopold benefits enormously from the pitch-perfect performances of the two very personable stars, and is sure to find an ever-increasing audience on DVD. The disc affords two different versions of the film: the one released theatrically and Mangold's original cut. Supplemental features include a feature-length commentary by the director, a behind-the-scenes documentary, deleted scenes, a featurette on the period costumes used, a photo gallery, and a music video with Sting performing the movie's Oscar nominated theme, "Until." - Ed Hulse Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Filmmaker James Mangold follows his Oscar-winning drama Girl, Interrupted (1999) with this whimsical fantasy. Meg Ryan stars as Kate McKay, a modern female executive in New York City whose drive to succeed in the cutthroat corporate world has left little time for romance. When her genius ex-boyfriend Stuart (Liev Schreiber) opens a portal in time, the experiment transports Leopold (Hugh Jackman) from 1867 to the present day. A charming bachelor and the royal "Third Duke of Albany" in his own time, Leopold is fascinated by the 21st century. As the courtly Leopold and the decidedly liberated Kate tour the town, a mutual attraction develops into something deeper, a relationship that's threatened by Leopold's temporary chronological status. Kate & Leopold (2001) was originally developed by co-screenwriter Steve Rogers as a project for star/producer Sandra Bullock, who had a hit with his film Hope Floats (1998). Karl Williams

New York Times

Essentially a Nora Ephron fairy tale with a sci-fi twist and a lot more plot than you might find in one of Ms. Ephron's cotton- candy daydreams. Stephen Holden

Chicago Sun-Times

One of the reasons the movie works is because we like the goodness of the characters. Roger Ebert

Boston Globe

It's a charmer. Jay Carr

Product Details

• UPC: 786936178258
• Source: MIRAMAX
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français
• Subtitles: English, Español
• Time: 1:58:00
• Sales Rank: 2,853

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Kate & Leopold / Serendipity

Features:

DVD MENU