Hanging Up
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| Hanging Up | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Diane Keaton |
| Screenplay by | |
| Based on | Hanging Up by Delia Ephron |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Howard Atherton |
| Edited by | Julie Monroe |
| Music by | David Hirschfelder |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing[1][2] |
Release date |
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Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $40 million[3] |
| Box office | $51.9 million[3] |
Hanging Up is a 2000 American comedy drama film about a trio of sisters bonding over their curmudgeon father, with whom none are close. It is directed by Diane Keaton, who also stars alongside Meg Ryan, Lisa Kudrow, and Walter Matthau (in his final film role). The screenplay by Delia and Nora Ephron is based on Delia's 1995 novel. It was released in the United States on February 18, 2000, and received negative reviews from critics. Hanging Up was Keaton's final directorial effort before her death on October 11, 2025.[4][5]
Plot
[edit]Self-obsessed Georgia Mozell is the editor of her wildly successful self-titled women's magazine. Her sister Maddy is a vacuous soap opera actress who has always struggled to find her own identity. Their youngest sister, Eve Marks, struggles to balance her family life with her career while also caring for their father. All three sisters are still wounded by their parents' divorce after many years of acrimony, a split that resulted in their mother Pat essentially abandoning them all.
Despite being as busy with her own life as the others, Eve is the only one of the three who deals with the long-term hospitalization of their cantankerous 79-year-old father Lou Mozell when he enters the early stages of dementia and has to be hospitalized. Lou has a history of alcoholism and womanizing, and, despite a hurtful incident years earlier, Eve takes charge of her father's care. In addition to answering his frequent, often incoherent phone calls, she visits him in the hospital nearly every day. Maddy occasionally visits as well, but also saddles Eve with the care of her large dog Buck. Eve is so distracted that she has a car accident with Dr. Omar Kunundar.
Flashbacks show Eve, Maddy and Georgia visiting Lou one Christmas after he attempted suicide after Pat left him. Eve confronts her mother, who admits that she had children only because she believed that having children was what was normal, but eventually discovered that it was not what she actually wanted out of life. She goes back to her father, and they go shopping together for a Christmas tree. Lou's joyful nature helps Eve to forget the pain of her mother's rejection.
In another flashback, Lou drunkenly crashes the birthday party of Eve's young son Jesse, and when Eve tells him to leave, he angrily tells her that she was a mistake. Eve's husband, outraged, forces Lou to leave and declares that he is no longer welcome in their house.
Overwhelmed with caring for her father, her sisters and an especially demanding client, Eve disconnects all the phones in her house on the advice of Omar's mother Ogmed after they talk to discuss what to do about the car crash. At an event that Eve planned at which Georgia is the keynote speaker, Georgia uses Lou's illness to promote her magazine and claims that she has been more involved in his care than she actually is. Afterward, Maddy, Eve and Georgia argue viciously until they are halted by the news that Lou's health has worsened.
The three sisters rush to the hospital and reconcile at their father's bedside. As they wait for Lou to emerge from a coma, they try to remember the name of an actress from the 1950s whose name Eve has been struggling to recall for weeks. Lou, who suddenly comes out of his coma, says, "June Allyson", and dies.
At the subsequent Thanksgiving, Eve, Maddy and Georgia are together in Eve's kitchen. Eve teaches Georgia how to make her stuffing recipe, which Georgia had previously stolen and given to a newspaper as hers. Georgia and Maddy begin to playfully throw flour at each other, and Eve takes a moment to enjoy being together with her sisters before joining the fun.
Cast
[edit]- Meg Ryan as Eve Mozell Marks
- Paige Wolfe as 6-year-old Eve
- Diane Keaton as Georgia Mozell
- Katie Stratton as 12-year-old Georgia
- Lisa Kudrow as Maddy Mozell
- Talia-Lynn Prairie as 4-year-old Maddy
- Walter Matthau as Lou Mozell
- Charles Matthau as young Lou
- Adam Arkin as Joe Marks
- Cloris Leachman as Pat Mozell
- Kristina Dorn as young Pat
- Jesse James as Jesse Marks
- Edie McClurg as Esther
- Duke Moosekian as Dr. Omar Kunundar
- Ann Bortolotti as Ogmed Kunundar
- Maree Cheatham as Angie
- Myndy Crist as Dr. Kelly
- Tracee Ellis Ross as Kim
- Stephanie Ittleson as Victoria
- Celia Weston as Madge Turner
Reception
[edit]Box office
[edit]Hanging Up grossed $36.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $15.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total to $51.9 million.[3]
In the United States and Canada, the film grossed $15.7 million from 2,618 theaters over the opening four-day Presidents' Day weekend, finishing second behind The Whole Nine Yards.[6] It dropped out of the top 10 in its third week of release, and lasted eight weeks in its domestic release.[7]
Critical response
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 13% based on 86 reviews, with an average rating of 3.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Though the screenplay and the novel it's based on were both written by the same person, critics say Hanging Up is an unsuccessful adaptation. The acting is praised as solid, but is ultimately unable to save the film."[8] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 33 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[9] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C" on a scale of A+ to F.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Hanging Up (2000)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ North American distribution only, currently owned by VMI Releasing
- ^ a b c "Hanging Up (2000)". The Numbers. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
- ^ Duane Byrge, Mike Barnes, Lexi Carson (October 11, 2025). "Diane Keaton, Oscar-Winning Star of 'Annie Hall,' Dies at 79". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Anita Gates (October 11, 2025). "Diane Keaton, a Star of 'Annie Hall' and 'First Wives Club,' Dies at 79". The New York Times. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
- ^ "Domestic 2000 Weekend 7". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
- ^ "Hanging Up – Domestic Weekend". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
- ^ "Hanging Up". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
- ^ "Hanging Up". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
External links
[edit]- Hanging Up (2000) - AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Hanging Up - tcmdb
- Hanging Up at Rotten Tomatoes
- Hanging Up at Box Office Mojo
- Hanging Up at IMDb
- Hanging Up (2000) - Bomb Report
Hanging Up
View on GrokipediaBackground
Source material
Hanging Up is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Delia Ephron, published in 1995 by G.P. Putnam's Sons.[5] Drawing from the Ephron sisters' personal experiences with family dynamics, alcoholism, and loss—particularly their parents' struggles and their father's decline—the book explores the complexities of familial bonds through a lens of emotional authenticity.[6] The narrative centers on three sisters—Georgia, Eve, and Maddy—as they navigate the challenges of caring for their aging father, Mad, whose decline is marked by alcoholism and dementia. Phone conversations serve as a recurring motif, symbolizing the emotional and physical distance between family members while highlighting their attempts to connect amid crisis.[7] The story delves into themes of sibling responsibility, resentment, and reconciliation, with Eve, the middle sister and narrator, grappling with her role as the reluctant caregiver.[8] Delia Ephron, a screenwriter and author born in 1944, infuses the novel with her signature wit and insight, shaped by her upbringing in a Hollywood family of writers, including her sister Nora Ephron. Her writing style blends humor with poignant observations on loss, reflecting real-life events such as her father's death and the family's history of alcoholism. Upon release, the book received positive critical reception, with The New York Times Book Review praising its compassion and emotional depth, Newsweek calling it a "terrific debut," and reviewers noting its "tremendously satisfying" portrayal of family vulnerabilities.[3][6] While the 2000 film adaptation, co-written by Delia and Nora Ephron, incorporates comedic elements to lighten the tone, the novel offers a deeper, more introspective exploration of sibling rivalry and individual backstories, such as Georgia's career as a magazine editor and Eve's life as an ordinary mother and event planner.[9] This grounded approach emphasizes raw emotional tensions without the film's broader humorous interludes.[7]Development
The screenplay for Hanging Up was co-written by sisters Nora and Delia Ephron in 1997 and 1998, adapting Delia's 1995 novel of the same name by expanding its dialogue-heavy style for the screen while incorporating visual humor to enhance the portrayal of familial tensions.[10] Diane Keaton was selected as director in 1998, marking her second feature film after Unstrung Heroes (1995); she was drawn to the project due to its exploration of family themes, envisioning a balance between comedy and drama that reflected her own experiences with sibling and parental relationships.[11][12] Sony Pictures secured a $40 million budget for the film in late 1998, with early script revisions focused on intensifying the sisterly conflicts to underscore the ensemble dynamic among the female leads.[13][11] Development of the adaptation began following the novel's success in 1996 and was greenlit in 1999 after the Ephron sisters' pitch highlighted the potential for an ensemble of female leads to drive the story of reconciliation and loss.[14][11]Production
Casting
Diane Keaton directed Hanging Up and took on the role of Georgia Mozell, the eldest sister, after initially auditioning for a part but being passed over; she later accepted the dual responsibilities at the producers' invitation, viewing it as a collaborative experience despite her apprehensions about directing established actors.[15] Keaton expressed terror over working with her co-stars, admitting in an August 1999 interview that she worried they might challenge her authority on set.[16] The screenplay writers, sisters Delia and Nora Ephron, supported Keaton's involvement, appreciating her outsider's perspective on the family dynamics drawn from Delia's novel.[15] Meg Ryan was cast as Eve Marks, the harried middle sister and central protagonist, with principal photography beginning in February 1999.[17] Lisa Kudrow portrayed Maddy Mozell, the quirky youngest sister and aspiring actress, selected to join Ryan and Keaton in depicting the siblings' strained relationships.[18] Casting director Lisa Beach handled the selections for the ensemble.[18] Walter Matthau was cast as the curmudgeonly father Lou Mozell in what became his final film role; at age 79, the part was tailored to his strengths, allowing room for improvisation that Keaton praised for adding authenticity and revealing his romantic side.[15] Matthau completed his scenes by May 1999, shortly before a two-month hospitalization for pneumonia, and he died of a heart attack on July 1, 2000.[17][19][20] Supporting roles included Ann Magnuson as Pat Mozell, Cloris Leachman as Esther, and Adam Arkin as Joe, filling out the family and peripheral characters to support the core narrative of sisterly bonds amid their father's illness.[21]Filming
Principal photography for Hanging Up took place from February 8 to May 9, 1999, primarily in Los Angeles and surrounding areas in California, spanning approximately three months but interrupted by production halts.[22] Matthau was in very poor health throughout filming, suffering from multiple cardiovascular issues. Key filming locations included the Spanish-style bungalow in Pasadena used as Eve Mozell's home, the historic Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills for additional exterior shots, and the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for hospital scenes.[23][22] Phone booth sequences were shot on streets such as Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills, capturing the urban Los Angeles backdrop essential to the film's telephone-centric narrative.[22] The film's visual style was crafted by cinematographer Howard Atherton, whose work emphasized the intimate, domestic settings through varied lighting schemes that ranged from soft interiors to brighter exteriors.[12] Editor Julie Monroe managed the pacing of the sisters' rapid-fire dialogues and phone conversations, ensuring the comedic and emotional beats flowed seamlessly across the 94-minute runtime.[18] Director Diane Keaton, who also starred in the film, encouraged improvisation in family interaction scenes to achieve more authentic performances.[24]Synopsis and cast
Plot
The film opens with the three Mozell sisters navigating their disparate lives in New York City, connected primarily through frequent, often contentious phone calls. The eldest, Georgia (Diane Keaton), is a high-powered editor of her self-titled magazine, focused on her career success and emotional distance from family matters. The middle sister, Eve (Meg Ryan), is a harried event planner and devoted mother, bearing the brunt of familial responsibilities as the primary caregiver for their aging father, Lou (Walter Matthau), a once-successful but now alcoholic and demented former screenwriter living in Los Angeles. The youngest, Maddy (Lisa Kudrow), is a scatterbrained aspiring actress struggling with insecurity and odd jobs, including bit parts on a soap opera. Lou's advancing dementia and alcoholism manifest in erratic, demanding phone calls to Eve, filled with disjointed stories and pleas for attention, underscoring the sisters' long-standing emotional neglect of him and each other.[2][25] Eve's life becomes increasingly overwhelmed as she juggles her demanding job, her husband Joe, and her teenage son, while fielding Lou's bizarre calls that reveal his declining mental state, including confused tales of encounters that heighten her anxiety. Tensions rise during iconic phone conversations among the sisters, where Georgia dismisses Eve's burdens with curt advice and Maddy offers scattershot empathy, highlighting their self-absorption and the family's fractured dynamics. A key conflict emerges when Eve discovers a stray dog has chewed through her phone cord upon returning home exhausted, prompting her to unplug all devices in frustration; simultaneously, her professional life strains as she organizes a high-profile event at the Richard M. Nixon Memorial Library, where Georgia is the keynote speaker for a magazine-related gala. Lou's behavior escalates with humorous yet poignant interludes, such as his drunken disruption of a childhood birthday party in a flashback and his obsessive calls about trivial obsessions, forcing Eve to confront a "madman" figure in the form of an erratic stranger tied to one of Lou's misadventures, adding to her sense of isolation. Eve finds fleeting solace in phone chats with an Iranian doctor, Dr. Omar, after he accidentally collides with her son's car, evolving into an unlikely emotional outlet amid her mounting crises.[25][2][8] As Lou's health deteriorates rapidly, he is hospitalized in Los Angeles due to his worsening dementia and disorientation, slipping into a coma that demands the sisters' involvement. Eve flies to his side, managing his care amid his final lucid moments filled with rambling memories and regrets, while urging Georgia and Maddy to join her. The sisters reluctantly reunite at the hospital, their interactions laced with bickering over past grievances—Georgia's domineering control, Maddy's flightiness, and Eve's resentment at being the perpetual caretaker—but phone calls continue to bridge gaps, revealing shared vulnerabilities. During Georgia's keynote speech at Eve's event, she emotionally references Lou's impending death, borrowing Eve's unprocessed grief and sparking a heated confrontation that exposes their sibling rivalries. Lou's condition worsens, leading to a tense deathbed vigil where the sisters confront their father's history, including flashbacks to his failed marriage to their mother and his ill-fated union with a pill-addicted nurse from a mental institution.[25][8][2] In the climax, Lou dies in the hospital, prompting a raw reconciliation among the sisters as they process his loss through tearful phone calls and in-person gatherings, reconciling old wounds via shared anecdotes of his eccentricities and their childhood. The film resolves with the family finding closure during a chaotic Thanksgiving dinner, where a flour food fight symbolizes their renewed bond and release of pent-up emotions, transforming their telephone-dependent relationships into a more direct, healing connection.[25][2]Cast
The principal cast of Hanging Up features Diane Keaton as Georgia Mozell, the eldest sister and ambitious publisher of a successful women's magazine; Meg Ryan as Eve Marks, the responsible middle sister and party planner who acts as the family caretaker; Lisa Kudrow as Maddy Mozell, the free-spirited youngest sister and struggling artist; and Walter Matthau as Lou Mozell, the sisters' estranged and ailing father suffering from dementia.[1][4][18] Supporting roles include Adam Arkin as Joe Marks, Eve's supportive husband; Cloris Leachman as Pat Mozell, the sisters' emotionally distant mother; Edie McClurg as Esther, Lou's dedicated nurse; Tracee Ellis Ross as Kim, Eve's efficient assistant at work; and Maree Cheatham as Angie, a family acquaintance.[21][26][27]| Actor | Character | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Diane Keaton | Georgia Mozell | Ambitious eldest sister and media mogul running a magazine. |
| Meg Ryan | Eve Marks | Responsible middle sister juggling family duties and her career as a party planner. |
| Lisa Kudrow | Maddy Mozell | Free-spirited youngest sister pursuing her artistic passions. |
| Walter Matthau | Lou Mozell | Estranged father facing serious health issues including dementia. |
| Adam Arkin | Joe Marks | Eve's understanding husband and father to their son. |
| Cloris Leachman | Pat Mozell | The sisters' mother who abandoned the family years earlier. |
| Edie McClurg | Esther | Compassionate nurse caring for Lou in his final days. |
| Tracee Ellis Ross | Kim | Eve's sharp-witted colleague and assistant. |
| Maree Cheatham | Angie | Supportive friend connected to the family through past ties. |