:Trust the Man

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Trust the Man

| image = Trust The Man.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Bart Freundlich

| producer = Sidney Kimmel
Tim Perell

| writer = Bart Freundlich

| starring = David Duchovny
Billy Crudup
Julianne Moore
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Eva Mendes
James LeGros

| music = Clint Mansell

| cinematography = Tim Orr

| editing = John Gilroy

| studio = Sidney Kimmel Entertainment

| distributor = Fox Searchlight Pictures (Select territories)
Capitol Films (International)

| released = {{Film date|2005|09|12|TIFF|2006|08|18|United States}}

| runtime = 103 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross = $7.4 million

}}

Trust the Man is a 2005 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Bart Freundlich. The film is set in New York and centers around two couples as they deal with relationship issues such as intimacy and commitment.

Plot

The film centers around four best friends: Married couple Tom and Rebecca and longtime relationship partners Tobey and Elaine. The film follows the two couples as they face trials and temptations in their relationships.

Tom, after feeling a lack of intimacy with his wife, meets a divorced mother at his sons school. Rebecca, a film actress making her stage debut, meets a younger actor named Jasper, who shows infatuation for her. Tobey, who does not show interest in settling down for marriage or kids, runs into an old fling from college named Faith. Elaine, after confronting Tobey about wanting to get married and have a family, meets several suitors throughout the film.

The story follows Tom and Tobey as they attempt to mend their relationships with their partners.

Cast

{{div col}}

{{div col end}}

Release

Trust the Man premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival{{cite web|url=http://collection.tiff.net/mwebcgi/mweb?request=record;id=279553;type=102|title=FRL-81497|work=collection.tiff.net|accessdate=26 June 2020}} and was picked up by Fox Searchlight Pictures for distribution in North America, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, the Benelux, China, Colombia, France, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Switzerland and Taiwan.{{cite web |last1=B. |first1=Brian |title=Fox Searchlight Picks Up Trust the Man |url=https://movieweb.com/fox-searchlight-picks-up-trust-the-man/ |website=MovieWeb |access-date=19 October 2022}}

The film opened in the United States on August 18, 2006.{{cite web|url=http://movies.nytimes.com/2006/08/18/movies/18trus.html|work=The New York Times|title='Trust the Man': Two Couples Talk, Talk, Talk|accessdate=2012-03-14|date=2006-08-18|author=Manohla Dargis}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cinematical.com/2006/08/17/review-trust-the-man|publisher=Cinematical|title=Review: Trust the Man|author=Kim Voynar|accessdate=2012-03-14|date=2006-08-17}}

Reception

{{As of|2025|06}}, Trust the Man holds a 30% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 101 reviews with an average rating of 4.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "What aspires to be a sophisticated, unconventional romantic comedy turns out to be a contrivance-filled pretender to other, better films of its genre."{{cite web | title=Trust the Man - Movie Reviews | publisher=Rotten Tomatoes | date=12 May 2013 | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/trust_the_man/ | accessdate=2 June 2025}} Another review aggregator, Metacritic, gives the film a 43/100 approval rating based on 30 critics' reviews.{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/trust-the-man | work=Metacritic | date=12 May 2013 | accessdate=12 May 2013| title=Trust the Man }}

Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film, saying "Both geographically and thematically speaking, writer-director Freundlich finds himself on vintage Woody Allen turf here -- as in the "Manhattan"/"Husbands and Wives" Woody Allen -- while still managing to lend the production a unique voice of its own. And Allen would've killed for Freundlich's terrific cast."{{cite web |title=Trust the Man - Review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/reviews/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001137703 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051029191320/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/reviews/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001137703 |archive-date=2005-10-29 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=2 October 2022}} Liz Beardsworth of Empire gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Freundlich’s retread gleans new colour thanks to his sparkling dialogue, the urbane New York setting and great work from his superior cast, all of whom flesh out their roles so that empathy with their respective plights comes easily."{{cite web |title=Trust The Man Review |url=https://www.empireonline.com/reviews/ReviewComplete.asp?FID=133628 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308010630/https://www.empireonline.com/reviews/ReviewComplete.asp?FID=133628 |archive-date=2014-03-08 |website=Empire |access-date=2 October 2022}}

Accolades

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
Award

! Category

! Nominee(s)

! Result

ALMA Awards{{cite web |title=Alma Award Nominees 2007 |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/awards/alma-award-nominees-1117966011/ |website=Variety |access-date=2 October 2022}}

| Outstanding Actress - Motion Picture

| Eva Mendes

| {{nom}}

References

{{reflist}}