Crazy/Beautiful

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}{{Infobox film

| name = Crazy/Beautiful

| image = CrazyBeautiful.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = John Stockwell

| producer = Rachel Pfeffer
Harry J. Ufland
Mary Jane Ufland

| writer = Phil Hay
Matt Manfredi

| starring = Kirsten Dunst
Jay Hernandez
Bruce Davison

| music = Paul Haslinger

| cinematography = Shane Hurlbut

| editing = Melissa Kent

| studio = Touchstone Pictures

| distributor = Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

| released = {{Film date|2001|06|28}}

| runtime = 99 minutes{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/crazy-beautiful-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zndm0mtu |title=Crazy/Beautiful |website=British Board of Film Classification |accessdate=December 9, 2018 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180302070825/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/crazy-beautiful-film |archivedate=March 2, 2018 |url-status=live}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $13 million

| gross = $19.9 million

}}

Crazy/Beautiful (stylized as crazy/beautiful) is a 2001 American teen romantic drama film starring Kirsten Dunst and Jay Hernandez. It is largely set at Palisades Charter High School and the surrounding area, including Downtown Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and East Los Angeles.

Plot

Carlos Nuñez is a 17-year-old Mexican-American teen from East LA who rides a bus two hours every day to attend school in the Pacific Palisades for a better education. A straight-A student, he has ambitions of attending the U.S. Naval Academy and becoming a pilot.

On a day out with friends at the Santa Monica Pier, he meets Nicole Oakley, a classmate who is doing trash pickup at the beach as part of a DUI sentence. She is the daughter of a US congressman and lives in the upscale Palisades, but she is rebellious, hard-partying, and has a strained relationship with her father. Her troubles stem from her mother's suicide when she was young, as well as the feeling of being unwanted by her father and his new wife. Despite their differences, Nicole and Carlos begin a romantic relationship.

The romance runs into obstacles that arise from their different backgrounds, as when Carlos invites Nicole to a family party and she feels out-of-place as the only white person there. She pulls a stunt that lands Carlos in detention; and when she tells him to lighten up, he angrily points out that she doesn't appreciate the privileges she has. Despite the obstacles, their relationship blossoms. Carlos tries to steer Nicole away from her drug and alcohol abuse, and Nicole arranges a flying lesson for Carlos, who dreams of being a pilot but has never been in a plane.

Nicole's father offers to help Carlos with his Congressional sponsorship to the Naval Academy, but cautions against dating his daughter because he doesn't want to see Carlos dragged down by Nicole. Carlos's friends and family also look down on the relationship, fearing Nicole is a bad influence on him.

Feeling pressure from other peoples' expectations, Carlos breaks up with Nicole, sending her spiraling back into wild, drunken partying. One night, Carlos calls her and finds out she is getting drunk at a high school party. He goes to the party and saves her from a boy trying to take advantage of her. He drives her home, but they are stopped by the police.

As a result of this incident, Nicole's father and stepmother decide that she needs to go to a boarding school far from home. Carlos rescues Nicole and they run away together. While they are away, Nicole realizes she is obstructing Carlos's dreams, and decides it is time to face her problems so she can be better for Carlos and have a future with him. They return to her home, where she makes up with her father, who thanks Carlos for not listening to his advice to abandon Nicole. As the film ends, Carlos is shown becoming a pilot with the United States Navy.

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Kirsten Dunst as Nicole Oakley
Jay Hernandez as Carlos Nuñez
Bruce Davison as Tom Oakley
Lucinda Jenney as Courtney Oakley
Taryn Manning as Maddy
Soledad St. Hilaire as Mrs. Nuñez
Rolando Molina as Hector
Herman Osorio as Luis
Miguel Castro as Eddie
Tommy De La Cruz as Victor
Richard Steinmetz as Coach Bauer
Ana Argueta as Rosa
Cory Hardrict as Wilcox

}}

Production

Crazy/Beautiful was directed by John Stockwell, who was interested in casting actress Kirsten Dunst as a self-destructive teenager after seeing her role in The Virgin Suicides.{{cite news |title=Dunst drops her perky image for gritty 'crazy/beautiful' |newspaper=The Daily Gazette |last=Germain |first=David |date=July 5, 2001 |page=B8 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1960&dat=20010705&id=MIojAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dYgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=974,874963 |accessdate=December 9, 2018}} Dunst accepted the role because she was tired of playing "sweet" girls. She also helped Stockwell convince Disney executives not to tone down the film's language and adult themes. Although a nude scene was in the script, it was never filmed because Dunst was 17 years old when she was cast and her mother flatly refused to let her appear nude.{{Cite web |url=http://www.hollywood.com/general/crazybeautiful-kirsten-dunst-interview-57162385/ |accessdate=December 9, 2018 |title='crazy/beautiful': Kirsten Dunst Interview |date=June 27, 2001 |website=Hollywood.com |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209184309/http://www.hollywood.com/general/crazybeautiful-kirsten-dunst-interview-57162385/ |archivedate=December 9, 2018 |url-status=live}} The film was originally titled "At Seventeen".{{Cite web |last=Vice |first=Jeff |date=August 9, 2001 |title=Film review: crazy/beautiful |url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/700002735/crazybeautiful.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109170022/https://www.deseretnews.com/article/700002735/crazybeautiful.html |archivedate=January 9, 2018 |accessdate=December 9, 2018 |website=Deseret News}}

Due to an FCC warning to film studios for showing "unwholesome content [to] kids", Touchstone Pictures mandated significant edits to John Stockwell's final cut.{{Cite web |last=Zacharek |first=Stephanie |date=2001-06-29 |title="Crazy/Beautiful" |url=https://www.salon.com/2001/06/29/crazy_beautiful/ |access-date=2022-09-05 |website=Salon |language=en}} Though Crazy/Beautiful was planned as an R-rated film, in an effort to secure a commercial PG-13 rating, Disney ordered Stockwell to cut 35 obscenities, including a sex scene and scenes of Nicole drinking and using drugs.{{Cite web |last=Friend |first=Tad |date=December 8, 2002 |title=They love you! |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/dec/08/features.magazine1 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910094813/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/dec/08/features.magazine1 |archivedate=September 10, 2014 |accessdate=December 9, 2018 |website=The Guardian}}{{Cite web |last=Podhoretz |first=John |date=2001-07-06 |title=Joe's Crusade Ruins a Fine & Moral Film |url=https://nypost.com/2001/07/06/joes-crusade-ruins-a-fine-moral-film/ |access-date=2022-09-05 |website=New York Post |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Wuntch |first=Philip |date=2001-06-27 |title='Crazy/Beautiful' |url=https://greensboro.com/crazy-beautiful/article_53a03264-35fb-5a93-a707-2f5a54dcea30.html |access-date=2022-09-05 |website=Greensboro News & Record |language=en}} Of the cuts, Stockwell said, "We were trying to make a cautionary tale, and we couldn't show the behavior we were trying to caution people away from.”

Reception

Crazy/Beautiful opened at #9 at the U.S. box office, taking in $4,715,060 USD during its opening weekend. It eventually grossed a worldwide total of $19,937,988 on a $13 million budget.{{Cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=crazybeautiful.htm |title=crazy/beautiful |website=Box Office Mojo |accessdate=December 9, 2018 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123080106/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=crazybeautiful.htm |archivedate=January 23, 2018 |url-status=live}} Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of 63% from 99 reviews. The critical consensus reads, "The story is not new, but the film gets credit for trying to move away from the genre's cliches. Kirsten Dunst and newcomer Jay Hernandez give believable performances".{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/crazy_beautiful|title=Crazy/Beautiful (2001)|website=Rotten Tomatoes}} Metacritic gave the film a score 61 based on 26 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/crazybeautiful|title=Crazy/Beautiful|website=Metacritic}}

The leads' acting was chiefly praised, with many critics saying it gave Dunst the opportunity to show her range as an actress.{{Cite news |last=Caro |first=Mark |date=2001-06-29 |title=Thanks to Dunst, a credible teen romance |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2001-06-29-0106290365-story.html |url-status=dead |access-date=2022-09-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905224833/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2001-06-29-0106290365-story.html |archive-date=September 5, 2022 }}{{Cite web |date=2020-06-25 |title=Kirsten Dunst's Crazy/Beautiful is a reminder of a more daring Disney |url=https://fansided.com/2020/06/25/kirsten-dunst-crazy-beautiful-daring-disney/ |access-date=2022-09-05 |website=FanSided |language=en-US}} In a three-star review, Roger Ebert wrote Crazy/Beautiful "is an unusually observant film about adolescence," and that Dunst and Hernandez bring "real conviction to the roles, [so] we care about them as people, not case studies."{{Cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=2001-06-29 |title=Crazy/Beautiful movie review & film summary (2001) |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/crazybeautiful-2001 |access-date=2022-09-05 |website=RogerEbert.com {{Rating|3|4}}|language=en}}

Stephanie Zacharek of Salon wrote, "[Dunst's] performance cuts deep...What’s so painful, and so moving, about her performance is that she's bracingly alive every minute. Her self-inflicted numbness is a defense against suffering, but not a solution to it. And when she looks into Carlos' eyes, she gives the sense of, momentarily at least, seeing her way clear." The Greensboro News & Record said Hernandez "manages to register such traits as honesty and integrity without being stuffy about it. That's not as easy as it might look."

The film was also positively cited by critics for its handling of racial and cultural dynamics.{{Cite news |last=Morris |first=Wesley |date=2001-06-29 |title=When love is a drug / 'crazy' crosses teen love story with social drama |work=San Francisco Chronicle |url=https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/When-love-is-a-drug-crazy-crosses-teen-love-2904748.php |access-date=2022-09-05 |quote=...this is the rare interracial love flick where the white half is marginalized.}} "This is a classic love story, but one that's not afraid to take a few jabs at the cluelessness of goodhearted liberals who, despite their admirable intentions, can never quite grasp how the other half lives," Zacharek wrote.

The New York Times critic A. O. Scott praised the lead actors and the film's lively soundtrack, but criticized the writing of other characters as flat and superficial. He concluded that Crazy/Beautiful is "an enormous improvement over the brainless, patronizing teenage romances" of the time, but also said it could have been much better if the filmmakers "had trusted themselves and the actors a bit more".{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/29/movies/film-review-he-s-poor-she-s-rich-made-for-each-other.html |accessdate=December 6, 2018 |title=He's Poor, She's Rich. Made for Each Other! |date=June 29, 2001 |first=A. O. |last=Scott |authorlink=A. O. Scott |website=The New York Times |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527180021/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/29/movies/film-review-he-s-poor-she-s-rich-made-for-each-other.html |archivedate=May 27, 2015 |url-status=live}}

Soundtrack

{{Infobox album

| name = Crazy/Beautiful

| type = soundtrack

| artist = Various Artists

| cover =

| alt =

| released = June 26, 2001

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Alternative rock, indie rock, Latin

| length = 1:00:28

| label = Hollywood Records

| producer =

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title =

| next_year =

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Crazy/Beautiful

| type = soundtrack

| single1 = Wait

| single1date = June 5, 2001

| single2 = Siempre (Everytime)

| single2date = 2001

}}

The soundtrack album was released by Hollywood Records on June 26, 2001. Seven Mary Three's "Wait" served as the album's English lead single, and was featured on their fifth studio album, The Economy of Sound, while La Ley's "Siempre (Everytime)" was its Spanish lead single.{{cite magazine|title=Cuevas in Hollywood |date=June 16, 2001 |magazine=Billboard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CRQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA55-IA1 |access-date=2022-09-06 |page=LM-6 |volume=113 |issue=24}} The music video for "Wait" was also directed by John Stockwell and featured Dunst and Hernandez.{{cite news |title=Band Gets Off Mary-Go-Round |date=2001-05-13 |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2001-05-13-0105110495-story.html |work=Orlando Sentinel |access-date=2022-09-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731230149/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2001-05-13-0105110495-story.html |archive-date=July 31, 2021 }} David Gray's song "This Year's Love" is featured in the film but is not included on the soundtrack.{{cite web |title=This Year's Love |url=https://genius.com/David-gray-this-years-love-lyrics |website=Genius |access-date=6 September 2022}} Amazon.com editorialist Rickey Wright gave a mixed review of the soundtrack, citing groups like The Dandy Warhols, Mellow Man Ace, and Delinquent Habits as "evocative" while also stating that it "hardly makes a good argument for the continuing validity of guitar rock."Wright, Rickey [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005LNGX Crazy/Beautiful: Original Soundtrack] Amazon.com. Retrieved on September 13, 2008.

{{Track listing

| title1 = Ten la Fe

| note1 = Mellow Man Ace

| length1 = 4:01

| title2 = Who Am I?

| note2 = Lily Frost

| length2 = 3:06

| title3 = To Be Free

| note3 = Emiliana Torrini

| length3 = 3:25

| title4 = Wait

| note4 = Seven Mary Three

| length4 = 3:07

| title5 = Every Time

| note5 = La Ley

| length5 = 3:59

| title6 = La Reina del Lugar

| note6 = Serralde

| length6 = 4:23

| title7 = Shattered

| note7 = Remy Zero

| length7 = 3:47

| title8 = Boulevard Star

| note8 = Delinquent Habits

| length8 = 3:29

| title9 = This Is Not My Life

| note9 = Fastball

| length9 = 3:03

| title10 = Sumpin

| note10 = The Pimps

| length10 = 3:51

| title11 = Alright

| note11 = Osker

| length11 = 1:43

| title12 = Sleep

| note12 = The Dandy Warhols

| length12 = 6:03

| title13 = She Gave Me Love

| note13 = The Getaway People

| length13 = 3:59

| title14 = I Want to Believe You

| note14 = Lori Carson & Paul Haslinger

| length14 = 4:34

| title15 = Perfect

| note15 = Maren Ord

| length15 = 3:49

| title16 = Siempre (Everytime)

| note16 = La Ley

| length16 = 4:07

| total_length = 1:00:28

}}

Home media

Crazy/Beautiful was released on DVD on November 13, 2001, by Buena Vista Home Entertainment (under the Touchstone Home Video banner).{{Cite web |title=Crazy/ Beautiful |url=https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Beautiful-Kirsten-Dunst/dp/B00003CY5P |access-date=2022-09-05 |website=Amazon|date=November 13, 2001 }}