Imagine Me & You#Cast

The film opens on Hector "Heck" (Matthew Goode) and Rachel's (Piper Perabo) wedding day in North London, England which Rachel's overbearing mother, Tess, (Celia Imrie), is in charge of planning. Rachel's father Ned (Anthony Head) and her younger sister Henrietta, nicknamed "H" (Boo Jackson), are supportive. Flower shop owner Luce (Lena Headey) and Henrietta are chatting with Hector and Cooper "Coop" (Darren Boyd). Henrietta takes an immediate liking to her, and she asks if Luce can sit by her during the wedding. Rachel arrives with her father and the ceremony begins. During the ceremony, as Rachel walks down the aisle, she makes eye contact with Luce and does a double-take. At the reception afterwards, Luce introduces herself to Rachel. As Luce tries to get a drink, Rachel admits that her wedding ring fell in the punch, and the two fish it out before going their own ways.

Sometime later, Rachel goes to Luce's shop and invites her and Hector to dinner, with Rachel planning to set Luce up with Coop. Luce confides to Heck that she's a lesbian and is bemused as Coop attempts to seduce her. During the meal, Luce espouses her belief in love at first sight, while Rachel counters that it takes time to find the right person. Later on that night, Rachel and Luce share a moment together on the balcony as it rains. Coop drives Luce home, but senses something is bothering her. Stopping for coffee, he gets her to admit that she has feelings for someone who's unavailable but insists she would never get in between another couple.

The next day while grocery shopping, Hector and Rachel run into Luce and a female friend, Edie (Eva Birthistle). Hector then tells Rachel that Luce is gay. Hector inquires as to the relationship of Luce and Edie, but they assure Rachel and him that nothing is going on. Edie says Luce "loves another."

Hector sets Luce and Rachel up to spend some time together as friends despite Rachel attempting to avoid Luce. The two spend an evening together, visiting a football match and an arcade. At the end of the night, Luce walks Rachel back to her flat. Rachel leans forward to kiss Luce but withdraws at the last moment and goes inside her home.

Rachel continues to resist her growing attraction to Luce. Unable to deny what she is feeling, Rachel eventually confronts Luce directly at her flower shop. The two discuss the state of their relationship in a back room, concealed from any potential customers. She tells Luce that a romance between them cannot happen, turns to leave, and returns seconds later to kiss Luce. Their foreplay gets interrupted by Hector, who has stopped by to pick up flowers for Rachel, feeling guilty about the distance growing between them. Later, Rachel and Luce agree that they cannot betray Hector. Hector quits his job and when he returns home drunk, she confesses all to him as he sleeps, but does not say who her love is. Hector, who was feigning sleep, calls Coop for support. Coop confronts Luce after deducing that she is the one Rachel loves. Luce decides that being near Rachel without being with her is too hard. She makes plans to go on an extended trip out of the country, leaving care of her shop to her mother.

Days later, while Rachel and Hector are celebrating her birthday, Rachel finds out about Luce's trip, and Hector realizes who Rachel is in love with. Wanting Rachel to be happy, he leaves. Rachel confesses to her parents that she is in love with a woman, and she tracks down Luce. Rachel gets stuck in traffic and tries to call Luce, who ignores her. However, Rachel realizes Luce is in the same traffic jam when she hears the same man on a bicycle singing "Happy Together" and comments, "I've heard that song before." Rachel proceeds to climb on the roof of her car. She then uses the lessons Luce taught her at the football match about how to yell loudly to call to her. The two women reunite and kiss each other in the middle of a crowded London street.

During the end credits, we see the characters sometime later. Heck is on a plane, all set to write his travel book, when he discovers a young woman with whom he has instant chemistry (Angel Coulby) will be sitting next to him for the long flight. The scenes continue with H and her young boyfriend playing at a playground, Coop holding a baby, and Luce and Rachel enjoying each other's company.

{{castlist|

• Piper Perabo as Rachel
• Lena Headey as Luce
• Matthew Goode as Hector "Heck"
• Celia Imrie as Tessa
• Anthony Head as Ned
• Darren Boyd as Cooper "Coop"
• Sue Johnston as Ella
• Boo Jackson as Henrietta "H"
• Sharon Horgan as Beth
• Eva Birthistle as Edie
• Vinette Robinson as Zina
• Ben Miles as Rob
• Mona Hammond as Mrs. Edwards
• Rick Warden as Gordon
• Angel Coulby as Anna

}}

On 27 January 2006 the film opened in 106 theaters in the United States. In its opening weekend, the film made US$51,907. It stayed eight weeks on theaters in the US and made US$672,243 in total.{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=imaginemeandyou.htm|title=Imagine Me and You (2006) - Box Office Mojo|website=Boxofficemojo.com|access-date=8 October 2017}} In the Netherlands, the film grossed over €97,470, debuting at #10 in its second week. Worldwide the film grossed over US$2,635,305.

On Rotten Tomatoes, Imagine Me & You holds an approval rating of 35%, based on 98 reviews, with an average rating of 5/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Aside from its lesbian theme, Imagine Me & You can only offer more of the same generic rom-com cliches."{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/imagine_me_and_you/|title=Imagine Me & You|website=Rotten Tomatoes|date=27 June 2006 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151214113344/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/imagine_me_and_you/|archive-date=14 December 2015|access-date=4 November 2022}} On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 49 out of 100, based on reviews from 25 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/imagine-me-you|title=Imagine Me & You Reviews|website=Metacritic|access-date=14 July 2019}} Common Sense Media stated: "Thank heaven for British romcoms; less crude than their American counterparts and more witty and charming, they show the joy in falling in love, and this one's a worthy addition to the pantheon. What's refreshing about this movie is that every character is interesting and lovable – even the womanizing Cooper (Daren Boyd)."{{Cite web|url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/imagine-me-and-you|title=Imagine Me and You - Movie Review|date=5 December 2006|publisher=Common Sense Media|access-date=13 January 2020}} BBC wrote, "Love at first sight is the subject of debut director Ol Parker's Imagine Me & You, a witty and immensely enjoyable British romantic comedy."{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2006/06/13/imagine_me_and_you_2006_review.shtml|title=BBC - Movies - review - Imagine Me & You|website=www.bbc.co.uk|access-date=14 January 2020}}

The critical response from gay-friendly sites, however, has been extremely positive: Autostraddle ranked the film at 18 on its list of the 103 best lesbian films of all time.{{Cite news|url=https://www.autostraddle.com/new-and-revised-the-103-best-lesbian-movies-of-all-time-368953/?all=1|title=Now, An Updated Edition Of The 102 Best Lesbian Movies Of All Time|date=14 February 2017|work=Autostraddle|access-date=24 December 2017}} Luce and Rachel were both included on AfterEllen.com's "Top 50 Lesbian and Bisexual Characters" list.{{cite web|title=AfterEllen.com's Top 50 Lesbian and Bisexual Characters |url=http://www.afterellen.com/TV/2010/3/top-fifty-lesbian-bisexual-characters?page=0%2C1 |page=2 |publisher=AfterEllen.com |access-date=16 June 2012 |date=15 March 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130101231322/http://www.afterellen.com/TV/2010/3/top-fifty-lesbian-bisexual-characters?page=0%2C1 |archive-date=1 January 2013}}{{cite web|title=AfterEllen.com's Top 50 Lesbian and Bisexual Characters |url=http://www.afterellen.com/TV/2010/3/top-fifty-lesbian-bisexual-characters?page=0%2C7 |page=8 |website=AfterEllen.com |access-date=16 June 2012 |date=15 March 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130116061504/http://www.afterellen.com/TV/2010/3/top-fifty-lesbian-bisexual-characters?page=0%2C7 |archive-date=16 January 2013}}

{{Reflist}}

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• {{IMDb title}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20180426055816/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8b659f7c Imagine Me & You] at the British Film Institute{{better source needed|reason=Help request: a live link can be searched for at https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/search/expert - if available, replace the archive URL with the live link. Or if none found, remove this 'better source needed' template. | date=October 2023}}
• {{Rotten Tomatoes}}

{{Ol Parker}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Imagine Me and You}}

Category:2005 films

Category:2005 directorial debut films

Category:2005 LGBTQ-related films

Category:2005 romantic comedy-drama films

Category:2000s British films

Category:2000s English-language films

Category:2000s German films

Category:BBC Film films

Category:British LGBTQ-related films

Category:British romantic comedy-drama films

Category:Ealing Studios films

Category:English-language romantic comedy-drama films

Category:English-language German films

Category:Fictional LGBTQ couples

Category:Films about adultery in the United Kingdom

Category:Films about female bisexuality

Category:Films about weddings in the United Kingdom

Category:Films set in London

Category:Films shot in London

Category:Films directed by Ol Parker

Category:Films with screenplays by Ol Parker

Category:Films scored by Alex Heffes

Category:Focus Features films

Category:Fox Searchlight Pictures films

Category:German LGBTQ-related films

Category:German romantic comedy-drama films

Category:Lesbian-related films

Category:LGBTQ-related romantic comedy-drama films