The Roommate

In this article we are going to analyze and delve into the topic of The Roommate. Over the years, The Roommate has been the subject of study and interest to many people in various areas. From psychology to astronomy, through history, literature and sociology, The Roommate has been a recurring and relevant topic. In this article, we aim to explore different aspects of The Roommate, from its origins to its influence on today's society. We will analyze its impact on culture, science, art and everyday life, seeking to deeply and completely understand its importance in today's world.

The Roommate
Theatrical release poster
Directed byChristian E. Christiansen
Written bySonny Mallhi
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPhil Parmet
Edited byRandy Bricker
Music byJohn Frizzell
Production
companies
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing
Release date
  • February 4, 2011 (2011-02-04)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$16 million[1]
Box office$52.5 million[2]

The Roommate is a 2011 American psychological thriller film directed by Christian E. Christiansen and written by Sonny Mallhi. The film stars Leighton Meester, Minka Kelly, Cam Gigandet, Aly Michalka, Danneel Harris, Frances Fisher, and Billy Zane.

The Roommate was released in the United States on February 4, 2011, by Sony Pictures Releasing.[3] The film received negative reviews from critics.

Plot

Sara Matthews is starting her freshman year of college in Los Angeles. She meets party girl Tracy, frat boy Stephen—her love interest—and Rebecca, her wealthy but shy college roommate who bears an uncanny resemblance to her. The girls begin to bond and Rebecca learns that Sara had an older sister, Emily, who died when Sara was nine, and an ex-boyfriend, Jason, who keeps calling her in attempts to reconcile.

Over time, Rebecca's obsession with Sara grows, which causes her to drive away anyone who could come between them. Claiming that she is a bad influence, Rebecca attacks Tracy in the shower, pins her down, rips out her belly button ring, and threatens to kill her unless she stays away from Sara.

Tracy moves to another dorm, fearful of Sara. An old friend of Sara's named Irene invites Sara to move in with her when Rebecca's cat Cuddles is discovered by an RA. Sara kills Cuddles, lying to Rebecca that the cat ran away, inflicts injuries upon herself, and says she was assaulted by a thug.

Cast

Production

Sonny Mallhi first thought of shooting the film in New York City but it was eventually shot on location at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and at Loyola Marymount University.[4] Leighton Meester was originally set to play Sara but was replaced by Minka Kelly and Leighton played Rebecca.[5] Billy Zane and Frances Fisher had both starred together in Titanic fourteen years earlier, though in this film they shared no scenes.

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 3% based on 86 reviews, with an average rating of 2.86/10. The website's critics' consensus reads: "Devoid of chills, thrills, or even cheap titillation, The Roommate isn't even bad enough to be good."[6] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 23 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[7] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.[8]

Keith Staskiewicz of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a D, saying it "is really just a far-below-par thriller that desperately wishes it were a different movie – a longing it shares with the audience," but praises Meester for bringing "the slightest trace of something fascinating to her role. When she smiles, it's perfectly located between a sweet display of affection and a snarling warning."[9] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave it a half star, stating that "The Roommate – the umpteenth uncredited remake of 1992's Single White Female – sucks bad, real bad" and that "Danish director Christian E. Christiansen has no flair for suspense".[10] Meester's performance garnered praise from other top critics, including the Los Angeles Times, which states: "Here, her performance often has the feeling of a sports car in neutral. When she punches it for quick changes of tone from manic to wounded or around the bend, she shows how much more she is capable of."[11]

Box office

Opening in 2,534 theaters, the film grossed $15.6 million on its opening weekend to take first place at the box office. Its distributor estimated that females under the age of 21 accounted for two-thirds of its audience.[12] By the end of its run, the film grossed $37.3 million in the United States and Canada and $15.2 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $52.5 million.[2]

Accolades

Award Category Recipient Result Refs
MTV Movie Award Best Scared-As-Sh– Performance Minka Kelly Nominated [13]
Best Villain Leighton Meester Nominated
Teen Choice Award Choice Movie: Villain Leighton Meester Nominated [14]
Choice Movie: Female Scene Stealer Aly Michalka Nominated
Choice Movie Actress: Drama Minka Kelly Nominated
Choice Movie Actor: Drama Cam Gigandet Nominated
Choice Movie: Drama The Roommate Nominated

Use of a photo featuring a Southwestern College building

Some of the promotional posters and displays for the film used the Christy Administration Building from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas as its backdrop. The college administration voiced concern that permission to use the photograph of the building was not properly obtained and investigated the legality of its use.[15]

Primary concerns hinged that the image of the college (particularly the image of the building) could be damaged, while other concerns were that the college's primary iconic image was being used for the promotion of an unrelated business venture.[16]

Though the film successfully earned $15.6 million in receipts to top the box office during its debut weekend in the United States, concerns continued. By that time, the image of the building had been replaced on the film's official website and on subsequent promotional material. The photo of the building reportedly was licensed from iStockPhoto based in Calgary, Alberta. As of February 8, 2011, no lawsuits had been filed but discussions had taken place.[17]

Students at the school reported "mixed feelings" about the topic – some believed that it may have been helpful for the college and others reported that they saw how it could have been harmful to the school's image.[18]

Home media

The Roommate was released on Blu-ray and DVD on May 17, 2011.

References

  1. ^ Fritz, Ben; Kaufman, Amy (February 3, 2011). "Movie Projector: 'The Roommate' and 'Sanctum' won't score on Super Bowl weekend". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 19, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  2. ^ a b "The Roommate (2011)". The Numbers. Archived from the original on February 14, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  3. ^ "Sony Screen Gems' Major Date Shifts, 3D Maneuvers". Bloody Disgusting. 5 February 2010. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  4. ^ "The Roommate – Production Notes – On The Dark Side Of The City Of Angels". CinemaReview.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  5. ^ "First Ever Look at Screen Gems' 'The Roommate', Hi-Res 'Priest' Teaser". Bloody Disgusting. 22 December 2009. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  6. ^ The Roommate at Rotten Tomatoes
  7. ^ "The Roommate Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  8. ^ Kaufman, Amy; Fritz, Ben (February 6, 2011). "Box office: 'Roommate' beats 'Sanctum' on slow Super Bowl weekend ". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 8, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  9. ^ Staskiewicz, Keith (February 4, 2011). "The Roommate Review". Entertainment Weekly. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Archived from the original on September 8, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  10. ^ Travers, Peter (February 4, 2011). "The Roommate". Rolling Stone. San Francisco, California: Wenner Media LLC. Archived from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  11. ^ Olsen, Mark (February 5, 2011). "Movie review: 'The Roommate'". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Archived from the original on March 3, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  12. ^ "Roommate thriller tops US box office". BBC News. February 7, 2011. Archived from the original on August 20, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  13. ^ "2011 MTV Movie Awards: The Full Nomination List". MTV. May 3, 2011. Archived from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  14. ^ "Teen Choice Awards 2011 Nominees Announced: Harry Potter vs Twilight". Huffington Post. June 29, 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  15. ^ Twitchell, Allen (December 3, 2010). "Image of SC building on movie poster". The Winfield Daily Courier. Winfield, Kansas: Winfield Publishing Company. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
  16. ^ Hawkins, Korie (December 9, 2010). "Christy photo on movie poster causes concern". Southwestern College Student Media. Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
  17. ^ Twitchell, Allen (February 8, 2011). "Movie poster image remains a concern for SC administration". The Winfield Daily Courier. Winfield Publishing Company. Archived from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
  18. ^ Andres, Craig (February 11, 2011). "Southwestern College unhappy with national movie poster (with video)". KSN TV 3. Archived from the original on February 11, 2011. Retrieved March 9, 2011.