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Gretchen Mol, Paul Rudd, Rachel Weisz, Frederick Weller

After a detour into lighter and more compassionate fare with Nurse Betty and Possession, Neil LaBute returns to the themes of his earlier films with this dark and corrosive look at male-female relatio... read more read more...nships. Adam (Paul Rudd) is a chubby, bespectacled nebbish of a college student who makes money in his spare time as a security guard at the university's art museum. One evening at work, Adam spies another student preparing to deface a statue -- Evelyn (Rachel Weisz), a beautiful art major who is offended by a fig leaf that's been used to "censor" a statue of a nude male, and is prepared to replace the disguised member with spray paint. Adam can't quite bring himself to kick Evelyn out of the museum, and she responds by giving him her phone number. Adam and Evelyn begin dating, and as she challenges his ideas about art and morality, she begins remaking Adam into the sort of boyfriend she'd prefer. Under her influence, Adam loses weight, gets contact lenses, changes his hairstyle, starts dressing better, and assumes a cooler and more confident personality. Adam's pal Philip (Frederick Weller) notices the changes in his friend and isn't happy with the way Evelyn has been molding Adam to her specifications. Adam and Evelyn have dinner one night with Philip and his fiancée, Jenny (Gretchen Mol), and before long Philip and Evelyn are at each other's throats as Adam and Jenny cower along the sidelines. The tensions between Philip and Evelyn exacerbate uneasiness between Jenny and her husband to be, while at the same time, Jenny and Adam begin to recognize a mutual attraction that's long lurked beneath the surface. The Shape of Things was adapted by LaBute from his stage drama of the same name; a selection of songs by Elvis Costello comprise the soundtrack. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

62% liked it

7,493 ratings

Critics

64% liked it

134 critics

R, 1 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: Neil LaBute

Release Date: May 1, 2002

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DVD Release Date: September 23, 2003

Stats: 577 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (577)

  • stevenecarrier
    February 27, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    Neil LaBute completes a trilogy (unofficial, of course) of films about how men and women act and treat each other. "The Shape of Things" (adapted from his stage play like his other two features, the memorable "In the Company of Men" and the dicey "Your Friends & Neighbors") is an... read moreother scathing and insightful look into relationships. While you will never meet anyone like the people in this or his other films, you will recognize bits and pieces of everyone in each. The dialogue is complex and full and the performances are committed and juicy. "The Shape of Things" marks the last good film LaBute has made (for whatever reason he moves on to goofy Hollywood thrillers like "The Wicker Man" and "Lakeview Terrace" and the embarrassing "Death at a Funeral" remake- one would think those films were from a totally different human all together; my bet is he became a drug addict because no one looses such talent so quickly) but this wonderful, tricky and rewarding series of films is well worth your serious time and attention. I think "The Shape of Things" is the easiest to digest, but when taken as a whole, you will never forget any of them.
  • fb619846742
    November 3, 2009
    fb619846742
    A pretty well put together film. There's parts where the "awkwardness" of a lot of the scenes overtake the mood of the movie. I didn't feel as connected to the characters as I wanted to. Weisz and Rudd are both terrific, with a twist I saw coming from miles away. Still, worth wat... read moreching if you like movies featuring good acting and a story that has an "indie" sort feel to it all.
  • jennifxu
    January 11, 2009
    jennifxu
    The dialogue is uncomfortably recitative and I get the feeling LeBute is doing it on purpose. Which I don't understand because my insides feel EXTREMELY constricted. In general the concept of the thing is quite interesting but this was a really weird way to approach it. I feel li... read moreke Paul Rudd was misdirected, or something. All that said, I really like Rachel Weisz's American accent. She should seriously talk like that all day.
  • Gx7
    December 23, 2008
    Gx7
    I got a girlfriend, she goes to art school, I got an art school girlfriend, yeah!


    Evelyn: Pornography is meant to titilate and excite you. I mean does a peni... read mores excite you? Any ol' penis? Did you like what you saw? Did it get you hot?

    When I saw Rachel Weizs name as the producer and sat through the first few minutes of the film, I thought I was gonna be stuck with an overly opinionated touchy feely girly movie about relationships.

    All the signs were there, it looked and sounded like this is all from a womans point of view, a womans wishful thinking as to how relationships and conversations should be, and a-yada-yada-yada!

    The storys plot twist is a real shocker, what seemingly started like an average girly film ended up being not so average at all. This ones got horns.

    Directed by: Neil LaBute
    Genres:: Dark Comedy / Drama
  • aliceinpunderland
    November 7, 2007
    aliceinpunderland
    I love this pretentious mindfuck. I am Evelyn. Not really. Although I did play her in an acting class once.
  • mjgildea
    November 16, 2006
    mjgildea
    A great, great movie. If you can appreciate great characters and an awesome story check it out. If you don't like watching people be mean, get over yourself and check it out.
  • adfill7
    May 3, 2009
    adfill7
    Though not everything in The Shape of Things has translated well from the play to the big screen, it's still entertaining enough to recommend.
  • danieljparsons
    April 18, 2009
    danieljparsons
    An insightful and clever film with a mighty sting in its tail, The Shape Of Things is written & directed by Neil LaBute and based on his play of the same name, and also reunites the cast of the original staging. Paul Rudd plays Adam, being 'shaped' by his new girlfriend Ev... read moreelyn, and this is one of the few films where the transformation from nerdy, inexperienced and frumpy 'nobody' to expressive, confident and handsome man is genuine. Rudd, who lost 25 pounds for the film, is excellent as the complex but also far too malleable Adam, and is especially exceptional in the more dramatic scenes. The film though, belongs to Rachel Weisz as Evelyn, who crosses a whole spectrum of characteristics - she is playful, sexy, brutal and more. LaBute keeps everything fluid so that the film never feels too much like a stage play - until the final 'act', where there's a genuine feel of claustrophobia leading up to the supremely horrific, and brilliantly performed reveal. There's a great deal of rewatch value thanks to this too. Masterly and harsh, it would work fantastically well as a double bill with Closer.

    "By the time I'm through here, I'll promise that you'll have the answer."
  • StefanoEarnest
    April 2, 2012
    StefanoEarnest
    "The Shape of Things" speaks volumes about human character, but in the process of doing so, it skips out on some of the more important aspects, like an engaging story and worthwhile characters. LaBute's message hits harder than his previous ventures, but it lacks the entertainmen... read moret value. That being said, I have never seen a more gut-wrenching and depressing climax in any film. Almost made me feel sick to my stomach.
  • fb25827189
    November 24, 2009
    fb25827189
    Actually watched this during my Theater class wasn't bad but it wasn't good either, it kinda lies somewhere in between slightly humorous and what the Hell?!!!

View All The Shape Of Things Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jay Boyar
May 30, 2003
Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel

There's an immediacy to many scenes that's hard to deny. These people get under your skin and gnaw away.

Geoff Pevere
May 16, 2003
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

The facial jewellery, Elvis Costello music and cell phones notwithstanding, you keep expecting these people to challenge each other to duels with rapiers at dawn. Full Review

Richard Roeper
May 12, 2003
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

With outstanding performances from Rudd and Weisz, this is an unsettling, provocative and nasty little gem. Full Review

Peter Rainer
May 11, 2003
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine

LaBute would like us to know that neither sex has a monopoly on behaving very, very badly. Alert the media! Full Review

Desson Thomson
May 9, 2003
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

At best, the movie is a problematic chamber piece; at worst, a misdirected, slightly misanthropic pretension.

Ann Hornaday
May 9, 2003
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

Seems every much as finely calibrated as In the Company of Men.

Claudia Puig
May 9, 2003
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Raises interesting questions about the power exerted in relationships and the amount of control a person can or should have over another. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
May 9, 2003
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

The film is certainly clever enough to hold an audience's interest throughout, though in the end it's a victim of its own ambition. Full Review

Joe Baltake
May 9, 2003
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

Having played these roles for so long and so often, Mol, Rudd, Weller and Weisz fully inhabit their parts. Full Review

Stephen Whitty
May 9, 2003
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

Characters make self-conscious jokes, and other characters answer them with clumsy sarcasm; every line comes complete with arch, invisible quotation marks. Full Review

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The Shape Of Things Trivia

  • What pop master supplied the entire soundtrack to Neil LaBute's 2003 adaptation of his own stage play, The Shape of Things?  Answer »
  • Who is the security guard at the art museum in The Shape Of Things To Come ?  Answer »
  • Who does Adam meet in The Shape Of Things To Come ?  Answer »
  • What is Evelyn's occupation in The Shape Of Things To Come ?  Answer »
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