"It won't change your life, but it will keep you happily entertained for a couple hours." Ken Hanke, MOUNTAIN XPRESS ASHEVILLE "Hitch is a film propelled by the charisma of its actors, especially Smith and James." Bob Bloom JOURNAL AND COURIER LAFAYETTE INDIANA "Smith carries it off with his effortless charm and confidence, whether he's chatting up a woman, conspiring with the audience, or instructing a client, and director Andy Tennant gives it a light gloss and an easy lilt." Sean Axmaker, SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER "James and Smith are terrific together." Chris Hewitt ST PAUL PIONEER PRESS "Smith is a gifted comic actor, and seeing him in a lighthearted comedy, his first romantic lead, is a pure pleasure." Carina Chocano LOS ANGELES TIMES

"From the very opening, when Hitch begins explaining to the camera that love sometimes needs an outside assist to get started, he owns the audience." Jack Mathews NEW YORK DAILY NEWS "Will Smith finally makes the leap into romantic comedies with the delightful if somewhat predictable Hitch. Will, baby, what took you so long?" Kit Bowen HOLLYWOODCOM "This is a very entertaining picture." Danny Minton BEAUMONT JOURNAL "Smith, of course, is so cool he can afford to pretend to be uncool; but what really works for him here is the interplay with James, whose inner-wild-man dance moves alone are worth the price of admission." Tom Long DETROIT NEWS "Smith and James make such an inspired comedic team ... that the movie's conventional romances can't possibly match the spark these two generate." Carol Cling LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNA

The Inside Story

"Good performances pump up the fun in this lively romantic comedy." Diana Saenger REELTALK MOVIE REVIEWS

If there's one thing I hope to see in the future, it's Will Smith and Kevin James teaming up for another comedy. I have to admit to being a big fan of Kevin James who stars in that terrific television comedy show, "The King Of Queens. And when it comes to the film "Hitch", I certainly won't be the only one whose sat in the audience and noted that there is solid comedic chemistry between James and Smith everytime they appear together on the screen. "Kevin and Will had great comic chemistry," says Teddy Zee. "Watching them work and continuously crack up the crew was a joy." After seeing the film twice I can tell you that they certainly crack an audience up. "Hitch" is one of those fun, fluffy, feel good style of movies that sits very well with an audience. A formula driven film that has winner written all over it. The basis for the film is an urban legend named Hitch, a New York date doctor who gets people together. He never needs to advertise. Hitch's satisfied customers [and they are everywhere] pass his card on to someone else who needs help meeting that special girl or guy they are attracted to but just can't seem to get started with. Anonymity is what makes Hitch such a successful operator. Hitch is a legend. A legend who has helped so many, setup so many meetings, created so many happy couples and yet, in a neat twist, can't hook himself up it seems. "It’s the perfect urban legend," says Producer James Lassiter, "about a guy who is very charismatic and confident around women, so much so that he is able to teach other men how to approach the women they’ve fallen for." If only it was that easy! The idea for the film came from screenwriter Kevin Bisch who drew on his own early dating experiences with women when at college, who revealed that "after a series of dates with different women, he realized he usually wound up sitting on the edge of their beds going through photo albums. In trying to discover why these women were fixated on showing him their photo albums, Bisch says he had a revelation. How could I be so dense? They were just killing time waiting for me to kiss them. After that I became obsessed with the minutiae of dating." I know the feeling. I'm always genuinely confused whenever a woman, at the end of an enjoyable date asks, 'would you like to come in for a quick coffee." Having never believed in kissing on the first date or for the record, indulging in sex either, I believed that I was in line for a good expresso. Marty King always pissed himself when I'd told him that coffee was the last thing most, if not all those women had on their mind. "You thick bastard", he'd say, while rolling around on the floor killing himself laughing."Coffee!" "You idiot." Well how was I to know, after all, I'm just a shy, nice guy. Being a gentleman, when a woman said to me, "would you like me to slip into something more comfortable", I thought they wanted to get out of their best dress and slip into a T-Shirt and Jeans. I never entertained the thought that to many of those lovely ladies, slipping into something more comfortable meant throwing their clothes off, jumping between the bedsheets and expecting me to join them. Marty would find this even funnier. "Didn't your father teach you anything, you dill?" No he didn't. He was always over 'Aunty' Raylene's house or helping 'Aunty' Catherine with a bit of handiwork. Us kids had so many 'Aunties' when growing up that it was hard to remember who was who. My dad was a real "Hitch" when it came to women. Mum used to say he'd "Hitch" up with anything in a skirt. If only he'd passed on his valuable life experiences to his three 'legitimate' sons. But back to "Hitch" starring Will Smith, Kevin James, Eve Mendes, the gorgeous Amber Valletta and my favourite city, New York. Oh to be standing again on Broadway amidst the hustle, the bustle and at night, the bright lights. "Hitch" certainly gives its audience a good look at New York thanks to Director Andy Tennant's love for the city. He says "he’s always wanted to shoot a film entirely in New York, after having shot portions of Fools Rush In and Sweet Home Alabama in Manhattan. New York is the perfect place to film a movie about dating, being on your game and in your 30s." He also "chose to shoot much of the film downtown, in areas rarely seen in movies. The story’s nexus is Manhattan’s meatpacking district near 14th Street, which contains many of the city’s hippest and most lively nightspots." Executive producer Michael Tadross, who worked on "Die Hard with a Vengeance" and "The Thomas Crown Affair" in New York revealed "there are about 74 different locations in this movie. That’s more than I have ever had in 24 years of doing this." Biggest contributor to the location used in the film was production designer Jane Musky who "is amazing," says executive producer Wink Mordaunt. "She totally has her finger on the pulse of the city." Musky recalls searching through magazines to find the treny spots people were going. "I went through every fashionable New York magazine that I could find," she says. "I must have bought 40 alternative or upscale design magazines, and I just kept flipping through them to find out where people were going." Amongst her discoveries were the ultra-modern rice pudding restaurant Rice to Riches, Pop Burger and, the Little Pie Company located in the meatpacking district. Other locations used were Central Park, Ellis Island the Fulton Fish Market in Lower Manhattan. Director of photography Andrew Dunn "saw Manhattan as saturated in color for this movie. Andy likes as much color as you can throw in front of him," he explained. "He also loves reflections and mirrors and a lot of things that other people would shy away from." Dunn says he "and Tennant saw New York as a romantic city like Paris, though that presented them with some challenges.One is, obviously, all the tall buildings." But in the end it all looks very good and the feel of the film blends in so well with the characters, their dialogue and of course, their clothes. Director Andy Tennant is full of praise for Costume Designer Marlene Stewart "and her hard working team and her team for helping him set the right tone for the film. Their job was to make the movie look as cool as Will Smith does in person, and they did just that," he said. An extremely important factor because not only does Will Smith's character Alex 'Hitch' Hitchens set his clients up with everything they need to win over that special person, he also grooms them. Smith is just right for his latest role. "Will’s instincts are brilliant,” says Tennant. "He loves to challenge the material. And on a set, there’s no one like him. He treats everybody on the crew with incredible respect. That kind of attitude and passion is infectious. It makes us all work harder." Tennant also deserves a big pat on the back. "The thing about Andy is that he was an actor," says actress Eva Mendes. "So he gets actors. He relates to you and he listens and that’s fantastic. You can’t ask for more." Which is just the point to finish on because when it comes to getting good value for your cinema dollars "You can’t ask for more." Crew Bytes "HITCH" was .......
directed by Andy Tennant ["Fools Rush In", "Anna and the King", "Sweet Home Alabama", "Ever After" and "It Takes Two"]; screenplay by Kevin Bisch ["Hitch"]; costume design by Marlene Stewart ["The X-Files", "Tears Of The Sun", "The River Wild" and "21 Grams"]; production design by Jane Musky ["When Sally Met Harry", "City by the Sea", "Maid In Manhattan" and "Mona Lisa Smile"]; edited by Troy Takaki A.C.E ["One Point O, Drum", "This Girl's Life", "Crazy As Hell" and "Slow Burn"] and Tracey Wadmore-Smith ["Gentlemen Don’t Eat Poets", "Sweet Home Alabama", "American Beauty" and "The Majestic"]: director of photography THREE time BAFTA Award winner Andrew Dunn ["Sweet Home Alabama", "The Company", "Gosford Park", "The Count of Monte Cristo" and "Stage Beauty"]; original music by George Fenton ["Sweet Home Alabama", "Ever After", "Gandhi", "Anna and the King", "Groundhog Day", "Stage Beauty" and "Hero"] produced by James Lassiter ["Showtime", "Ali", "Saving Face" and "I, Robot"], Will Smith ["Showtime", "The Seat Filler" and "Saving Face"] and Teddy Zee ["Life or Something Like It", "Dr Dolittle 2", "Behind Enemy Lines" and "Heartbreakers"]. Casting About "HITCH" stars .......
Will Smith ["Enemy of the State", "Ali", "Bad Boys II", "Men in Black II" and "I, Robot"]; Eva Mendes ["Training Day", "Out Of Time", "Upon A Time in Mexico" and "Stuck on You"]; Amber Valletta ["Drop Back Ten", "What Lies Beneath", "Family Man" and "Raising Helen"]; Julie Ann Emery ["CSI: Miami", "Providence" and "The Drew Carey Show"]; Robinne Lee ["Hav Plenty", "National Security", "Suddenly 30" and "Deliver Us from Eva"]; Nathan Lee Graham ["Zoolander" and "Sweet Home Alabama"]; Emmy Award winner Adam Arkin ["The Doctor", "Wrestling Ernest Hemingway", "Lake Placid" and "Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School"]; Michael Rapaport ["Zebrahead", "Small Time Crooks", "Men of Honor" and "The Sixth Day"]; Kevin Sussman ["Kissing Jessica Stein", "Changing Lanes", "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Little Black Book"]; Navia Nguyen ["The Quiet American"] and Kevin James ["The King of Queens"] as Albert Brennaman. What It's All About

"How reassuring to realize that happy surprises are still possible. Hitch is one of the happiest." Philip Wuntch DALLAS MORNING NEWS

Junior accounting firm partner Albert Brennaman is secretly in love with one of the firms clients, the beautiful Allegra Cole. But what can he do. He hasn't a clue as to how he should approach her. Enter Alex "Hitch" Higgins, legendary New York date doctor. When it comes to getting people together, "Hitch" has a reputation as big as the 'Big Apple'. But, while Hitch is perfect for solving everyone elses dating problems, it seems he's hopeless at getting to first base himself. Albert wants Alegra. Alex wants Sara. Sara, a New York daily newspaper gossip columist wants a story. She's looking for an urban myth. You guessed it! The date doctor. Can love win over all the players? Will the date doctor save the day? Will they find the happiness they need in their lives? Only fate can answer that question. The Verdict "Snappy, bright, wonderfully romantic and very funny. That's "Hitch". Set in Lower Manhattan, it's a chic look at how, in the hustle and bustle of big city life, one man and his extraordinary powers when it comes to dating, makes everyone else happy but can't apply the principle to his own life. Will Smith and Kevin James are fun to watch as they work it for all it's worth. Couples with the beautiful Eve Mendes and the gorgeous Amber Valletta the four weave a wonderful chemistry on the screen. You'd be hard pressed to come away from "Hitch" and be disappointed. Two thumbs up for laughter and love. Will smith, you've done it again." The Cast

Will Smith Eva Mendes Kevin James Amber Valletta Julie Ann Emery Robinne Lee Nathan Lee Graham Adam Arkin Michael Rapaport Jeffrey Donovan Paula Patton Philip Bosco Kevin Sussman Navia Nguyen Matt Malloy Lisa Thayer Ato Essandoh Nayokah Afflack Jack Hartnett David Wike Frederick B Owens Jenna Stern Adam LeFevre Joe Lo Truglio Ptolemy Slocum Kahan James Matt Servitto Amy Hohn Mimi 'Rogers' Weddell

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Alex Sara Melas Albert Allegra Casey Cressida Geoff Max Ben Vance Mandy Mr O'Brian Neil ika Pete Lisa Tanis Stephanie Tom Reda Chip Larry Louise Speed Dating Guy Personable Guy Ron Guy Nearby Eddie Marla Grandma Wellington

The Crew Directed by Andy Tennant Written by Kevin Bisch Produced by James Lassiter/Will Smith & Teddy Zee Original Music by George Fenton Cinematography by Andrew Dunn Film Editing by Troy Takaki & Tracey Wadmore-Smith Casting by Kathleen Chopin Production Design by Jane Musky Art Direction by Patricia Woodbridge Set Decoration by Ellen Christiansen Costume Design by Marlene Stewart Unit Production Manager Justin Moritt Run Time 118 minutes Rated M15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2005 - Columbia Pictures - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected ©2005 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved