10 is a 1979 romantic comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Bo Derek, Dudley Moore, and Julie Andrews. Considered a trend-setting film at the time, and one of the year's biggest box office hits, the film made superstars of Derek and Moore.
Plot
During a surprise 42nd birthday party for songwriter George Webber, he finds himself coping badly with incipient middle age. When he catches a glimpse of a mysterious woman en route to her wedding, he is instantly obsessed by her beauty, and - despite the presence of his lover Samantha Taylor - follows the woman to the church where he is stung by a bee. George visits the priest, and learns that the woman is Jenny Miles, daughter of a prominent Beverly Hills dentist. Later that night, Sam is unhappy about George's unwillingness to pay attention to her, his use of the term broad, and the fact that he and his neighbor (a wealthy porn producer) watch each other perform carnal acts. George doesn't wish to lose an argument to her, resulting in Sam storming off.
The following day, George and Sam suffer a series of mishaps that prevent them from reconciling, including George spying on his neighbor until hitting himself with his telescope, causing him to miss Sam's phone call. In addition, George schedules a dental appointment with Jenny's father, and while in the dentist's chair, subtly leads the dentist into disclosing that his daughter and her husband went to Mexico for their honeymoon. The examination also reveals a mouthful of cavities, requiring the dentist to spend the entire afternoon inserting fillings in George's teeth. The after effects of the novocaine leave him virtually incapable of speaking and when Sam talks to him on the phone she mistakes him for a madman and calls the police. Once the police leave, he visits his neighbor's house to take part in an orgy and is inadvertently seen by Sam, who happened to be watching him through his telescope. This widens the rift between the couple and George follows the newlyweds to their exclusive hotel in Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico, where the sight of Jenny - suntanned and dressed in a one-piece swimsuit and her hair braided - furthers George's obsession.
In the bar, George encounters an old acquaintance, Mary Lewis, who suffers from a lack of self-confidence because she blames herself for a series of failed relationships. When they attempt a fling that night, she interprets George's inadequacy in bed as confirmation of her insecurities despite her better-than-average looks.
One hot day, George notices that David, Jenny's husband, has fallen asleep on his surfboard. Pretending to inquire about renting a surfboard, George learns that beyond a certain point are powerful currents that can sweep a swimmer or surfer dangerously far from land. George rents a catamaran, saves David, and becomes a hero. Sam tries to make contact, but not knowing who the caller is, George has no interest in talking at that particular time. David is badly sunburned and stays in the hospital, allowing Jenny and George to spend time alone together, culminating in them having sex.
Although George unexpectedly finds all of his fantasies fulfilled, he is terrified when she takes a call from her husband and casually informs him of her adultery. He is even more confused when the husband responds with complete lack of concern (he had called to thank George for saving his life). When Jenny explains their open relationship and mutual honesty, he is appalled; and with the thrill of enjoying forbidden pleasures extinguished, he loses interest in Jenny (and conversely, Jenny loses interest in him) and he heads back to Beverly Hills.
At the end of the film, he reconciles with Sam and they make love with Ravel's Boléro is playing in the background in full view of the neighbor's telescope shortly after the neighbor has walked away in disgust, complaining that has had enough of providing erotic entertainment to George and getting nothing in return.
Cast
Cultural impact
The title derives from a rating system used by people to rank members of the opposite sex based upon beauty, with a 10 being the epitome of attractiveness. It came into common usage as a result of this film. In the film, Bo Derek's character ranks in Moore's eyes as an "11."
Bo Derek's appearance shot her to instant stardom and status as a sex symbol. Her beaded and plaited cornrow hairstyle in the film was widely copied and became eponymous.[1][2] The scene where George sees Jenny running on the beach in Mexico has become iconic and often parodied.
Production
The film was one of the first major films to shoot alternate versions of scenes in order to facilitate network television broadcast with a minimum of censorship. In the case of 10, this included filming two versions of scenes where Moore's character uses a telescope to spy on his male neighbor, another wealthy Beverly Hills resident who lives down the hill and regularly hosts parties with many nude women. In the theatrical version, porn actress Annette Haven plays the neighbor and appears nude; the TV version substitutes a blonde actress, (Denise Crosby in her first film role, later of Star Trek: The Next Generation fame), who keeps at least a swimsuit on. Similarly, in the version shown in theaters, when Bo Derek's character puts on Ravel's Boléro, she says that it's the perfect music to fuck to, whereas the version shown on television substitutes "make love" for "fuck", while retaining Moore's character's startled reaction to hearing his idealized woman casually saying the "F-word".
Casting
During pre-production, George Segal and Shirley MacLaine were originally attached to play the roles of George and Samantha respectively. However, after Segal declined, the producers offered Dudley Moore the role of George and Julie Andrews was given the role of Samantha. The role of Jenny Hanley was initially offered to Melanie Griffith, who declined. After Griffith passed on the project, the producers wanted an unknown: Bo Derek, and she was cast.
Locations
The church where the wedding scene was shot is Trinity Church of Santa Monica.
Music
The original music score was composed by Henry Mancini. The film popularized the classical music piece Boléro by Ravel, which is identified as an ideal piece of background when making love. Derek later appeared in a film of the same name in order to capitalize upon its use in this film.
References
External links
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