Main Cast: Jean Reno, Christina Applegate, Christina Applegate, Christian Clavier, Matthew Ross, Tara Reid
Release Year: 2001
Country: US
Run Time: 87 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Lots of people find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, but this comic fantasy takes that notion to a whole new level. Count Thibault of Malfete (Jean Reno) is a brave warrior and respected nobleman in 12th century France. Count Thibault has won the heart of the lovely Princess Rosalind (Christina Applegate) and has a loyal servant in the loyal but half-bright Andre (Christian Clavier). But Thibault's world is turned upside down when an aging wizard demonstrates a new potion that can allow people to travel though time. The concoction works a bit too well, and Thibault and Andre find themselves transported to the year 2000, landing in a museum in Chicago where relics of Thibault's reign are on display. Julia, a museum employee who bears a striking resemblance to Princess Rosalind, finds the visitors and becomes their unofficial guide to life in the Windy City at the dawn of the 21st century. Thibault soon discovers that the young woman is actually descended from his family, and he realizes he has to get back to the 12th century before his absence prevents Julia from existing. Andre also discovers that indentured servitude is no longer common in the 21st century, and he and Thibault have to adjust to the American notion of freedom and equal rights for all. Just Visiting is based on the popular French comedy Les Visiteurs; Jean Reno and Christian Clavier reprise their roles from the earlier film, and the director of the original version, Jean-Marie Poire, also helmed this remake; Clavier and Poire collaborated on the script, as they did for Les Visiteurs. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Jonathan McKinstry - Art Director, John Jeffries - Art Director, Stephen Cooper - Supervising Art Director, Christian Clavier - Associate Producer, Jean-Marie Poire - Associate Producer, John A. Amicarella - Associate Producer, Billy Hopkins - Casting, Suzanne Smith - Casting, Kelly Barden - Casting, Penny Rose - Costume Designer, Peter Young - Costume Designer, Gary Marcus - First Assistant Director, Dennis Maguire - First Assistant Director, Jean-Marie Gaubert - Director, Peter MacDonald - Second Unit Director, David R. Ellis - Second Unit Director, Gary Davis - Second Unit Director, Michael A. Stevenson - Editor, Richard Hashimoto - Executive Producer, Ueli Steiger - Composer (Music Score), John Powell - Composer (Music Score), Doug Kraner - Production Designer, Ueli Steiger - Cinematographer, Patrice Ledoux - Producer, Ricardo Mestres - Producer, Colin de Rouin - Set Designer, Tracy A. Doyle - Set Designer, David M. Haber - Set Designer, Peter Young - Set Designer, Evelyne Barbier - Set Designer, David W. Krummel - Set Designer, Visual Factory - Special Effects, Ray Cymoszinski - Sound/Sound Designer, Mark Mangini - Sound Editor, Elliot Koretz - Sound Editor, Allen Alsobrook - Unit Production Manager, Christian Clavier - Screenwriter, John Hughes - Screenwriter, Jean-Marie Poire - Screenwriter, Mike Brewster - Additional Cinematography, Keith Goddard - Additional Cinematography, Buzz Feitshans IV - Additional Cinematography, Mike Brewster - Second Unit Camera, Keith Goddard - Second Unit Camera, Buzz Feitshans IV - Second Unit Camera, Igor Sekulic - Visual Effects Supervisor, Dennis Maguire - Second Assistant Director, Mark Mangini - Supervising Sound Editor, Elliot Koretz - Supervising Sound Editor, Gina Marie Ome - Costume/Wardrobe, Visual Factory - Visual Effects, Tracy A. Doyle - Set Decorator, Christian Clavier - Book Author
The backstory takes place in 12th century England, where Lord Thibault is about to marry Princess Rosalind, the daughter of the reigning king, who would thus be Henry II. Her mother was Eleanor of Aquitaine, and her brothers were Richard the Lionheart and John Lackland. At the wedding banquet, an enemy gives Thibault a potion which makes him hallucinate, and under its influence, he kills his own bride (rather than her father, as in the French version) believing she is a ferocious monster. While under sentence of death, he asks a wizard to give him a drug that will send him back to the moment before he killed Princess Rosalind. The incompetent wizard botches the spell, and instead, Thibault and his servant are sent into the 21st century.
They end up in a museum in Chicago where they are arrested by the police. However, they are rescued by Julia Malféte (Christina Applegate), a museum employee who closely resembles Princess Rosalind. She thinks that Thibault is her relative who drowned while yachting a couple of years ago. Thibault soon finds out that Julia is descended from his family and realizes he must return to the 12th century to correct the past. Julia introduces them to the modern American style of life where norms from medieval times no longer apply. Before the return to his time, Thibault decides to protect Julia from her money-hungry fiance Hunter (Matthew Ross). Meanwhile, his servant Andre falls for a pretty gardener, Angelique (Tara Reid) who presents him with the world of equal rights for all people.
The wizard realizes his mistake and decides to time travel into the future to help Thibault. After he finds him, he successfully prepares a potion for returning to the past. Hunter is decided to prevent Thibault by interfering with his plans but Julia finds out his real intentions and breaks up with him. Before he leaves, Thibault tells Julia that she will meet a new and better boyfriend. Then he and the wizard drink the potion and return to the past just before the killing of Princess Rosalind. Hunter finds the remainder of the potion which sends him to the 12th century where he is captured.
