Themes: Star-Crossed Lovers, Opposites Attract, Dying Young
Main Cast: Keanu Reeves, Charlize Theron, Jason Isaacs, Greg Germann, Liam Aiken
Release Year: 2001
Country: US
Run Time: 119 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
This romantic melodrama reunites The Devil's Advocate (1997) co-stars Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron, and is directed by Irish filmmaker Pat O'Connor (Circle of Friends). Sara Deever (Theron) is a beautiful young woman who begins a new romantic relationship with a man each month, then helps him to evolve into a better and kinder human being before she moves on to the next partner. Although she's remained friendly with some of her former lovers, she's never broken her one-month rule. November's candidate is a particularly heartless business exec named Nelson Moss (Reeves), who takes a while to come around. Once he does, however, Nelson falls deeply in love, hoping to woo Sara for good; eventually, her resolve weakens. What Nelson doesn't know is the tragic secret behind the brevity of Sara's romances. A remake of a 1968 Sandy Dennis film by the same name, this contemporary version of Sweet November is less comedic and emphasizes more of its story's tearjerker qualities than the original. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
This article is about the 2001 film, for the article on the 1968 version, see Sweet November (1968 film).
Sweet November is a 2001Americanromanticdrama starring Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron. The film is based on an earlier version made in 1968 and written by Herman Raucher. Due to the poor response the film received from critics it was nominated for Worst Remake or Sequel and both Reeves and Theron nominated for Worst Actor and Worst Actress at the 2001 Golden Raspberry Awards.
Plot
Nelson Moss (Keanu Reeves) is a typical businessman who devotes his life to his career. He meets Sarah (Charlize Theron), a woman very different from anyone else he has ever met. His arrogance and ignorance leads to her failing her DMV test and she decides to track him down to make him pay for what he did. She subsequently beguiles him and continually asks him to spend a month with her, to be her "November", on the promise that she will change his life. That night she sleeps with him and the next day another man (Chaz) arrives in the apartment, a friend of Sarah's, who is able to identify Nelson as Sarah's "November". Nelson believes, quite rightly, that something strange is going on and leaves. Sarah then runs after Nelson and finally convinces him to stay with her for as long as he can. This later develops into a month.
Throughout the course of November the two experience very happy times together and some breakups. Sarah informs Nelson that Chaz was her "October". Chaz lives beneath Sarah with another friend, the two may be in a gay relationship although this is unclear as Chaz had a sexual relationship with Sarah during October. Sarah also has a dog and gives it up (to a new family) within the month that Nelson stays with her. Apparently this is a regular occurrence. At this point the viewer becomes aware of Sarah's commitment to doing as much good as she can to a variety of subjects, be they human in Nelson's case or canine in the dog's case. During the month Nelson examines his life and his past in great detail. During their adventures Nelson befriends a fatherless child called Abner (Liam Aiken). Eventually Nelson realizes that he is deeply in love with Sarah and asks her to marry him. This sets in motion a sudden chain of events that reveal Sarah's terminal cancer. Because Sarah cannot bear to have Nelson experience her decline in health and eventual death, she asks him to leave. Sarah tells Chaz that Nelson proposed to her. Chaz (who dated her for a month) says that it was not the first time that a man had done so. This implies Sarah has had numerous "months". Sarah confirms this but claims that it was the first time she had wanted to say yes. For a time Nelson complies with her wishes, but then stages a surprise return during her Thanksgiving dinner.
They stay together for a few days and on one day in particular he posts November calendars all over her room saying he does not want her to leave and it can always be November for them. When Nelson wakes up the next morning to find that Sara is once again asking him to leave, with all his calendars taken down. Sarah tries to run away but Nelson runs after her. Eventually they catch up and in the tearful scene that follows Sarah asks Nelson to leave so that he will always have only happy and strong memories of her. Sarah explains that she needs to know this is how she will be remembered, so that she can return home to her family (who she had been avoiding due to her condition) and can face her last days in life. Ostensibly, there will be no further "months". The movie ends with Sara blindfolding Nelson (a revisitation of an activity they had done earlier in the month) and then walking away. Nelson then walks away and is later shown at a park they attended on one of their dates.
