Monte Carlo (2011 film)

Caption	Theatrical release poster
Director	Thomas Bezucha
Producer	Nicole KidmanDenise Di NoviArnon MilchanAlison Greenspan
Screenplay	Thomas BezuchaApril BlairMaria Maggenti
Story	Kelly Bowe
Based on
Starring	Selena GomezLeighton MeesterKatie CassidyCatherine TateAndie MacDowellCory Monteith
Music	Michael Giacchino
Cinematography	Jonathan Brown
Editing	Jeffrey Ford
Studio	Di Novi PicturesRegency Enterprises
Distributor	Fox 2000 Pictures
Released
Runtime	109 minutes
Country
Language	English
Budget	$20 million
Gross	$31,091,109

Monte Carlo is a 2011 American romantic comedy film directed by Tom Bezucha. Nicole Kidman, Denise Di Novi, Arnon Milchan and Alison Greenspan produced the film for Fox 2000 Pictures and Regency Enterprises. It began production in Budapest on May 5, 2010.

Monte Carlo stars Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy as three friends posing as wealthy socialites in Monaco. The film was released on July 1, 2011. It features the song "Who Says" from Selena Gomez & the Scene.

Plot

Eighteen year old Grace Bennett (Selena Gomez) from Texas adds another pinch of change to her jar marked “Grace’s Fund for Paris” while working at a diner with her best friend, Emma Danielle Perkins (Katie Cassidy), who is a high school dropout.

At Grace's high school graduation, the valedictorian is speaking when Meg Kelly-Bennett (Leighton Meester), Grace’s uptight older stepsister, comes in late. Everybody turns to look, at embarrassed Meg. That night at dinner, Grace’s stepdad (Brett Cullen) announces that he has paid for all three girls to go on a trip to France. Meg, who does not want to go with the girls, refuses. She states that she hasn't gotten along with Emma Perkins since high school and now she’s stuck on going on a soon-to-be-disastrous trip.

The trip proves to be horrible as they have been ripped off for a small suite and have a small amount of time to visit so many places. They get left behind by their tour guide at the Eiffel Tower and trudge through the streets as it rains, seeking coverage in a posh hotel.

As the girls dry up and Grace goes into a bathroom stall, Cordelia Winthrop-Scott, a spoiled British heiress (also played by Selena Gomez) comes in, complaining on her phone about a charity event she must attend in Monte Carlo. After Cordelia leaves, Meg and Emma try to convince Grace that they look exactly alike, but Grace does not believe this until they return to the lobby and everyone mistakes her as Cordelia.

The girls spend the night in Cordelia’s suite while Cordelia leaves to go elsewhere. As they leave the next day, they are attacked by hungry paparazzi with their cameras into Cordelia’s limo. They realize they are on their way to Monte Carlo.

The next day, the girls meet Theo, the son of the philanthropist hosting Cordelia. Theo thinks of Cordelia as a snotty brat and is cold to the girls. He escorts them to a ball (with Mika's "Love Today" playing in the background) where Grace encounters a problem as she meets Cordelia’s suspicious aunt, Alicia. Emma, seeking the wealth she always wanted with her boyfriend Owen, dances with a prince.

The girls return to the hotel. That afternoon, the girls relax on the beach. Emma and Meg make snide remarks to each other. Meg accuses Emma of wasting her life by dropping out of school to model, saying nobody ever missed her. Emma responded by saying Meg’s mother probably didn’t miss Meg either, causing Meg to storm out and bump into Riley, someone she met while in France.

Afterwards, while Grace plays polo with Theo, aunt Alicia suspiciously calls Cordelia’s phone. The real Cordelia picks up, and later, aunt Alicia confronts Grace, thinking that Cordelia has hired a lookalike to take her place while she parties wild. She threatens Grace, stating that if her plan foils, she will have her arrested for identity fraud. After the game, Theo takes Grace to his special place and together they watch fireworks.

At the same time, Emma is dining with the prince she met the night before. They are on a boat where a party is going on (with Mika's "Relax (Take It Easy)" playing in the background). She finds him to be obnoxious and arrogant as he makes a snide remark about her picking up the dishes, telling her there are people for that. She replies just as coldly: “I know,” grabs her things, then walks off to a different part of the boat.

Meanwhile, Meg talks with Riley. He tells her that he used to be a talented rugby player, but an injury kept him in the hospital for a year. He enjoys traveling. Meg opens up to him about her mother who was hospitalized for almost two years. She tells him that she wanted to scream when people showed too much sympathy towards her and Riley replies that maybe she should. She doesn’t, but the two share a passionate moment.

As the girls have fun, Owen, Emma’s boyfriend, a truck-loving football player, comes to France to look for Emma. When he hears that the girls are in Monte Carlo, he goes there to win Emma back. Everything begins to crumble with Cordelia’s unexpected return. Theo, thinking that Cordelia is Grace, kisses her, causing her to slap him.

Cordelia then goes up to the room and out on the balcony where the girls, after cleaning the room, hid. Cordelia goes back in the room and throws away a half-eaten apple left behind by Meg, and then sees a newspaper about the girls in the trash can. She runs to go see if the prized Bvlgari Necklace planned to be sold at an auction is still there. It is not, as Meg put it in Riley’s backpack for safekeeping. Cordelia then calls the police.

The girls chase after Riley to the train station who is now on his way to Italy. They are too late and go back to the hotel. Grace, in a moment of sheer determination, kisses Theo, causing him to tell a bellboy: “I don’t understand women.” The manager asks if she requested the cops and Grace tells him no. The three then proceed up to the suite where they encounter Riley who returns the necklace to them. The three confront Cordelia with the necklace now in their hands.

Furious, Cordelia calls the police again, but Emma ties her up in another room while the police come. The detective states screaming was heard in which Meg replies that Grace was so happy she found the necklace. The police go back down and so does Meg. Upstairs, Emma meets with Owen. The two reconcile just as Cordelia escapes.

By now Grace and Meg have gone to the charity event which Cordelia crashes. She tells everyone that Grace is an imposter, shocking Theo. Cordelia demands Grace arrested, but nobody cares as her aunt Alicia has bought the necklace for €6 million. Theo leaves as he is disgusted with Grace's lies.

After the trip of a lifetime, Meg climbs atop of the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu with Riley and together they scream. At a place of their own, Emma cooks while Owen installs the dimmer light switch she always wanted and the two kiss. An engagement ring is seen shining on Emma's wedding finger as the lights dim. Grace, volunteering with children in Romania, travels to the post office just as Theo sees her. The two introduce themselves again, smiling.

The credits roll playing Mika's "Blame It On The Girls" and ending with Selena Gomez & The Scene's "Who Says."

Cast

Selena Gomez as Grace Ann Bennett/Cordelia Winthrop-Scott

Leighton Meester as Mary Margaret "Meg" Kelly-Bennett

Katie Cassidy as Emma Danielle Perkins Pierre Boulanger as Theo Andie MacDowell as Pamela It is the first film to use the film studio Raleigh Studios Budapest.

Casting

In March 2010, it was announced Selena Gomez had been cast as one of the film's leads following the script's rewrite. | Choice Summer Movie | | |- | Choice Summer Movie Star – Male | Cory Monteith | |- | Choice Summer Movie Star – Female | Selena Gomez | |}

Home media

Fox Home Entertainment will release Monte Carlo on DVD and Blu-ray October 18, 2011. The DVD extras will include deleted scenes, a feature titled "Ding Dang Delicious: The Boys of Monte Carlo", a "Backstage Pass" and a theatrical trailer. The Blu-ray will feature all the DVD features plus the addition of "Monte Carlo Couture", "Jet Setter's Dream", "Gossip With the Girls" and a digital copy of the film.

References

External links

Category:20th Century Fox films Category:American romantic comedy films Category:Films set in Monaco Category:Films shot in Budapest Category:Films shot in Hungary Category:Regency Enterprises films