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Licorice Pizza

Licorice Pizza is a 2021 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It stars Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman in their film debuts, alongside an ensemble supporting cast including Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, and Benny Safdie. Set in 1973, the film follows the relationship between a teen actor (Hoffman) and a directionless young woman (Haim).

Licorice Pizza
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPaul Thomas Anderson
Written byPaul Thomas Anderson
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
  • Michael Bauman
  • Paul Thomas Anderson
Edited byAndy Jurgensen
Music byJonny Greenwood
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release date
  • November 26, 2021 (2021-11-26)
Running time
133 minutes[2]
Country
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$40 million[3]
Box office$33.3 million[4][5]

The film was released in the United States in select theaters on November 26, 2021, followed by a wide release on December 25.[6] It was a box-office bomb, grossing $33 million worldwide against a $40 million production budget, but was acclaimed by critics and received three nominations at the 94th Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, making it Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's first fully produced, marketed, and distributed film to be nominated for Best Picture since Rain Man in 1988.[7] Among its many other nominations and awards, it received three awards from the National Board of Review (including Best Film), was named one of the best films of 2021 by the American Film Institute, received four nominations at the 79th Golden Globe Awards (including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy), and won the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Plot edit

In 1973 San Fernando Valley, 15-year-old actor Gary Valentine meets Alana Kane, a 25-year-old photographer's assistant, at his school picture day. She is put off by his invitation to dinner that evening, but shows up anyway.

When Gary's mother Anita cannot chaperone him on a press tour performance in New York City, he invites Alana to do it. Alana begins dating his co-star Lance, making Gary jealous, but they break up after Lance says he is an atheist during a Shabbat dinner with her Jewish family.

Gary begins selling waterbeds after coming across one at a wig shop and reconnects with Alana at a teenage trade expo. While at the expo, Gary is mistaken for a murder suspect and arrested on the spot, and Alana runs after him to the police station. He is soon released when the mix-up is sorted out. She joins his waterbed business, acting seductively on the phone to land a potential customer.

After introducing Alana to his talent agent, Gary is upset that she is open to nudity but refuses to show him her breasts. She impulsively does so, but slaps him when he asks to touch them. They open a "Fat Bernie's" storefront for their waterbeds and Alana is hurt when Gary flirts with his classmate Sue and later makes out with Sue in the back room. A jealous Alana peeks in on them before kissing a man on the street, then storming off.

Gary's agent secures Alana an audition for a film starring veteran actor Jack Holden, who brings her to the Tail o' the Cock restaurant, where Gary and his friends are also dining. An inebriated Alana makes Gary jealous, and Holden's friend, film director Rex Blau, convinces him to recreate one of his motorcycle stunts on a nearby golf course, bringing the entire restaurant along. Alana topples off the bike as Holden accelerates away to jump over a flaming sand trap, and Gary runs to her side. Reconciled, they walk to the waterbed store, where Gary stops himself from touching a sleeping Alana's breast.

The 1973 oil crisis sweeps the country, forcing the waterbed manufacturer to close. Alana, Gary, and his friends make one final delivery to the home of Jon Peters. As he leaves to meet his girlfriend, Barbra Streisand, Peters humiliates Gary, threatening to strangle his brother if Gary damages the house.

While setting up the waterbed in the master bedroom, Gary intentionally leaves the hose running while filling it, with Alana's approval. They drive away but are waved down by an agitated Peters, whose car has run out of gas. After driving him home to retrieve a gas canister, they take him to a crowded gas station, but leave him behind when he violently commandeers a gas pump. Gary stops to smash Peters's car, but then they run out of gas as well. Alana maneuvers the truck backwards down a long hill to a gas station, impressing Gary, but causing her to question her recent decisions.

Inspired by a campaign poster, Alana reaches out to her old classmate Brian, who brings her on as volunteer staffer for Joel Wachs, a city councilman running for mayor. Gary briefly joins her but overhears that pinball will soon be legalized in the Valley and decides to open an arcade, leading to an argument with Alana. They lash out at each other about their difference in age and their fraught relationship. Alana emasculates Gary in a verbally abusive volley in an attempt to make herself appear better than Gary, but, when Gary decides to leave, she offers to drive him in an attempt to make peace. Gary drives off alone.

Later, Gary prepares for the opening night of his arcade, remodeling his storefront into "Fat Bernie's Pinball Palace". That same night, Alana nearly shares a kiss with Brian, but is interrupted by an invitation to join Wachs at a restaurant. Thinking it is a date, when Alana arrives, she is dejected to discover that Wachs just wants her to pose as the girlfriend of his secret boyfriend, Matthew, to save him from political embarrassment.

Alana walks a deeply hurt Matthew home, and they commiserate over the men in their lives. She goes to the arcade to find Gary, who has left to look for her at Wachs's office, with her sisters' encouragement. Alana and Gary eventually cross paths and run to each other's arms. They return to the arcade, where Gary announces her as "Mrs. Alana Valentine". Sharing a kiss, they run into the night, and Alana tells Gary that she loves him.

Cast edit

Haim's sisters Danielle and Este, father Moti, and mother Donna also appear as Alana Kane's family.[11] Appearing as Gary's friends are Griff Giacchino as Mark, James Kelley as Tim, and Will Angarola as Kirk. The children of Anderson and Rudolph, as well as the relatives and children of other filmmakers and cast members, also appear in brief roles.[12] John C. Reilly has an uncredited cameo as Fred Gwynne, the actor who portrayed Herman Munster (the credits list him as "Herman Munster as himself"), while Dan Chariton cameos as Sam Harpoon, a film director.

Production edit

Development edit

 
Writer, director, and producer Paul Thomas Anderson

Around 2001, Anderson was walking by a middle school in Los Angeles on picture day. He observed one of the students nagging the female photographer and had an idea of the student having a romantic relationship with the photographer. The screenplay of Licorice Pizza evolved from this experience and additional stories told to Anderson by his friend Gary Goetzman, who was a child actor who had starred in the film Yours, Mine and Ours with Lucille Ball, appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, and eventually started a waterbed company and pinball arcade. Goetzman at one time delivered a waterbed to Jon Peters's home.[13][14] Anderson considered Fast Times at Ridgemont High and American Graffiti as major influences in the making of Licorice Pizza.[8]

Anderson received permission from Jon Peters to develop a character based on him, on the sole condition that Peters's favorite pick-up line was used, and Anderson went on to create a "monster version" of Peters based on 1970s Hollywood producers who had "a reputation for a lot of bravado and aggro energy."[8]

In September 2021, the film was officially titled Licorice Pizza,[15] named after a former chain of record shops in southern California.[16] Anderson explained: "If there's two words that make me kind of have a Pavlovian response and memory of being a child and running around, it's 'licorice' and 'pizza' [...] It instantly takes me back to that time." He added that the words "seemed like a catch-all for the feeling of the film [...] that go well together and maybe capture a mood."[8][14]

Casting edit

 
Haim plays the lead role of Alana Kane, in her film debut.

Anderson wrote the screenplay with Alana Haim in mind and offered her the lead role in summer 2019.[17] He has a close connection to her band Haim, having directed several of their music videos, and is a close friend of the Haim family.[18] Haim's sisters Este and Danielle and parents Mordechai and Donna were also cast to play her character's family.[19] Cooper Hoffman, the son of Philip Seymour Hoffman, was cast late in the process after Anderson found the auditioning young actors too "precocious" and "trained" to match the naturalistic style of Haim's acting.[18] Licorice Pizza marks the feature film debut of both Haim and Hoffman.[19][20] Described as a "family-and-friends project" by the Los Angeles Times, the film also features Anderson's longtime partner Maya Rudolph, their four children, and many of their neighborhood friends in various roles.[14]

Filming edit

Principal photography began in Encino, California, in August 2020,[21] under the working title Soggy Bottom[22] which, in the film, is the initial name of Gary's waterbed business. In November 2020, it was reported that principal photography had wrapped and post-production had begun.[23] A Tudor Revival manor previously owned by actor Lyle Waggoner was used for scenes at Jon Peters's house.[24] Tail o' the Cock, a local restaurant that was demolished in 1987, was recreated for the film at the Van Nuys Golf Course.[14][25] Haim spent a week learning to drive large trucks, and personally performed the stunt where her character backs the truck down a long hill.[17]

Anderson and Michael Bauman (sharing a director of photography credit) shot Licorice Pizza on 35 mm film, using older lenses in order to create the film's 1970s texture.[26]

Music edit

Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood composed the film's score cues. The first trailer for the film, which was released online on September 27, 2021, was set to David Bowie's "Life on Mars?",[27] which also is featured in the film.

The film's official soundtrack was released by Republic Records. Included are many of the period songs featured in the film, as well as one of the original tracks composed by Greenwood.[28]

Release edit

In December 2019, Focus Features, which had financed and released Anderson's previous film Phantom Thread, came on to produce and distribute the film.[29] However, in July 2020, it was reported that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had acquired the film's distribution rights from Focus, presumably due to budgetary issues, and that MGM would set a new start date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[30]

The film was released in select theaters in the United States by United Artists Releasing on November 26, 2021, followed by a nationwide release on December 25. It was released in the United Kingdom on January 14, 2022, by Universal Pictures.[6][31]

Home media edit

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released the film digitally on March 1, 2022, and on both Blu-ray and DVD on May 17.[32]

Reception edit

Box office edit

Licorice Pizza grossed $17.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $15.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide box office total of $33.2 million.[4][5] Deadline Hollywood reported the film lost money for the studio, though did note it "brought a pulse to arthouses during a downbeat time".[33]

The film opened in four theaters on November 26, 2021, including the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles. It made $335,000 its opening weekend, for an average of $83,800 per screen. Audiences were reported to be: 72% between the ages of 18 and 34; 66% male; and 70% Caucasian, 19% Latino and Hispanic, 8% Asian, and 3% Black. Close to 70% of the viewers were college graduates.[34][35]

Its fifth weekend, the film expanded to 786 theaters and entered the box office top ten for the first time with $1.9 million, finishing eighth. During the weekend, 66% of audience members were between the ages of 18 and 34.[36][37] The film made $1.3 million its sixth weekend,[38] $981,886 its seventh,[39] $879,511 its eighth,[40] $659,953 its ninth,[41] $630,117 its tenth,[42] and $644,699 its eleventh.[43]

After earning its three Academy Award nominations, the film was expanded to 1,977 total theaters and made $959,788 over its twelfth weekend, finishing ninth at the box office.[44] It dropped out of the top ten its thirteenth weekend of release, grossing $647,973.[45]

Critical response edit

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 317 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Licorice Pizza finds Paul Thomas Anderson shifting into a surprisingly comfortable gear – and getting potentially star-making performances out of his fresh-faced leads."[46] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 90 out of 100, based on 55 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[47] Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film an 87% positive score, with 73% saying they would definitely recommend it.[48]

The film generated some controversy over the romance between the main characters, one of whom is 25 (or 28) and the other 15.[49] It also came under fire for scenes in which the character Jerry uses a demeaning mock Asian accent when speaking to his Japanese wives.[50] Regarding the latter, director Anderson defended the scenes as being contemporaneous and accurate portrayals of the movie's time period.[51] The group Media Action Network for Asian Americans, however, called for an awards boycott of the movie due to the decision to include these two scenes without any pushback from the characters.[50]

Licorice Pizza was nominated in three categories at the 94th Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay), and in four at the 79th Golden Globe Awards (Best Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Actor – Musical or Comedy, Best Actress – Musical or Comedy, and Best Screenplay). It was ranked second on Cahiers du Cinéma's list of the top 10 films of 2022.[52]

References edit

  1. ^ Hipes, Patrick (September 27, 2021). "'Licorice Pizza' Trailer: Paul Thomas Anderson Heads Back to the Valley". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on September 27, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  2. ^ Ruimy, Jordan (October 29, 2021). "Confirmed: 'Licorice Pizza' Runtime is 133 Minutes". World of Reel. from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
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  48. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 27, 2021). "The Sobering Reality Of Thanksgiving Box Office During Pandemic With 'Encanto' Sans 'Top Gun 2'; Adults Return For 'House Of Gucci', 'Licorice Pizza'". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on November 25, 2021. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
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  50. ^ a b Wong, Wilson (December 29, 2021). "Asian activist group calls for awards boycott of 'Licorice Pizza' for fake Asian accent". NBC News. from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
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External links edit

licorice, pizza, angeles, record, store, chain, that, inspired, title, store, 2021, american, romantic, comedy, drama, film, written, directed, paul, thomas, anderson, stars, alana, haim, cooper, hoffman, their, film, debuts, alongside, ensemble, supporting, c. For the Los Angeles record store chain that inspired the title see Licorice Pizza store Licorice Pizza is a 2021 American romantic comedy drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson It stars Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman in their film debuts alongside an ensemble supporting cast including Sean Penn Tom Waits Bradley Cooper and Benny Safdie Set in 1973 the film follows the relationship between a teen actor Hoffman and a directionless young woman Haim Licorice PizzaTheatrical release posterDirected byPaul Thomas AndersonWritten byPaul Thomas AndersonProduced bySara Murphy Adam Somner Paul Thomas AndersonStarringAlana Haim Cooper Hoffman Sean Penn Tom Waits Bradley Cooper Benny SafdieCinematographyMichael Bauman Paul Thomas AndersonEdited byAndy JurgensenMusic byJonny GreenwoodProductioncompaniesMetro Goldwyn Mayer Focus Features 1 Bron Creative Ghoulardi Film CompanyDistributed byUnited Artists Releasing United States Universal Pictures International Release dateNovember 26 2021 2021 11 26 Running time133 minutes 2 CountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBudget 40 million 3 Box office 33 3 million 4 5 The film was released in the United States in select theaters on November 26 2021 followed by a wide release on December 25 6 It was a box office bomb grossing 33 million worldwide against a 40 million production budget but was acclaimed by critics and received three nominations at the 94th Academy Awards Best Picture Best Director and Best Original Screenplay making it Metro Goldwyn Mayer s first fully produced marketed and distributed film to be nominated for Best Picture since Rain Man in 1988 7 Among its many other nominations and awards it received three awards from the National Board of Review including Best Film was named one of the best films of 2021 by the American Film Institute received four nominations at the 79th Golden Globe Awards including Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and won the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3 1 Development 3 2 Casting 3 3 Filming 4 Music 5 Release 5 1 Home media 6 Reception 6 1 Box office 6 2 Critical response 7 References 8 External linksPlot editIn 1973 San Fernando Valley 15 year old actor Gary Valentine meets Alana Kane a 25 year old photographer s assistant at his school picture day She is put off by his invitation to dinner that evening but shows up anyway When Gary s mother Anita cannot chaperone him on a press tour performance in New York City he invites Alana to do it Alana begins dating his co star Lance making Gary jealous but they break up after Lance says he is an atheist during a Shabbat dinner with her Jewish family Gary begins selling waterbeds after coming across one at a wig shop and reconnects with Alana at a teenage trade expo While at the expo Gary is mistaken for a murder suspect and arrested on the spot and Alana runs after him to the police station He is soon released when the mix up is sorted out She joins his waterbed business acting seductively on the phone to land a potential customer After introducing Alana to his talent agent Gary is upset that she is open to nudity but refuses to show him her breasts She impulsively does so but slaps him when he asks to touch them They open a Fat Bernie s storefront for their waterbeds and Alana is hurt when Gary flirts with his classmate Sue and later makes out with Sue in the back room A jealous Alana peeks in on them before kissing a man on the street then storming off Gary s agent secures Alana an audition for a film starring veteran actor Jack Holden who brings her to the Tail o the Cock restaurant where Gary and his friends are also dining An inebriated Alana makes Gary jealous and Holden s friend film director Rex Blau convinces him to recreate one of his motorcycle stunts on a nearby golf course bringing the entire restaurant along Alana topples off the bike as Holden accelerates away to jump over a flaming sand trap and Gary runs to her side Reconciled they walk to the waterbed store where Gary stops himself from touching a sleeping Alana s breast The 1973 oil crisis sweeps the country forcing the waterbed manufacturer to close Alana Gary and his friends make one final delivery to the home of Jon Peters As he leaves to meet his girlfriend Barbra Streisand Peters humiliates Gary threatening to strangle his brother if Gary damages the house While setting up the waterbed in the master bedroom Gary intentionally leaves the hose running while filling it with Alana s approval They drive away but are waved down by an agitated Peters whose car has run out of gas After driving him home to retrieve a gas canister they take him to a crowded gas station but leave him behind when he violently commandeers a gas pump Gary stops to smash Peters s car but then they run out of gas as well Alana maneuvers the truck backwards down a long hill to a gas station impressing Gary but causing her to question her recent decisions Inspired by a campaign poster Alana reaches out to her old classmate Brian who brings her on as volunteer staffer for Joel Wachs a city councilman running for mayor Gary briefly joins her but overhears that pinball will soon be legalized in the Valley and decides to open an arcade leading to an argument with Alana They lash out at each other about their difference in age and their fraught relationship Alana emasculates Gary in a verbally abusive volley in an attempt to make herself appear better than Gary but when Gary decides to leave she offers to drive him in an attempt to make peace Gary drives off alone Later Gary prepares for the opening night of his arcade remodeling his storefront into Fat Bernie s Pinball Palace That same night Alana nearly shares a kiss with Brian but is interrupted by an invitation to join Wachs at a restaurant Thinking it is a date when Alana arrives she is dejected to discover that Wachs just wants her to pose as the girlfriend of his secret boyfriend Matthew to save him from political embarrassment Alana walks a deeply hurt Matthew home and they commiserate over the men in their lives She goes to the arcade to find Gary who has left to look for her at Wachs s office with her sisters encouragement Alana and Gary eventually cross paths and run to each other s arms They return to the arcade where Gary announces her as Mrs Alana Valentine Sharing a kiss they run into the night and Alana tells Gary that she loves him Cast editAlana Haim as Alana Kane Cooper Hoffman as Gary Valentine Valentine is based on film producer and former child actor Gary Goetzman 8 Sean Penn as Jack Holden an actor based on William Holden 8 Tom Waits as film director Rex Blau Bradley Cooper as Jon Peters a hairstylist and later a film producer Benny Safdie as Joel Wachs a politician running for Mayor of Los Angeles Skyler Gisondo as Lance Brannigan an actor and love interest of Alana Mary Elizabeth Ellis as Momma Anita Gary s mother John Michael Higgins as Jerry Frick a Los Angeles businessman who opened the Mikado Hotel and restaurant in 1963 The Mikado was the first Japanese restaurant in the San Fernando Valley 9 Christine Ebersole as Lucy Doolittle an actress based on Lucille Ball 8 Harriet Sansom Harris as Mary Grady Valentine s agent Grady was a Hollywood child talent agent and mother of actors Don Grady and Lani O Grady 10 Ryan Heffington as Steve Barbra Streisand s assistant Nate Mann as Brian Alana s friend who works for Wachs campaign Joseph Cross as Matthew Wachs secret boyfriend Isabelle Kusman as Sue Pomerantz one of Gary s classmates Destry Allyn Spielberg as Frisbee Kahill an employee at the Mikado George DiCaprio as Mr Jack the owner of a wig shop that also sells waterbeds Iyana Halley as Brenda an employee at Mr Jack s store Ray Chase as B Mitchel Reed a radio disc jockey Emma Dumont as Brenda a flight attendant Yumi Mizui as Mioko Frick s first wife Megumi Anjo as Kimiko Frick s second wife Maya Rudolph as Gale Vic s assistant Tim Conway Jr as Vic a casting director Emily Althaus as Kiki Page Gary s waterbed model at the Teen Age Fair Milo Herschlag as Greg Valentine Gary s younger brother Haim s sisters Danielle and Este father Moti and mother Donna also appear as Alana Kane s family 11 Appearing as Gary s friends are Griff Giacchino as Mark James Kelley as Tim and Will Angarola as Kirk The children of Anderson and Rudolph as well as the relatives and children of other filmmakers and cast members also appear in brief roles 12 John C Reilly has an uncredited cameo as Fred Gwynne the actor who portrayed Herman Munster the credits list him as Herman Munster as himself while Dan Chariton cameos as Sam Harpoon a film director Production editDevelopment edit nbsp Writer director and producer Paul Thomas Anderson Around 2001 Anderson was walking by a middle school in Los Angeles on picture day He observed one of the students nagging the female photographer and had an idea of the student having a romantic relationship with the photographer The screenplay of Licorice Pizza evolved from this experience and additional stories told to Anderson by his friend Gary Goetzman who was a child actor who had starred in the film Yours Mine and Ours with Lucille Ball appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and eventually started a waterbed company and pinball arcade Goetzman at one time delivered a waterbed to Jon Peters s home 13 14 Anderson considered Fast Times at Ridgemont High and American Graffiti as major influences in the making of Licorice Pizza 8 Anderson received permission from Jon Peters to develop a character based on him on the sole condition that Peters s favorite pick up line was used and Anderson went on to create a monster version of Peters based on 1970s Hollywood producers who had a reputation for a lot of bravado and aggro energy 8 In September 2021 the film was officially titled Licorice Pizza 15 named after a former chain of record shops in southern California 16 Anderson explained If there s two words that make me kind of have a Pavlovian response and memory of being a child and running around it s licorice and pizza It instantly takes me back to that time He added that the words seemed like a catch all for the feeling of the film that go well together and maybe capture a mood 8 14 Casting edit nbsp Haim plays the lead role of Alana Kane in her film debut Anderson wrote the screenplay with Alana Haim in mind and offered her the lead role in summer 2019 17 He has a close connection to her band Haim having directed several of their music videos and is a close friend of the Haim family 18 Haim s sisters Este and Danielle and parents Mordechai and Donna were also cast to play her character s family 19 Cooper Hoffman the son of Philip Seymour Hoffman was cast late in the process after Anderson found the auditioning young actors too precocious and trained to match the naturalistic style of Haim s acting 18 Licorice Pizza marks the feature film debut of both Haim and Hoffman 19 20 Described as a family and friends project by the Los Angeles Times the film also features Anderson s longtime partner Maya Rudolph their four children and many of their neighborhood friends in various roles 14 Filming edit Principal photography began in Encino California in August 2020 21 under the working title Soggy Bottom 22 which in the film is the initial name of Gary s waterbed business In November 2020 it was reported that principal photography had wrapped and post production had begun 23 A Tudor Revival manor previously owned by actor Lyle Waggoner was used for scenes at Jon Peters s house 24 Tail o the Cock a local restaurant that was demolished in 1987 was recreated for the film at the Van Nuys Golf Course 14 25 Haim spent a week learning to drive large trucks and personally performed the stunt where her character backs the truck down a long hill 17 Anderson and Michael Bauman sharing a director of photography credit shot Licorice Pizza on 35 mm film using older lenses in order to create the film s 1970s texture 26 Music editMain article Licorice Pizza soundtrack Radiohead s Jonny Greenwood composed the film s score cues The first trailer for the film which was released online on September 27 2021 was set to David Bowie s Life on Mars 27 which also is featured in the film The film s official soundtrack was released by Republic Records Included are many of the period songs featured in the film as well as one of the original tracks composed by Greenwood 28 Release editIn December 2019 Focus Features which had financed and released Anderson s previous film Phantom Thread came on to produce and distribute the film 29 However in July 2020 it was reported that Metro Goldwyn Mayer had acquired the film s distribution rights from Focus presumably due to budgetary issues and that MGM would set a new start date due to the COVID 19 pandemic 30 The film was released in select theaters in the United States by United Artists Releasing on November 26 2021 followed by a nationwide release on December 25 It was released in the United Kingdom on January 14 2022 by Universal Pictures 6 31 Home media edit Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released the film digitally on March 1 2022 and on both Blu ray and DVD on May 17 32 Reception editBox office edit Licorice Pizza grossed 17 3 million in the United States and Canada and 15 9 million in other territories for a worldwide box office total of 33 2 million 4 5 Deadline Hollywood reported the film lost money for the studio though did note it brought a pulse to arthouses during a downbeat time 33 The film opened in four theaters on November 26 2021 including the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles It made 335 000 its opening weekend for an average of 83 800 per screen Audiences were reported to be 72 between the ages of 18 and 34 66 male and 70 Caucasian 19 Latino and Hispanic 8 Asian and 3 Black Close to 70 of the viewers were college graduates 34 35 Its fifth weekend the film expanded to 786 theaters and entered the box office top ten for the first time with 1 9 million finishing eighth During the weekend 66 of audience members were between the ages of 18 and 34 36 37 The film made 1 3 million its sixth weekend 38 981 886 its seventh 39 879 511 its eighth 40 659 953 its ninth 41 630 117 its tenth 42 and 644 699 its eleventh 43 After earning its three Academy Award nominations the film was expanded to 1 977 total theaters and made 959 788 over its twelfth weekend finishing ninth at the box office 44 It dropped out of the top ten its thirteenth weekend of release grossing 647 973 45 Critical response edit See also List of accolades received by Licorice Pizza On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes 91 of 317 critics reviews are positive with an average rating of 8 3 10 The website s consensus reads Licorice Pizza finds Paul Thomas Anderson shifting into a surprisingly comfortable gear and getting potentially star making performances out of his fresh faced leads 46 Metacritic which uses a weighted average assigned the film a score of 90 out of 100 based on 55 critics indicating universal acclaim 47 Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film an 87 positive score with 73 saying they would definitely recommend it 48 The film generated some controversy over the romance between the main characters one of whom is 25 or 28 and the other 15 49 It also came under fire for scenes in which the character Jerry uses a demeaning mock Asian accent when speaking to his Japanese wives 50 Regarding the latter director Anderson defended the scenes as being contemporaneous and accurate portrayals of the movie s time period 51 The group Media Action Network for Asian Americans however called for an awards boycott of the movie due to the decision to include these two scenes without any pushback from the characters 50 Licorice Pizza was nominated in three categories at the 94th Academy Awards Best Picture Best Director and Best Original Screenplay and in four at the 79th Golden Globe Awards Best Picture Musical or Comedy Best Actor Musical or Comedy Best Actress Musical or Comedy and Best Screenplay It was ranked second on Cahiers du Cinema s list of the top 10 films of 2022 52 References edit Hipes Patrick September 27 2021 Licorice Pizza Trailer Paul Thomas Anderson Heads Back to the Valley Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on September 27 2021 Retrieved September 27 2021 Ruimy Jordan October 29 2021 Confirmed Licorice Pizza Runtime is 133 Minutes World of Reel Archived from the original on October 29 2021 Retrieved November 7 2021 Lang Brent October 30 2020 Breaking Down MGM s Costly No Time to Die Dilemma date Variety Archived from the original on October 31 2020 Retrieved October 30 2020 a b Licorice Pizza 2021 Box Office Mojo IMDb Retrieved August 13 2022 a b Licorice Pizza 2021 The Numbers Nash Information Services LLC Retrieved April 5 2022 a b Bubp Ashley April 20 2021 Paul Thomas Anderson s Latest Film Announces Holiday Release Date Collider Archived from the original on April 21 2021 Retrieved April 21 2021 Nancy Tartaglione February 9 2022 MGM Michael De Luca amp Pam Abdy Interview Oscar Nominations Future Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on February 9 2022 Retrieved February 26 2022 a b c d e f Lang Brent November 10 2021 Paul Thomas Anderson on Licorice Pizza and Moviemaking Anyone Who s Done This Knows Confidence Is an Illusion Variety Archived from the original on November 27 2021 Retrieved November 10 2021 Hilbers Joe December 21 2004 North Hollywood The Mikado continues its long run of success Vittles Voyages Archived from the original on March 16 2006 Retrieved November 26 2021 Evans Greg January 8 2021 Mary Grady Dies Talent Agent To Child Stars Mother Of My Three Sons Actor Don Grady Was 96 Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on October 27 2021 Retrieved November 26 2021 Rutigliano Olivia December 17 2021 In Licorice Pizza Everyone is Pretending to Be a Grown Up Especially the Grown Ups LitHub Archived from the original on December 19 2021 Retrieved December 18 2021 Paul Thomas Anderson s Hilarious and Intimate Licorice Pizza Tour of the Valley LA Times November 26 2021 Archived from the original on December 6 2021 Retrieved December 18 2021 Mankiewicz Ben November 6 2021 Licorice Pizza Panel w Paul Thomas Anderson and Alana Haim Interview Event occurs at 2 00 4 00 17 00 18 00 32 00 33 00 Archived from the original on November 7 2021 Retrieved November 7 2021 via YouTube a b c d Whipp Glenn November 26 2021 Paul Thomas Anderson s hilarious and intimate Licorice Pizza tour of the Valley Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on December 6 2021 Retrieved December 11 2021 Ruimy Jordan September 9 2021 PTA s New Film is Officially Titled Licorice Pizza World of Reel Archived from the original on September 9 2021 Retrieved September 9 2021 Nichols Chris September 15 2021 A Look Back at Licorice Pizza the SoCal Record Store P T Anderson s New Movie Is Named After Los Angeles Magazine Archived from the original on October 4 2021 Retrieved October 4 2021 a b Verhoeven Beatrice December 6 2021 Licorice Pizza Star Alana Haim Calls Paul Thomas Anderson Her Biggest Supporter The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on December 9 2021 Retrieved December 11 2021 a b Zoladz Lindsay December 6 2021 Alana Haim Surprised Everyone With Her Movie Debut Even Herself The New York Times Archived from the original on December 9 2021 Retrieved December 11 2021 a b Greene Andy December 9 2021 Re Introducing Alana Haim the Knock Down Drag Out Star of Licorice Pizza Rolling Stone Archived from the original on December 10 2021 Retrieved December 11 2021 Buchanan Kyle November 22 2021 Paul Thomas Anderson Goes Back to the Valley With Licorice Pizza The New York Times Archived from the original on December 11 2021 Retrieved December 11 2021 Raup Jordan August 24 2020 Paul Thomas Anderson Begins Shooting Next Film with Working Title of Soggy Bottom The Film Stage Archived from the original on August 25 2020 Retrieved August 24 2020 Welk Brian November 10 2020 Los Angeles Film Shoots at 47 of Pre COVID Levels FilmLA Says TheWrap Archived from the original on January 25 2021 Retrieved April 21 2021 Raup Jordan November 19 2020 Paul Thomas Anderson s Soggy Bottom Wraps Filming The Film Stage Archived from the original on January 27 2021 Retrieved April 21 2021 Zuckerman Esther November 24 2021 Why Paul Thomas Anderson Chose to Film Part of Licorice Pizza at My Childhood Home Thrillist Archived from the original on December 12 2021 Retrieved December 12 2021 Recognize these San Fernando Valley sites Enjoy these glimpses of some Licorice Pizza locations Los Angeles Daily News December 10 2021 Archived from the original on December 10 2021 Retrieved December 11 2021 Topel Fred November 14 2021 Licorice Pizza Used 70s Film Tech to Tell A 70s Love Story Contenders L A Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on December 5 2021 Retrieved December 11 2021 Goslin Austen September 27 2021 The Licorice Pizza trailer prepares us for Paul Thomas Anderson s good vibes event film Polygon Archived from the original on September 27 2021 Retrieved September 27 2021 Licorice Pizza Soundtrack Album Details Field Music Reporter November 9 2021 Archived from the original on October 27 2021 Retrieved November 9 2021 Rubin Rebecca December 18 2019 Paul Thomas Anderson s Next Film Lands at Focus Features Variety Archived from the original on April 8 2020 Retrieved March 3 2020 Kit Borys July 17 2020 Paul Thomas Anderson s 1970s High School Movie Moving From Focus to MGM The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on September 16 2020 Retrieved July 19 2020 Raup Jordan April 20 2021 Paul Thomas Anderson s Next Film Set for Fall 2021 Release The Film Stage Archived from the original on April 20 2021 Retrieved April 21 2021 Licorice Pizza 2021 Archived from the original on March 30 2022 Retrieved March 30 2022 D Alessandro Anthony April 22 2023 Super Mario Bros Has Best Third Weekend For Animated Pic With 58M Evil Dead Rise Still Alive With 23M Sunday Box Office Update Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on May 22 2023 Retrieved April 23 2023 D Alessandro Anthony November 28 2021 Licorice Pizza Delivers Paul Thomas Anderson Pic s Opening Among Filmmaker s Best With Record Screen Average Specialty Box Office Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on November 28 2021 Retrieved November 28 2021 D Alessandro Anthony November 28 2021 Encanto amp Ghostbusters Afterlife Split Families House Of Gucci Best Opening For Drama In Two Years Thanksgiving Box Office Sunday Update Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on November 28 2021 Retrieved November 28 2021 Domestic 2021 Weekend 52 Box Office Mojo Archived from the original on December 29 2021 Retrieved December 30 2021 D Alessandro Anthony December 26 2021 Spider Man No Way Home Third Best Christmas Ever With 31 7M US Domestic At 467M amp 1 05B WW Sunday Update Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on December 29 2021 Retrieved December 27 2021 Domestic 2021 Weekend 53 Box Office Mojo Archived from the original on January 4 2022 Retrieved January 8 2022 Domestic 2022 Weekend 1 Box Office Mojo January 10 2022 Archived from the original on January 9 2022 Retrieved January 10 2022 Domestic 2022 Weekend 2 Box Office Mojo Archived from the original on July 9 2022 Retrieved January 19 2022 Domestic 2022 Weekend 3 Box Office Mojo Archived from the original on July 9 2022 Retrieved January 24 2022 Domestic 2022 Weekend 4 Box Office Mojo Archived from the original on March 16 2022 Retrieved February 1 2022 Domestic 2022 Weekend 5 Box Office Mojo Archived from the original on February 7 2022 Retrieved February 9 2022 Domestic 2022 Weekend 6 Box Office Mojo Archived from the original on February 18 2022 Retrieved February 15 2022 Domestic 2022 Weekend 7 Box Office Mojo Archived from the original on February 21 2022 Retrieved February 23 2022 Licorice Pizza Rotten Tomatoes Fandango Media Retrieved April 6 2023 nbsp Licorice Pizza Metacritic Fandom Inc Retrieved January 11 2022 D Alessandro Anthony November 27 2021 The Sobering Reality Of Thanksgiving Box Office During Pandemic With Encanto Sans Top Gun 2 Adults Return For House Of Gucci Licorice Pizza Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on November 25 2021 Retrieved November 28 2021 Baron Reuben December 28 2021 Licorice Pizza s Problematic Ending Ruins the Movie CBR Archived from the original on January 31 2022 Retrieved January 31 2022 a b Wong Wilson December 29 2021 Asian activist group calls for awards boycott of Licorice Pizza for fake Asian accent NBC News Archived from the original on January 28 2022 Retrieved February 6 2022 Sun Rebecca December 31 2021 Analysis A Close Reading of Licorice Pizza s Japanese Wife Scenes The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on February 4 2022 Retrieved January 31 2022 Zilko Christian December 1 2022 Pacifiction Tops Cahiers du Cinema s Best Films of 2022 List IndieWire Archived from the original on December 6 2022 Retrieved December 5 2022 External links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Licorice Pizza Licorice Pizza at IMDb nbsp Licorice Pizza at Rotten Tomatoes Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Licorice Pizza amp oldid 1217878172, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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