Starter for 10 (2006)
85%RT Audience Score: 76%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 3 nominations
Starter For 10 is a spirited coming-of-age tale that remains charming and witty even as it veers into darker teritory. The unique setting of a quiz show makes the film wittier than your average romantic comedy
Starter for 10 is like a warm hug from your high school sweetheart – it’s familiar, comforting, and a little bit cheesy. While it may not break any new ground in the romantic comedy genre, it’s still a fun ride with a great soundtrack and a charming performance from James McAvoy. Plus, who doesn’t love a good quiz show subplot? So grab some popcorn, settle in, and let Starter for 10 take you back to the good old days of big hair and shoulder pads.
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures, Pascal Pictures, Marvel Studios,
Distributor
Picturehouse
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Jaywick, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for sexual content, language and a scene of drug use
Year of Release
2007
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTSS DDS Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 36m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United Kingdom
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 23, 2007 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 31, 2007
Genre(s)
Romance
Keyword(s)
Starter For 10, James McAvoy, Alice Eve, Rebecca Hall, Tom Vaughan, David Nicholls, Romance, PG-13, Picturehouse, Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, Pippa Harris, $210.1K, SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, reviewed by Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chris Tilly, David Fear, Peter Bradshaw, Nathan Rabin, Stella Papamichael, David Lamble, Troy Patterson, Kaleem Aftab, David Nusair, Michael Szymanski, Heather Huntington, coming-of-age, quiz show, University Challenge, Bristol University, Essex, romantic comedy, witty, charming, darker territory, conventional, slight, sincere, cliché, expertly crafted, traditional, post-new wave soundtrack, nebbish, daddy issues, American accent, multi-dimensional characters, snappy editing, good pace, heartwarming, genuinely entertaining
Worldwide gross: $1,736,394
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $2,487,502
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,359
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 271,265
US/Canada gross: $216,839
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $310,637
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,453
US/Canada opening weekend: $37,141
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $53,207
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,188
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Alice Eve – Alice Harbinson
Rebecca Hall – Rebecca Epstein
Simon Woods – Josh
Catherine Tate – Julie Jackson
Dominic Cooper – Spencer
Director(s)
Tom Vaughan
Writer(s)
David Nicholls
Producer(s)
Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, Pippa Harris
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 3 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (81) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (73) | Rotten (8)
Conventional, slight, but charming.
December 4, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
This is expertly crafted entertainment that follows all the beats of a traditional romantic comedy, but it’s done with such sincerity that it’s difficult to begrudge the odd descent into clich.
September 22, 2007
Chris Tilly
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
There’s nothing here we haven’t seen done better before.
September 22, 2007 | Rating: 2/6
David Fear
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
McAvoy carries the picture confidently enough as a leading man, and there is a nice performance from Benedict Cumberbatch.
September 22, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
[The film] bears many of the hallmarks of teen comedies, but also boasts virtues not generally associated with the genre, such as wit, class consciousness, multidimensional characters, and a penetrating intelligence.
September 22, 2007 | Rating: B+
Nathan Rabin
AV Club
TOP CRITIC
Starter For Ten comfortably makes the grade for rib-tickling entertainment.
September 22, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
Stella Papamichael
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
McAvoy is piling up an impressive resume of leading-guy roles for an actor who doesn’t at first glance possess leading-guy looks.
May 21, 2020
David Lamble
Bay Area Reporter
Adhering to every convention of the coming-of-age film in a sneakily alluring way and flirting with cliche without slobbering all over it, this sweet little date-night flick is built to charm everyone’s inner 18-year-old.
October 25, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
Troy Patterson
Spin
While the love story is predictable, the amusing quiz show storyline and excellent post-new wave soundtrack almost make up for it.
November 3, 2018 | Rating: 3/5
Kaleem Aftab
The List
…a perfectly watchable (yet far-from-memorable) romantic comedy/coming-of-age story.
April 18, 2011 | Rating: 3/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
Pure feel-good romantic nostalgia, whether you lived in 1980’s London or not.
November 20, 2008 | Rating: 5/5
Michael Szymanski
Hollywood.com
A sweet, funny nostalgia trip back to the ’80s for the anglophile in all of us.
August 26, 2008 | Rating: 9/10
Heather Huntington
ReelzChannel.com…
Plot
Brian Jackson, a working-class youth from Essex, navigates his way through his first year at Bristol University, finding romance with two pretty students and trying out for a popular TV program called “University Challenge” in the charming and witty coming-of-age tale, Starter For 10.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film in the Fresh Kernels review.
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