Two Weeks Notice

Two Weeks Notice

Company type	Film
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	2002
Founder	Marc Lawrence (writer and director)
Products	Romantic comedy film
Parent	Warner Bros. Pictures

Two Weeks Notice is a 2002 American romantic comedy feature written and directed by Marc Lawrence. The film stars Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant, supported by Alicia Witt, Dana Ivey, Robert Klein, and Heather Burns. It centers on an idealistic, progressive attorney (Bullock) employed by a self-centered billionaire real estate developer (Grant), leading to an unexpected collaboration.

Distributed in the United States on December 20, 2002, by Warner Bros. Pictures, the movie garnered mixed critical reception and achieved a worldwide box office total of $199 million.

Plot

Lucy Kelson is a talented liberal attorney in New York City who focuses on historic preservation, environmental issues, and pro bono work. She finds herself at odds with George Wade, a conceited billionaire property developer known for his womanizing ways. Lucy’s commitment to community causes starkly contrasts with George’s reckless pursuit of profit.

Their paths cross when Lucy attempts to prevent the demolition of the Coney Island community center. Impressed by her Harvard Law credentials, George hires her as his Chief Counsel despite their conflicting ideologies. She agrees after he promises to safeguard the community center and support her charitable efforts.

Soon, Lucy becomes indispensable to George, managing many facets of his personal and professional life. Overwhelmed by his constant demands, she ultimately serves him two weeks' notice.

When Lucy pursues other job opportunities, George obstructs them to keep her on board. They recognize their mutual reliance but behave like a long-married couple. June Carver emerges as a possible replacement; George is attracted to her and considers hiring her despite Lucy’s doubts about June’s lack of real estate experience.

George begins inviting June to events traditionally attended by Lucy, fueling her jealousy. Lucy uncovers that George intends to demolish the community center despite his earlier assurances. She confronts him at his hotel, where she finds him playing "strip chess" with June. On her final day, Lucy reminds George of his broken promise before departing.

Following her exit, George realizes the need for change. Meanwhile, Lucy misses him in her new position. George searches for her, affirms his commitment to keep his word, and they confess their feelings for one another.

The DVD release includes a previously unreleased wedding scene in which George and Lucy marry at the community center surrounded by family and friends.

Cast

Jason Antoon plays Norman and Sharon Wilkins appears as Polly St. Clair, with cameo appearances by Mike Piazza, Donald Trump, and Norah Jones.

Production

During filming, director Marc Lawrence faced serious health challenges. He had previously penned Forces of Nature and Miss Congeniality, the latter featuring Bullock, who agreed to both star in and produce this project after reading his screenplay. Grant was the initial choice for the male lead; both leads were enthusiastic about working together. Lawrence sought to create a character distinct from Grant’s earlier roles. Filming took place in New York City, making it one of the first major Hollywood productions after the September 11 attacks.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for Two Weeks Notice was made available on January 28, 2003, featuring music composed by John Powell and running for a total duration of 30 minutes and 19 seconds.

Critical response

Audience surveys conducted by CinemaScore assigned the film an average rating of "B+".

Roger Ebert from the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the movie a score of 3 out of 4 stars, commenting that "some dialogue delivers sharp wit" through subtle humor. Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly complimented the film’s emphasis on its lead actors and expressed enthusiasm about seeing them collaborate again. In contrast, David Rooney at Variety described it as "a likable yet somewhat thin romantic comedy" that does not match the originality of the duo’s earlier project, Miss Congeniality.

Box office

Upon release, Two Weeks Notice entered the domestic box office at number two, trailing behind The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and stayed within the Top 10 over its initial five weeks. It earned $93.3 million across the U.S. and Canada and accumulated $105.7 million internationally, culminating in a worldwide gross of $199 million against a production budget of $60 million.

Punctuation issue

In the widely acclaimed punctuation guide Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, author Lynne Truss points out that the film’s title is grammatically flawed due to a missing apostrophe (correctly written as Two Weeks' Notice). The hardcover edition includes an author photo showing Truss glaring at the movie poster while holding a marker poised where the apostrophe should be placed.