A Life Less Ordinary

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A Life Less Ordinary

R

1997

1h 43m

Romance

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

41%

Tomatometer

37 Reviews

59%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

A couple of angels, O'Reilly (Holly Hunter) and Jackson (Delroy Lindo), are sent to Earth to make sure that their next supervised love-connection succeeds. They follow Celine (Cameron Diaz), a spoiled rich girl who has just accidentally shot a suitor (Stanley Tucci) and, due to a misunderstanding, is kidnapped by janitor Robert (Ewan McGregor). Although Celine quickly frees herself, she stays with Robert for thrills. O'Reilly and Jackson pursue, hoping to unite the prospective lovers.

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Critics Consensus

A Life Less Ordinary has an intriguing cast and stylish work from director Danny Boyle, but they're not enough to overcome the story's fatally misjudged tonal mishmash.

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Mike Clark

USA Today

Jan 10, 2018

1.5/4

Lovely to look at, a semi-chore to sit through, this flick could have used an extra blast of pixie dust.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Jan 1, 2000

2/4

The plot's a mess, the characters flail about in scenes without points, and the more we see of Cameron Diaz and Ewan McGregor, the more we yearn for a nice, simple little love story.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

May 17, 2020

2.5/4

An ambitious yet not-altogether-successful piece of work...

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Robert Roten

Laramie Movie Scope

Feb 19, 2009

B+

It combines romance, comedy, the supernatural, violence, whimsy and music in a unique way.

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Aug 13, 2007

B

Any movie featuring Holly Hunter as a blood-spattered angel, grinning homicidally as she clings to the hood of a speeding car, is just about impossible to dislike.

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Judith Egerton

Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)

Jul 1, 2004

3/4

Part fantasy-adventure, part musical, part nutty romance and part boy-girl crime spree.

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Dominik E

@Chopyn Jan 11, 2026

The plot surely is nothing with great depth, but this one of my favourite Movies of all times. Not a single dull minute and Cameron Diaz was never more adorable!

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Jake S.

@JShear2028 Jul 22, 2025

One of my all-time favorite movies. It’s a fun, at times bonkers ride. The chemistry between McGregor and Diaz is palpable. One of the best romantic comedies ever made in my opinion.

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Munkhjargal A

@RT28084692 Jul 22, 2024

this movie depicts how angels create love themselves. He made me understand that he can be very successful and fall in love like that. I was happy with the director and learned that it is possible to make people understand in this way.

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Bahad j

@RT27093708 Jul 21, 2024

This idea of the film shooting technique director made the film more attractive to people.

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P K

@Pohaku808 Jan 21, 2024

A misunderstood and overlooked gem. Amazing cast, great plot and acting. WATCH IT, give it a chance

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Steve D

@RT35616104 Sep 20, 2023

Reminiscent of Two of a Kind for all the wrong reasons.

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Danny Boyle

Director

Ewan McGregor

Robert Lewis

Cameron Diaz

Celine Naville

Holly Hunter

O'Reilly

Delroy Lindo

Jackson

Ian Holm

Naville

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Synopsis

A couple of angels, O'Reilly (Holly Hunter) and Jackson (Delroy Lindo), are sent to Earth to make sure that their next supervised love-connection succeeds. They follow Celine (Cameron Diaz), a spoiled rich girl who has just accidentally shot a suitor (Stanley Tucci) and, due to a misunderstanding, is kidnapped by janitor Robert (Ewan McGregor). Although Celine quickly frees herself, she stays with Robert for thrills. O'Reilly and Jackson pursue, hoping to unite the prospective lovers.

Director: Danny Boyle
Producer: Andrew Macdonald
Screenwriter: John Hodge
Distributor: 20th Century Fox, Polygram
Production Co: PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 24, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.3M
Runtime: 1h 43m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, Surround
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Scope (2.35:1)

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