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The Opposite of Sex

Play trailer Poster for The Opposite of Sex R Released May 22, 1998 1h 45m Comedy Drama LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
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81% Tomatometer 43 Reviews 60% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
After her stepfather dies, 16-year-old Dede (Christina Ricci) moves in with her gay half-brother Bill, (Martin Donovan). Already pregnant, Dede seduces Bill's partner, Matt (Ivan Sergei), and convinces him the child is his. The couple steals $10,000 from Bill and runs off. But when an ex-student of Bill's -- who's also Matt's ex-lover -- accuses Bill of molestation, he must track down Dede and Matt with the help of Matt's sister, Lucia (Lisa Kudrow), to salvage his reputation.
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The Opposite of Sex

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Critics Consensus

The Opposite of Sex smartly lightens a bitter story with sharp insights and strong dialogue - as well as a startlingly mature performance from former child actor Christina Ricci.

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Critics Reviews

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Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Rated: C- Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Globe and Mail Rated: 2.5/4 Apr 25, 2003 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Watching the movie is like sitting through a film in front of a row of wisecracking cult movie fans. It's also sometimes very funny. Rated: 3/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Wesley Lovell Cinema Sight Roos knows his way around the ideas of homosexuality as well as the human condition. He’s able to tug at the right heartstrings while dousing his screenplays with enough humor to keep them afloat. Rated: 4/4 Jan 7, 2023 Full Review Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault As the movie goes on, the meaning of the title comes into focus. Rated: A- Sep 2, 2022 Full Review Joe Lozito Big Picture Big Sound Rated: 1.5/4 Jul 14, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jeff B Ricci character is obnoxious and unlikable, or whatever. The rest of the cast is great. One star for the beauty of Ivan Sergei! Rated 2 out of 5 stars 08/04/24 Full Review Audience Member Dede is 16 years old and her stepfather has died She moves in with her gay half-brother Bill to get away from her mom But she ends up seducing Bill's partner Matt Dede is also pregnant so she pretends the baby is Matt's Both of them end up stealing $100,000 in the process To make things more dicey an ex-student of Bill's and also Matt's ex accuses him of inappropriate behavior He tracks down both Dede and Matt with the help of his sister, Lucia to save face Christina Ricci, Lisa Kudrow, Johnny Galecki, and Ivan Sergei make quite a cast This is one of Ricci's spicer roles, this was a showcase for her moving into more adult areas as an actress She attempts to break the fourth wall being the snarky narrator yet she has no heart of gold This turns into a chase film and there's no denying there's quite a number of eye brow raising moments when it comes to the dialogue being so casual, some racial slurs, and stereotypes So yeah today lots of this wouldn't fly as it was pretty provocative even 25 years ago Even it's anti politically correct attitude feels jarring But director Don Roos' script is funny with lots of zingers Weirdly Ricci's character disappears through half the film Half of this is funny but so serious so the tones are a bit more conflicting Most want the opposite of sex; it can be destructive, crazy, dangerous even kill But there are pros as well as cons particularly when it comes to our emotions Ricci is really good here; it's just that the material needed to be balanced better Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 05/23/23 Full Review Thomas M The best filmmaking debut ever from Don Roos! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/25/22 Full Review Audience Member some of the worst dialog i've seen in a long time. No wonder it killed its studio. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Superbly written & unpredictable dark comedy features Ginsu-sharp dialogue. Ricci is deliciously wicked & Donovan is stoically sure, but it’s Kudrow who gives her career-best performance - easily the film’s acting MVP. #nitrosMovieChallenge Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/18/22 Full Review Audience Member Uma boa trama, eficientemente narrada, bem entrecortada, mas foi tão entediante e desnecessário, que soou chato… Os 10 minutos finais foi mais legalzinho que todo filme, e o prologo final da protagonista, define bem muitos adolescentes e esse momento conturbado da vida deles... Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Opposite of Sex

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Movie Info

Synopsis After her stepfather dies, 16-year-old Dede (Christina Ricci) moves in with her gay half-brother Bill, (Martin Donovan). Already pregnant, Dede seduces Bill's partner, Matt (Ivan Sergei), and convinces him the child is his. The couple steals $10,000 from Bill and runs off. But when an ex-student of Bill's -- who's also Matt's ex-lover -- accuses Bill of molestation, he must track down Dede and Matt with the help of Matt's sister, Lucia (Lisa Kudrow), to salvage his reputation.
Director
Don Roos
Producer
Michael Besman, David Paul Kirkpatrick
Screenwriter
Don Roos
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Rysher Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 22, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 28, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.4M
Runtime
1h 45m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby SR, Surround
Aspect Ratio
35mm
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