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Rules Don't Apply

PG-13 Released Nov 23, 2016 2h 1m Comedy Drama Romance TRAILER for List
55% Tomatometer 182 Reviews 34% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Small-town beauty queen and devout Baptist Marla Mabrey (Lily Collins), under contract to the infamous Howard Hughes (Warren Beatty), arrives in Los Angeles. At the airport, she meets her driver, Frank Forbes, only two weeks on the job and also from a religiously conservative background. Their instant attraction not only puts their religious convictions to the test but also defies Hughes' number one rule: no employee is allowed to have an intimate relationship with a contract actress.
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Rules Don't Apply

Rules Don't Apply

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Critics Consensus

With Rules Don't Apply, Warren Beatty takes an overall affable -- but undeniably slight -- look at a corner of old Hollywood under Howard Hughes' distinctive shadow.

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Critics Reviews

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Kristen Lopez Culturess Everything...is undercooked, half-thought and damn near incomprehensible. Nov 20, 2017 Full Review Wenlei Ma News.com.au Beatty has made a beautiful-to-look-at film making full cinematic use of its glamorous period setting. But despite having all the ingredients for a charming movie, like Howard Hughes, Rules Don't Apply's soul remains elusive. Rated: 2.5/5 May 2, 2017 Full Review Paul Byrnes Sydney Morning Herald A richly satirical portrait of American double standards. Rated: 4/5 Apr 28, 2017 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Beatty's lofty ambitions for this project are undone by the story and presentation's general unevenness. Rated: 2/4 Apr 5, 2022 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Viewers who can get on the film's wavelength will find much to enjoy, but there's no denying the picture is slight in the extreme. Rated: 2.5/4 Aug 17, 2021 Full Review Charlotte Harrison Charlotte Sometimes Goes to the Movies Written, directed and starring Warren Beatty (playing Hollywood eccentric and legendary billionaire Howard Hughes) this is a love story of sorts to the era of Golden Hollywood... Apr 13, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Redbil A So you've seen Scorsese' 'The Aviator' version with DiCaprio's intense version of Howard Hughes. In this you get Beatty's crackpot loony version of Hughes. Somewhere in the middle of both movies is the truth. This was a great watch. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/23/24 Full Review Alec B More humorous than I expected. It's kind of a mess, but I still admire Beatty's bizarre vision. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/03/24 Full Review Audience Member LOL, the funniest 02 hours: and 01 minute ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member Intelligent work, intriguing, has a touch of class by a very noted director and producer - not the easiest material for mass audiences, but still worth watching twice. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Great cast and story was ok overall, but, it seemed to poke fun at Howard Hughes in a quirky style. Lilly Collins & Alden Ehrenreich carried the film Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review steve d The writing lets everyone involved down, not quite finding an interesting story. That said it is quite watchable due to a star making performance by Lily Collins. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Rules Don't Apply

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Small-town beauty queen and devout Baptist Marla Mabrey (Lily Collins), under contract to the infamous Howard Hughes (Warren Beatty), arrives in Los Angeles. At the airport, she meets her driver, Frank Forbes, only two weeks on the job and also from a religiously conservative background. Their instant attraction not only puts their religious convictions to the test but also defies Hughes' number one rule: no employee is allowed to have an intimate relationship with a contract actress.
Director
Warren Beatty
Producer
Warren Beatty, Arnon Milchan, Brett Ratner, James Packer, Christopher Woodrow, Frank Giustra, Steve Bing, Terry Semel
Screenwriter
Warren Beatty
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Shangri-La Entertainment, Regency Enterprises, Worldview Entertainment, Ratpac Entertainment, Demarest Films
Rating
PG-13 (Drug References|Brief Strong Language|Sexual Material|Thematic Elements)
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 23, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 14, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$3.6M
Runtime
2h 1m
Sound Mix
Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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