How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is a 2003 romantic comedy film directed by Donald Petrie, starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. It is based on the picture book of the same name by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long. The book has no narrative, only a list of comedic dating don ts , so the characters and plot were both created specifically for the film. In the film, advertising executive Benjamin Barry makes a bet that he can make any woman fall in love with him, while women s magazine writer Andie Anderson plans to write an article about how she led her boyfriend to dump her, putting them at cross-purposes after they choose each other as their romantic partners. Andie employs a number of the dating don ts from the picture book in her efforts to get Ben to break up with her.

Plot

Andie Anderson is a writer for the women s magazine Composure as the How to , subject-matter expert. She is bored and wishes she could write about more serious topics. After Andie s friend Michelle experiences yet another break-up, she becomes despondent and says she is not attractive enough. Andie argues that the problem is rather her needy, excessively emotional behavior with men, and is inspired to write an article titled How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days in order to prove her point; she will begin dating a man and drive him away within 10 days simply by imitating Michelle s behavior.

Advertising executive Benjamin Barry is looking to branch out from his usual remit of beer and sports campaigns, and lead a prestigious advertising campaign for a diamond company. At a bar, Ben s boss, Phillip, questions whether Ben has enough insight into the romance typically associated with diamonds. In response, Ben wagers he could make any woman fall in love with him. Phillip says that if he can achieve this before the ball that will take place in 10 days, he will allow Ben to lead the diamond campaign. Ben s rivals, Judy Spears and Judy Green, were at the Composure magazine offices earlier in the day and know about Andie s task. Seeing Andie at the bar, they pick her as the woman to be romanced by Ben.

Ben and Andie meet and soon start their quests, neither revealing their true intentions. Andie works hard to make Ben break up with her in order to complete her article, but Ben continues to stick around in hopes of making her fall in love with him. Andie gets Ben knocked out in a movie theater by talking aloud while watching a film, moves her things into his apartment, gets him a fern plant to represent their relationship and a Chinese Crested Dog, and takes him to a Celine Dion concert when he was under the assumption he was going to see a New York Knicks basketball game. However, she also occasionally lets her normal side show, which Ben begins falling for.

Fed up with the project, Andie throws a fit at Ben s boys poker night to finally drive him to break up with her. However, Ben s friends Tony and Thayer push him to stay the course by proposing couples counseling with Andie. Andie has Michelle pose as a couples therapist and suggest Ben is ashamed of Andie. Ben counters by offering to introduce her to his family in Staten Island for the weekend. While vacationing together Ben and Andie form a genuine bond. Andie and Ben go to the company ball together where Phillip meets Andie and tells Ben that he met her, she loves you, you win.

To sabotage Ben, Judy and Judy tell Tony and Thayer that Andie knew about the bet all along and was playing along to help Ben win. Tony and Thayer beg Andie to keep quiet, unwittingly making her aware of the bet. Simultaneously, Andie s boss Lana, who is unaware of Ben s role, tells him about Andie s How To article. Upon learning of Ben s bet, Andie attempts to humiliate Ben in front of everyone at the party, and the pair argue on stage before breaking up.

Tony shows Ben Andie s article. She explains in it how she lost the only guy I ve ever fallen for . When he hears she quit her job at Composure (since Lana again refused to let her write about serious topics) and is on her way to Washington, D.C. for an interview, he chases her taxi and stops her. Once he accuses her of running away, they reveal their true feelings for each other. Ben instructs the taxi driver to return Andie s belongings to her home, and then they kiss.

Cast

• Kate Hudson as Andie Anderson
• Matthew McConaughey as Benjamin Barry
• Kathryn Hahn as Michelle
• Annie Parisse as Jeannie
• Adam Goldberg as Tony
• Thomas Lennon as Thayer
• Michael Michele as Judy Spears
• Shalom Harlow as Judy Green
• Robert Klein as Phillip Warren
• Bebe Neuwirth as Lana Jang
• Liliane Montevecchi as Mrs. DeLauer
• Marvin Hamlisch as Himself (cameo)

Production

Gwyneth Paltrow and director Mike Newell were originally attached to the project but producer Lynda Obst was unable to get Newell to commit to a date and Paltrow went on to work on the film View from the Top.

The yellow gown Kate Hudson wore in the movie was created by Carolina Herrera along with the film’s costume designer. The necklace she wears with the yellow gown is called, in the film, the Isadora Diamond named after Isadora Duncan. The 80-carat yellow diamond in the necklace was designed by Harry Winston and is worth $6 million.

The apartment interiors were conceived by Yeadon born sculptor Zoë Waterman, who said she thought the characters should live in spaces which I consider to be dream spaces. That is to say their apartments are as close as I ve seen on screen to my dream apartment. I just said to myself where would I absolutely love to live in my wildest dreams? , and the whole design came together in about fifteen minutes.

Release

Critical response

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days received mixed reviews from critics. Metacritic gave the film a score of 45 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews . Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a rating of 42%, based on 150 reviews, with an average rating of 5/10. The site s critical consensus reads: Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson are charming together, but they can t overcome How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days silly premise and predictable script.

Box office

The film was released on February 7, 2003, and earned $23,774,850 in its first weekend. Its final gross is $105,813,373 in the United States and $71,558,068 internationally.

Year	2003
ReleaseDate	2003-02-07
RuntimeMins	116
RuntimeStr	1h 56min
Plot	Benjamin Barry is an advertising executive and ladies’ man who, to win a big campaign, bets that he can make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days.
Awards	Awards, 1 win & 8 nominations
Directors	Donald Petrie
Writers	Michele Alexander, Jeannie Long, Kristen Buckley
Stars	Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, Adam Goldberg
Produced by	Brian Alexander,Robert Evans,Elizabeth Joan Hooper,Lynda Obst,Christine Peters,Robin Prybil,Richard Vane
Music by	David Newman
Cinematography by	John Bailey
Film Editing by	Debra Neil-Fisher
Casting By	Andrew S. Brown,Gail Levin
Production Design by	Thérèse DePrez
Costume Design by	Karen Patch
Makeup Department	Kathryn Blondell,Linda Dowds,Bernadette Mazur,Francesca Paris,Ronnie Specter,Vincent Sullivan,Johanne Boisvert
Production Management	Jim Powers,Harvey Waldman,Nan Morales
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director	Joan G. Bostwick,Tyler Delben,Stuart Feldman,Jack Gill,Terriel Ham,Michaela Hudson,Grant Lucibello,Mike Manzato,Francisco Ortiz,Ellen H. Schwartz,Robert E. Warren,Odette Blanch,Jennifer Haufler
Art Department	David Orin Charles,Jaro Dick,Matt Duncan,Nick Evans,James C. Feng,Brandt Gordon,Derrick Kardos,Jonathan Kovacs,Martin Lasowitz,Keri Lederman,John Mackenzie,Charles E. McCarry,Brenda McClennin,Don McQueen,Nick Miller,Robert G. Pearson,Reet Puhm,Dave Reardon,Vic Rigler,John Butch Rose,Corinna Schmitt-Porsia,Evan Webber,Colin Woods,Frances Catalano,John Davis,Avril Dishaw,Daren Dochterman,Jonathan Graham,Joseph Helmreich,Alexandra Hooper,Erin Manigault,Joe Mohos,James Pesce,James Sadek,Jeff Smith,John Todd,Paul Vernon,Danielle Webb,Robert Zorella
Sound Department	Anna Behlmer,David Boulton,Anne Couk,Scott Curtis,Victor Ray Ennis,Tammy Fearing,Julie Feiner,Paul Flinchbaugh,Marty Frasu,Douglas Ganton,Laura Graham,Robin Harlan,Matthew Harrison,Ethan Holzman,Michael Kamper,Doc Kane,Randy Kelley,Toussaint Kotright,Susan Kurtz,Tod A. Maitland,Ron Meredith,Sarah Monat,Andy Nelson,Thomas J. O Connell,Michele Perrone,Vic Radulich,Alan Rankin,Moshe Saadon,Michael Scott,Randy Singer,Frank Smathers,Mark P. Stoeckinger,Mike Szakmeister,Reynald Trudel,James Wright,Linda Folk,Craig Heath,Michael Paterson,Brent Robichaud,Philip Rogers
Special Effects by	J.C. Brotherhood,Johann Kunz,Ray McMillan,Rob Sanderson
Visual Effects by	Victor DiMichina,Cynthia Hyland,Bonnie Kanner,Kevin Kipper,George Macri,John R. McConnell,Ray McIntyre Jr.,Brad Moylan,Patrick Murphy,Ray Scalice,Kevin Struckman,John T. Van Vliet,Randall Balsmeyer,J. John Corbett,Michael Curtis,Jason Hill,Josh Novak,Reid Paul,Juan Carlos Vargas
Stunts	Peter Bucossi,John Cenatiempo,Jack Gill,Steve Lucescu,Mark Norby,Jodi Michelle Pynn,Rick Miller,Mark Norby
Camera and Electrical Department	Rico Omega Alston,Tom Anderson,James Boniece,Bernie Branston,David Breeze,Paul Candrilli,Michael Carr,Andrew Cheung,John Clifford,Angelo Colavecchia,Mark Cyre,Tim Davis,David M. Dunlap,Gordon Eldridge,Tony Eldridge,Ken Ferris,Ian Foulds,Michael Gibson,Phil Gries,Amanda Hudson,Kevin Janicelli,Adam Johnson,Mike Kirilenko,Andrew Kunszt,Bernie Lalonde,Marvin Macina,Bobby Mancuso,Charlie Marroquin,Rick Marroquin,Jim McConkey,Mike Moyer,Rocco Palmieri,Mark Penney,Ron Renzetti,Edward A. Robinson Jr.,Don Rose,Johnny Santiago,Andrew Sweeney,Neil Trafford,Samuel Turturici,Ron Yolevsky,Will Arnot,Terrence C. Burke,William Engel,John Geisler,James Harker,Timothy Healy,Gregory F. Johnson,Todd S. Klein,Chris Lombardozzi,Thomas McGrath Woods,Darren Ryan,Jens Sturup,Joshua Van Praag,Greg Williams,Chris Zizzo
Casting Department	Robin D. Cook,Sylvia Fay,Barbara Harris,Nicole Hilliard-Forde,Zameret Kleiman,Barbara J. McCarthy,Jennifer Murdocca,Andrew Fox,Lee Genick,Sara Kay
Costume and Wardrobe Department	Amy Andrews,Jay Du Boisson,Sharon Globerson,Cheryl Kilbourne-Kimpton,Lydia Marks,Mia Sturup,Dina Bar-El,Christina Cattle,Charles C. Crutchfield,Renee Fontana,Rosemary Lepre Forman,Askia Won-Ling Jacob,Anita Simard,Kate Southern,Meg Thornton
Editorial Department	David S. Clark,Rick Derby,Patrick J. Don Vito,Mike Milliken,Chad Rubel,David Tarnawsky,Donald Freeman,Sarah Ogletree,Michael Toll
Location Management	Jeffrey Angel,Will Hoddinott,Sam Hutchins,Mark McFadden,Keith Adams,Robert Cavalluzzo,Graham Goetz,Damon Michael Gordon,Ron Gwynne,Mark Moore,Vernon Rodriquez,Susan Silas
Music Department	Bruce Botnick,Sandy DeCrescent,Greg Dennen,Mark Eshelman,Marc Gebauer,Tanya Noel Hill,The Hollywood Studio Orchestra,Gregory Jamrok,Tom MacDougall,Dana Millman,Chris Montan,David Newman,Krystyna Newman,Jay Selvester,Andrew Silver,Jojo Villanueva,Booker White,Tom Brown,Jim Hoffman,The Hollywood Studio Symphony,Stephen Lotwis,Norman Ludwin,John Rodd,Patrick Russ,Andrew Silver,James Thatcher
Script and Continuity Department	Michelle Dunton
Transportation Department	Kevin Flynn,Glenn Hughes,Brian Lieberz,Stuart Mitchell,Edward O Donnell,Dave Staples,David Conelli,William L. Tataryn
Additional Crew	Vicki Adams,Amanda Alden,Elizabeth S. Barton,Jackie Brandwein,Al Cerullo,John C. Chaney,Kathy Cossu,Jennifer Crammer,Kevin Drysdale,Julie Garneau,Peter Hagist,Marie-Claude Harnois,Patti Hawn,Susan Humphrey,Mindy May Jenkins,Stacey Kelly,Cory Koller,Vicky Middleton,Kristy Mitchell,Elizabeth J. Nevin,Matt Osgood,Nadia Paine,Elizabeth Palmer,Leslie Pincus,Ali Powell,Antonia Proscia,Wendy Lee Roberts,Ira Rosenberg,Randy Tat,Lynne Twentyman,Matilde Valera,Doug Webster,Gordon Weiske,Greg Wood,Morris Assouline,Katia Belas,Patricia Hanley Cumming,Greg Ferris,Daniel Fine,Jay Floyd,Kendra Levenberg,Jason McLeod,Matt Metras,David Milhous,David Bryan Nash,Emre Ozpirincci,Gregory J. Pawlik Jr.,Wayne Petrucelli,Dana Reznik,Adam Salky,Eugene Stamos,Trish The Dish Stanard
Genres	Comedy, Romance
Companies	Lynda Obst Productions, MMP Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Moviemakers Productions (MMP)
Countries	USA, Germany
Languages	English
ContentRating	PG-13
ImDbRating	6.4
ImDbRatingVotes	237106
MetacriticRating	45
Keywords	lie,new york city,diamond,basketball,columnist