Search - Impromptu on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Questionable for Children Movie Release: 1990 DVD Release: 03/19/2002 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Special Collection Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 48 mins Studio: MGM Members Wishing: 8 Genres: Comedy, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Comedy of Manners, Biopic [feature]

Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin, better known in the literary world as George Sand, not only took a man's name, but trotted around wearing pants and smoking cigars in public. No great shakes today, but in the 1800s she was perhaps the most famous (or infamous) woman in the world. One of the first original celebrities, aside from her garb and literary output, she was known to inspire many duels and broken hearts among other famous hedonist artists. One character describes her in Impromptu, as "that graveyard." The film engages in a sexual roundelay among Sand's (Judy Davis) many friends -- Eugene Delacroix (Ralph Brown), Alfred DeMusset (Mandy Patinkin), Franz Liszt (Julian Sands), and Frederick Chopin (Hugh Grant). The entire crew heads off to the summer estate of the Duke and Duchess d'Antan (Anton Rodgers and Emma Thompson), invited there by the culture-vulture hosts. Sand takes a bead on the sickly Chopin and spends her time throwing herself at him. Also on hand is Liszt's mistress Marie d'Agoult (Bernadette Peters) and Felicien Mallefille (Georges Corraface), Sand's recently jilted lover. Mallefille is jealous of any of the other guests who glance in Sand's direction and continually challenges them to duels. Marie, on the other hand, is enlisted by Sand to deliver a note to Chopin. But Marie, jealous of Sand, delivers the note substituting her name for Sand's. And as the weekend continues, the sexual merry-go-round continues at full tilt. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Judy Davis - George Sand
Hugh Grant - Frederic Chopin
Mandy Patinkin - Alfred DeMusset
Bernadette Peters - Marie D'Agoult
Julian Sands - Franz Liszt

James Lapine's historical romantic comedy Impromptu comes to DVD with a widescreen transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.66:1. A closed-captioned English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Surround, and a French soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Mono. English, French, and Spanish subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include the original theatrical trailer. This is a solid release from MGM/UA that should satisfy fans of the film, but offers nothing unique for the average DVD collector. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide