Playing by heart

Directed by Willard Carroll
Produced by Willard Carroll
Meg Liberman
Written by Willard Carroll
Starring Gillian Anderson
Ellen Burstyn
Sean Connery
Anthony Edwards
Angelina Jolie
Jay Mohr
Ryan Phillippe
Dennis Quaid
Gena Rowlands
Jon Stewart
Madeleine Stowe
Music by John Barry
Cinematography Vilmos Zsigmond
Edited by Pietro Scalia
Production
company
Hyperion Pictures
Distributed by Miramax Films
Release dates
December 18, 1998
Running time 121 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $14,000,000
Box office $3,970,078


Plot
Among the characters are a mature couple about to renew their vows (Sean Connery and Gena Rowlands); a woman (Gillian Anderson ) who accepts a date from a stranger (Jon Stewart); a gay man dying of AIDS (Jay Mohr ) and his mother (Ellen Burstyn ) who has struggled to accept him; two young people who meet in a nightclub (Ryan Phillippe and Angelina Jolie ); a couple having an affair (Anthony Edwards and
Madeleine Stowe ) and a man (Dennis Quaid) who tells his tragic life story to a woman he meets in a bar (Patricia Clarkson ), but seems to have a strange connection to another mysterious woman. As the film continues and the stories evolve, the connections between the characters become evident.
Kellie Waymire, Nastassja Kinski , Alec Mapa , Amanda Peet and Michael Emerson also have roles in the film.
Cast
Gillian Anderson as Meredith
Ellen Burstyn as Mildred
Sean Connery as Paul
Anthony Edwards as Roger
Angelina Jolie as Joan
Jay Mohr as Mark
Ryan Phillippe as Keenan
Dennis Quaid as Hugh
Gena Rowlands as Hannah
Jon Stewart as Trent
Madeleine Stowe as Gracie
Reception
Playing by Heart received mixed to positive reviews from critics and currently holds a 60% "fresh" rating on
Rotten Tomatoes based on 53 reviews. The consensus summarizes: "It's overly talky, but Playing by Heart benefits from witty insights into modern relationships and strong performances from an esteemed cast."