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Paper Heart (film)

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This article is about the 2009 film. For the X-Files episode, see Paper Hearts. For other uses, see Paper Heart.

Paper Heart
Promotional film poster
Directed byNicholas Jasenovec
Written byNicholas Jasenovec
Charlyne Yi
Produced bySandra Murillo
Elise Salomon
Charlyne Yi
StarringCharlyne Yi
Michael Cera
Jake Johnson
CinematographyJay Hunter
Edited byRyan Brown
Music byCharlyne Yi
Michael Cera
Distributed byOverture Films
Release dates
  • January 17, 2009 (2009-01-17) (Sundance)
  • August 7, 2009 (2009-08-07) (United States)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1.2 million[1]

Paper Heart is a 2009 American romantic comedy film starring Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera as fictionalized versions of themselves based on their rumored relationship, though Yi has said they never dated.[2][3][4]

The plot for the film is based on Charlyne Yi's original idea of a documentary, which director Nick Jasenovec suggested would be accentuated with a fictional storyline.[5][6] The film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.[7]

Plot

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Charlyne Yi embarks on a quest across America to answer, "What is love?". She and director Nick search for answers and advice about love.

Yi asks people on the street as well as celebrities like Seth Rogen, Demetri Martin, bikers, romance novelists, children, and scientists to share their opinions and understanding of love. Each interview subject offer diverse views on modern romance, as well as various answers to the question of whether true love really exists.

Shortly after filming begins, Yi has a "chance meeting" with Michael Cera (playing a fictionalised version of himself) at a party. He begins to take an interest in her, and they get more comfortable with each other as the camera crew and director follow them around. As they go across the country, Yi and Cera begin dating.

A docufiction, there are three actors in this film, Jake M. Johnson is the only one who plays a role (Nicholas Jasenovec, the director of this film). Yi and Cera play fictionalised versions of themselves, while the remaining interview subjects and characters play themselves. Real couples talk about their own definitions of love. Stop-motion animation segments accompany some interview subjects' anecdotes about love.

The end credits feature a song performed by Yi.

Cast

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Jake Johnson, Charlyne Yi, and Nick Jasenovec
Cameos

Release

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Paper Heart premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and received a limited release on August 7, 2009, in the United States and Canada, making $1,296,971.[1] The film was released on Blu-ray on December 1, 2009, by Anchor Bay Entertainment.[8][9][10][11][12][13]

"Everything with Charlyne, Mike and I was fictional, and everything on the road is real."[14] — Jake Johnson

"a few of the interviews were people she stumbled into. Most of them a “casting director from a reality series” found for her. But the Cera romance thing she’s a little more cagey about."[15] — Orlando Sentinel

"It's an extremely irritating, narcissistic picture, far inferior to Henry Jaglom's not dissimilar Someone to Love."[16] — The Observer

"Originally it was going to be a traditional documentary, and my idea was just to capture true love stories"[17] — Charlyne Yi

Reception

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Paper Heart holds a 60% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 111 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Equal parts charming and refreshing, Paper Heart is a quirky mockumentary led by the endearing Charlyne Yi."[18]

Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, saying the question of how much of Yi and Cera's personas are real and how much is scripted give the film "an intriguing quality on top of its intrinsic appeal".[19] Sarah Cohen of Time Out wrote, "On the surface, this is a perfectly serviceable cutesy rom-com. The segments featuring real people are genuinely affecting, but the realisation that everything else is probably being acted – that truth may be polluted by hoax – gives this otherwise lightweight film a sly, subversive edge."[20] Elizabeth Weitzman of New York Daily News wrote, "Though often twee and self-congratulatory, Charlyne Yi’s biographical docudrama is just sweet enough to endear itself to those with a romantic bent."[21] Katey Rich of Cinema Blend said "Paper Heart is also a strong argument against writing off quirk entirely, given how many small delights there are in its shaggy faux-documentary frame", and commented, "The quirk occasionally walks right up to the line of unbearable, but it's Paper Heart's unabashedly bared soul that saves it in the end."[22]

Soundtrack

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Paper Heart: Original Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
Various Artists
ReleasedAugust 4, 2009 (2009-08-04)
Length41:00
LabelLakeshore
ProducerAlden Penner

The soundtrack of Paper Heart was released on August 4, 2009, by Lakeshore Records and contains music composed primarily by Michael Cera and Charlyne Yi. Alden Penner was the producer.

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Beginning"Michael Cera, Michael Cassady, Alden Penner, Adam Etinson2:56
2."Hope"Michael Cera, Charlyne Yi, Alden Penner1:29
3."Mike Modrak"Michael Cera1:51
4."Now They're Really Getting to Know Each Other"Michael Cera, Alden Penner1:29
5."Children Are Ridiculous"Michael Cera, Alden Penner1:50
6."Symphony"Michael Cera, Charlyne Yi, Alden Penner1:16
7."Don & Sally"Michael Cera, Mary Forrest, Jamie Wheeler, Alden Penner1:44
8."New York City Theme"Michael Cera, Alden Penner0:41
9."Magic Perfume"Charlyne Yi, Matt Davis2:18
10."Charlyne vs Charlyne"Michael Cera, Jeremy Konner1:18
11."The 11th Arrondissement"Zach Condon, Perrin Cloutier2:07
12."Sid & Mary Beth"Michael Cera, Michael Cassady, Alden Penner2:23
13."Moon Waltz"Michael Cera, Charlyne Yi, Alden Penner1:06
14."Chivalrous Galloping For Thy Love"Michael Cera, Alden Penner1:23
15."Psychic?"Michael Cera, Alden Penner0:51
16."Lois & Sully"Michael Cera, Alden Penner, Dan Ring, Charlyne Yi1:51
17."Learning"Michael Cera, Alden Penner2:35
18."Flying Away"Michael Cera2:00
19."Creepy Town"Michael Cera0:34
20."Sprinkling"Charlyne Yi2:00
21."Twin Dream Phoenix"Alden Penner, Aiden Jeffery, Michael Speleit, Nathan Gage, Marie-Claire Saindon, Nicholas Scribner, Ben Borden3:10
22."Girl With The Microphone"Michael Cera, Charlyne Yi, Mary Forrest, Alden Penner2:05

References

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  1. ^ a b "Paper Heart (2009)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  2. ^ "Charlyne Yi admits she was never in a relationship with 'Paper Heart' co-star Michael Cera". New York Daily News. August 5, 2009.
  3. ^ Catsoulis, Jeanette (August 6, 2009). "Out on the Highways in Search of Love, an Endlessly Elusive Quest". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (July 31, 2009). "She Asks About Love but Sure Isn't Telling". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "Episode 1036". Last Call with Carson Daly.
  6. ^ "Jeremy Piven, Charlyne Yi". Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Episode 94. August 6, 2009. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  7. ^ Ramos, Dave (January 26, 2009). "Sundance Jury Gives Screenwriting Award to Film Without Script". Vulture.
  8. ^ "Paper Heart". High-Def Digest. December 7, 2009. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  9. ^ LEMIRE, CHRISTY. "New on DVD | Sweetness shines through in hybrid 'Paper Heart'". The State Journal-Register. Springfield, Illinois. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  10. ^ Catsoulis, Jeannette (August 6, 2009). "Out on the Highways in Search of Love, an Endlessly Elusive Quest". The New York Times. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  11. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (July 31, 2009). "She Asks About Love but Sure Isn't Telling". The New York Times. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  12. ^ Hepola, Sarah (August 7, 2009). ""Paper Heart"". Salon. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  13. ^ Schwarzbaum, Lisa. "Paper Heart". EW.com. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  14. ^ Cohen, Y. (August 7, 2009). "Yi's 'Paper Heart' movie blurs reality and fiction". San Diego Union-Tribune. The Associated Press.
  15. ^ "Charlyne Yi: The mystery behind 'Paper Heart'". Orlando Sentinel. August 19, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  16. ^ French, Philip (November 8, 2009). "Paper Heart". The Observer. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  17. ^ "Paper Heart Q and A". North Texas Daily. August 13, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  18. ^ "Paper Heart". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  19. ^ Ebert, Roger (August 5, 2009). "An investigation of the mystery of love by America's Twee-hearts". RogerEbert.com.
  20. ^ Cohen, Sarah (November 3, 2009). "Paper Heart". Time Out. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  21. ^ Weitzman, Elizabeth (August 7, 2009). "Short Takes: "Paper Heart" sweet enough to endear". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on August 9, 2009. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  22. ^ Rich, Katey (May 27, 2016). "Paper Heart". Cinema Blend. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
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