Heartbreakers (2001)

Though producer Irving Ong and John Davis developed Heartbreakers before they met with David Mirkin, they knew immediately that Mirkin was the right person to translate that story onto celluloid. "David is one of the guys who fashioned The Simpsons into the classic that it has now become and I really liked his first feature film, Romy and Michele 's High School Reunion," says Davis. "Plus, he made me laugh, and that's the first thing you look for in a comedy director — someone who is funny — because if he can make me laugh, hopefully he can make other people laugh, too."

Mirkin saw a unique opportunity with the Max and Page characters. "I liked the idea of taking the kind of archaic cons you would see in films like The Lady Eve or Paper Moon and moving them into the new millennium," he says. "How do you get free gasoline now? How do you score a free hotel suite? It was fun to work up really good and clever cons that could actually work if you have the guts and insanity to try them."

The next critical step to making the film work was casting. "We were incredibly lucky to get our dream choices," says Mirkin. Sigourney Weaver was the ideal choice to not only portray a mother and con woman, but also the character's numerous personas. including the seductive Russian emigre Olga and pious tease Angela. "Sigournev is someone I've admired forever," says Mirkin. 'I don't think there's an actress out there who has done comedy, drama, art films, brilliant stage work, musicals and is an action hero as well. There isn't a form she hasn't done, and she's not afraid to play characters with an edge of darkness mixed in with the comedy."

Weaver was delighted with the dynamic of Heartbreakers. "It's hard to find a good film comedy," she says, "especially where they let women be the funny ones.

Selected to portray Weaver's daughter Page (and other manifestations of that character) was Jennifer Love Hewitt, an accomplished young actress who, according to David Mirkin, "is such a likeable, wonderful performer, who physically looks like she could be Sigourney's daughter. I made sure to read them together to make certain the chemistry was right between them, and they were just wonderful together."

"I've never actually laughed out loud while reading a script," recalls Hewitt, "and I was on the floor when I read Heartbreakers. I actually gave it to friends and family and I could hear them laughing in the other room. I didn't have to work very hard to imagine what the end product was going to be."

Heartbreakers is a major departure for Hewitt, known for her roles as angst-ridden teenagers. "I'm used to playing the girl next door, and Page is so " Hewitt notes.

"Love has really come of age," says John Davis of the actress, using the nickname used by family, friends and co-workers. "She's not sexy cute, she's sexy sexy. It's going to be quite a revelation to the audience."

Having Gene Hackman in the cast as William B. Tensy, the rank, obnoxious tobacco heir, was a dream come true for director Mirkin. "I've always been aware of how incredibly funny Gene Hackman is," Mirkin says. "His scene as the Blind Man in Young Frankenstein is one of the funniest of all time, and he was brilliant as Lex Luthor in Superman. He often injects moments of great humor in his dramatic roles as well. It was really a passion of mine to work with this great comedic actor who I don't see in enough comedies, and I was thrilled that he responded to the material and wanted to do this."

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