De-Lovely
Directed by: Irwin Winkler
Written by: Jay Cocks
Starring: Kevin Kline, Ashley Judd, Jonathan Pryce
Release Date: July 2, 2004
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 out of 5 stars)
Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd shine in De-Lovely, Irwin Winkler’s uneven but heartfelt Cole Porter biopic. A flawed yet elegant musical portrait of love, creativity, and regret.
A Complicated Collaboration Reunited
When director Irwin Winkler and actor Kevin Kline last worked together on Life as a House, the result was an overwrought melodrama that didn’t do either of them favors. So when news broke that they were reuniting for De-Lovely, I wasn’t exactly excited. Winkler’s previous outings — The Net, At First Sight — hardly inspired confidence, and Kline’s recent career, as of 2003, had seemed adrift.
That’s part of what made his performance in De-Lovely so remarkable. Even as Winkler turns in a compromised and uneven musical, Kline glides through the film with wit, poise, and emotional precision, reminding audiences why he’s long been one of Hollywood’s most admired actors.
A Life Told Like a Broadway Show
De-Lovely tells the story of Cole Porter, one of the 20th century’s greatest songwriters. Kline portrays Porter from his youth to his final days, while Ashley Judd plays his wife and creative muse, Linda Lee Porter.
The story unfolds through a clever, if clumsy, device: Porter is guided through his own life by an angel named Gabe (Jonathan Pryce), who stages Cole’s memories like a Broadway production. The idea sounds imaginative — a meta-theatrical reflection of Porter’s own showmanship — but in practice, the conceit never fully gels.
Love, Music, and the Cost of Compromise
Cole meets Linda in Paris, where she helps reignite his creativity after early Broadway setbacks. Their marriage, however, is not built on traditional romance. Porter’s homosexuality was one of Hollywood’s worst-kept secrets, and De-Lovely only grazes the surface of how this shaped their unusual but deeply affectionate relationship.
The film moves through Paris, Milan, New York, and finally Hollywood, where Porter’s sophisticated wit often clashed with studio expectations. In one of the film’s best scenes, the cast bursts into “Be a Clown,” illustrating how Porter learned to embrace the contradictions of commercial art.
But for every inspired moment, another subplot gets lost — a brief blackmail story, emotional conflicts, and Porter’s inner turmoil are all introduced, then dropped in favor of celebrity-studded musical numbers.
Pop Stars Meet Porter’s Classics
One of De-Lovely’s biggest gambles is its use of modern pop stars to perform Cole Porter’s timeless songs. Alanis Morissette (“Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall in Love”), Sheryl Crow (“Begin the Beguine”), Elvis Costello (“Let’s Misbehave”), and Robbie Williams (“De-Lovely”) all take the stage.
While these performances are well-intentioned, they underscore a key problem: pop singers and Broadway standards don’t always mix. Their modern phrasing clashes with Porter’s theatrical rhythm. By contrast, Caroline O’Connor (“Anything Goes”) and John Barrowman (“Night and Day”) deliver powerhouse renditions that capture the spirit and precision of Porter’s world.
The casting of pop stars feels like a commercial decision — designed to sell soundtracks more than to serve the story — and it shows.
The Pain Beneath the Perfection
The emotional center of De-Lovely comes after Porter’s devastating horse-riding accident, which crushed his legs. Despite constant pain and surgeries, he continued composing, thanks largely to Linda’s steadfast devotion.
Ashley Judd gives one of her most radiant performances, communicating love, frustration, and heartbreak through pure presence. Kline, meanwhile, channels both Porter’s elegance and melancholy. His Cole is charming, brilliant, and profoundly sad — a man who could express love only through lyrics, never quite able to return the affection he inspired.
Beauty in the Imperfection
De-Lovely suffers from an uneven script and a confused tone — unsure whether it wants to be a surreal musical or a straightforward biopic. Yet the performances by Kline and Judd elevate the film beyond its flaws. Their chemistry gives life to what might otherwise be a hollow tribute.
When you strip away the flashy cameos and showy structure, what remains is a touching portrait of love, pain, and artistry. The film may not be as “de-lovely” as it wants to be, but it is deeply human.
Final Verdict
Despite its clunky direction and distracting gimmicks, De-Lovely stands as a showcase for Kevin Kline’s brilliance and Ashley Judd’s emotional depth. The movie doesn’t always sing, but when it does, it finds a kind of bittersweet harmony that honors Cole Porter’s spirit.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 out of 5 stars)
