Bedazzled

2000
PG-13
1h 33m

IMDb RATING

6.1/10

114K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer1:04

Satire Comedy Fantasy

Hopeless dweeb Elliot Richards is granted seven wishes by the Devil to snare Allison, the girl of his dreams, in exchange for his soul.Hopeless dweeb Elliot Richards is granted seven wishes by the Devil to snare Allison, the girl of his dreams, in exchange for his soul.Hopeless dweeb Elliot Richards is granted seven wishes by the Devil to snare Allison, the girl of his dreams, in exchange for his soul.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.1/10

114K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

1,888

1,127

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 3 nominations

Trivia
(at around 1h 4 mins) The mathematics homework that the Devil removes from the classroom blackboard was effectively to prove Fermat's Last Theorem--a legendary problem from 1630 that was often the subject of stories about people selling their souls to solve it. The problem was eventually solved in 1995 by Andrew Wiles and colleagues (with computer, not Satanic, assistance).

Goofs
(at around 1h 7 mins) When Elliot becomes Lincoln about to leave for his fateful visit to the Ford's Theater, his wife refers to "Our American Cousin" as an "entirely new play." In fact, "Our American Cousin" was first performed in 1858, seven years before Lincoln's assassination, and the performance which Lincoln saw was the play's thousandth.

Quotes
Elliot's Cellmate: She's the devil, that one.
Elliot Richards: What?
Elliot's Cellmate: I said she's the devil... that lady cop.
Elliot Richards: Oh... yeah. I guess.
Elliot's Cellmate: So what are you in for brother?
Elliot Richards: Eternity.
Elliot's Cellmate: Ooooh... that's a long time. You must have done some really bad shit.
Elliot Richards: Yeah. I sold my soul.
Elliot's Cellmate: Hope you got something good for it.
Elliot Richards: As a matter of fact, I got nothing for it.
Elliot's Cellmate: Well, that's a really bad deal if you ask me.
Elliot Richards: Well I'm not asking you.
Elliot's Cellmate: Doesn't really matter, though. Can't sell your soul anyway.
Elliot Richards: Oh, really? Why do you say that?
Elliot's Cellmate: Because it doesn't really belong to you in the first place. No way, no how.
Elliot Richards: So who does it belong to?
Elliot's Cellmate: It belongs to God. That universal spirit that animates and binds all things in existence. The Devil's gonna try to confuse you, that's her game. But in the end, you're gonna see clear to who and what you are, and what you're here to do. Now, you gonna make some mistakes along the way, everybody does. But if you just open up your heart, and open up your mind, you'll get it.
Elliot Richards: ...Who are you?
Elliot's Cellmate: [smiles] Just a friend, brother. Just a really good friend.

Alternate versions
In a streamed version of this in the UK, the following changes are made: During the opening credits, many (but not all) of the on-screen graphics describing the characteristics of various personalities and locations are removed completely and replaced with PGS subtitles that are positioned incorrectly in the usual subtitle location at the bottom of the picture and are not animated. The few in situ graphics that remain also have subtitles. There is a completely changed scene at the start of the "President" segment. During the basketball sequence, on-screen graphics and wipes for Fox Sports and the names of the commentators are removed. There are no subtitles to replace them. There is another missing, subtitled graphic at the end of the film.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Dr. T and the Women/Billy Elliot/The Ladies Man/Lost Souls/The Broken Hearts Club (2000)

Soundtracks
Just the One (I've Been Lookin' For)
Written by Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd and Al Bell (as Alvertis Isbell)
Performed by Johnnie Taylor
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User reviews298

Review

Featured review

Not Like The Original, But Pleasant Enough

The 1967 original, starring Dudley Moor and Peter Cook and directed by Stanley Donen was a droll dark comedy that bombed when it was first released to theatres but has developed a very strong cult following over the years. This 2000 version, directed by Harold Ramis is not so much a remake as a latter-day re-imagining of the story. Aside from the basic premise, the two films share little else in common. This new version is a wacky, fast-paced farce that makes up in some giddily amusing moments what it lacks in true wickedness.

Brendan Fraser is perfectly cast as the hapless computer tech who makes a deal with Satan; granted seven wishes in exchange for eventual possession of his soul, we witness each wish he makes as his life becomes a series of colorful and very funny misadventures. Some first-rate make-up and special effects transform Fraser and his world every time he changes wishes. Elizabeth Hurley is extremely fetching and quite likable as the embodiment of Satan, although I wish she'd showed a bit more evilness than glee in her characterization.

All in all, a very entertaining movie that, of course, leaves the door open for a sequel. Bring it on!