Birthday Girl

"Be careful what you wish for."

2001 1h 33m EN

😐

5.9

MID

🥫

59%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

IMDB

★5.9TMDB · 452🥫59%Rotten Tomatoes●51Metacritic★6IMDB · 26,908

ComedyCrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

John is a mild-mannered banker who has never been lucky in love. Fed up with waiting for the right girl to come along, John takes a chance on a Russian mail-order bride arranged via the Internet, where he is introduced to Nadia. John's fondness for Nadia grows... until the sudden arrival of Nadia's gregarious cousins makes John realize that he's in over his head.

“Be careful what you wish for.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Nicole Kidman
Nadia / Sophia
Ben Chaplin
John
Vincent Cassel
Alexei
Mathieu Kassovitz
Yuri
Kate Lynn Evans
Clare
Stephen Mangan
Bank Manager
Alexander Armstrong
Robert Mosley
Sally Phillips
Karen

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jez Butterworth
Writers: Tom Butterworth, Jez Butterworth, Glyn Dillon
Languages: Russian, English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

25 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Russian, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CAST

Did you know

259+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jez Butterworth, shot by Oliver Stapleton. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Stephen Warbeck. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Christopher Tellefsen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Nicole Kidman and Ben Chaplin and Vincent Cassel carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Be careful what you wish for.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jez Butterworth directs. Oliver Stapleton behind the camera. Stephen Warbeck scores. Christopher Tellefsen cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in Russian, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

125 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Russian, English.
3259+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
4Directed by Jez Butterworth, shot by Oliver Stapleton. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Stephen Warbeck. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Christopher Tellefsen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Nicole Kidman and Ben Chaplin and Vincent Cassel carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Be careful what you wish for.".
9IMDB entry: tt0188453 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.