Bedazzled (2000 film)

Bedazzled is a 2000 comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley. It is a remake of the 1967 film of the same name, written by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, which was itself a comic retelling of the Faust legend.

Plot
The Devil runs a computer simulation to analyze souls to determine individual weaknesses to exploit. The program settles on Elliot Richards (Brendan Fraser), a geeky, over-zealous man working a dead-end job in a San Francisco computer company. He has no friends and his co-workers avoid him. He has a crush on colleague Alison Gardner (Frances O'Connor), but lacks the courage to ask her out. After Elliot is ditched by his co-workers at a bar while trying to talk to Alison, he says he would give anything for Alison to be with him. The Devil, in the form of a beautiful woman (Elizabeth Hurley), overhears him and offers to give Elliot seven wishes in exchange for his soul.

As a test, Elliot wishes for a Big Mac and Coke. The Devil takes him to McDonald's and places the order. Elliot has to pay for it, because, "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch." After taking Elliot to her office, based at a nightclub in Oakland, the Devil convinces Elliot to sign her contract, and delivers further wishes. Each wish has Elliot living them out with Alison and his co-workers in surrogate roles. However, the Devil always spoils his wishes by adding something he does not expect or want.

When the Devil appears as a female teacher, she tells Elliot: "I know. I've been really naughty, haven't I? Maybe a good spanking's in order." Then Elliot says: "Is that all you ever think about? Do you think everything is about sex?". This refers to erotic fantasies about spanking. Then Elliot says that he wants to be President of the United States and the Devil turn him into Abraham Lincoln.

After going through five wishes, Elliot is arrested after confessing his story to a priest (Brian Doyle-Murray) who believed he was drunk. The Devil, dressed as a police officer, throws him in a cell, telling him that she likes him, and it would not hurt to have her as a friend. Elliot's cellmate tells him that he cannot sell his soul as it belongs to God (Gabriel Casseus), and although the Devil may try to confuse him, in the end he will realize who he truly is, and what his purpose is. Elliot questions the man as to his identity, but the response is simply "a really good friend".

Elliot asks the Devil to cancel their contract. When the Devil refuses, Elliot states he will not use his final wish. The Devil teleports them to Hell. When the Devil pushes him to make a final wish, Elliot wishes that Alison could have a happy life - with or without him. The Devil sighs and Elliot falls into the depths of Hell. He wakes up on a marble staircase, wondering if it is Heaven. The Devil tells him that a provision in the contract's fine print states that a selfless wish voids the contract. Elliot admits that despite her manipulation of him he has come to like the Devil and regards her as a friend. She advises that Heaven and Hell can be found on Earth; it is up to humans to choose. Elliot asks Alison out, but discovers she is already dating another man. He continues with his life, with a better understanding of who he is.

Later, Elliot is confronted by Bob (Paul Adelstein), one of his co-workers, who ridicules Elliot at the encouragement of his co-workers. Elliot grabs a terrified Bob by the shirt, but lets go, simply saying, "Nice talking to you." At home, he meets a new neighbor, Nicole, whose looks resemble Alison's but whose personality, interests and fashion sense are much closer to his. He offers to help her unpack and they begin a relationship. While the two walk along a boulevard, the Devil and Elliot's cellmate, both dressed in white, are playing chess and looking at Elliot and Nicole. The Devil attempts to fix the game but gets caught by the guy, who laughs and lets her continue cheating. The Devil's computer program lists Nicole and Elliot's foibles, which they tolerate.

Cast

 * Brendan Fraser as Elliot Richards / Jefe / "Mary" / Abraham Lincoln
 * Elizabeth Hurley as The Devil
 * Frances O'Connor as Alison Gardner / Nicole Delarusso
 * Orlando Jones as Daniel / Dan / Danny / Esteban / Beach Jock / Lamar Garrett / Dr. Ngegitigegitibaba
 * Paul Adelstein as Bob / Roberto / Beach Jock / Bob Bob
 * Toby Huss as Jerry / Alejandro / Beach Jock / Jerry Turner / Lance
 * Miriam Shor as Carol / Penthouse Hostess
 * Gabriel Casseus as God
 * Brian Doyle-Murray as Priest
 * Jeff Doucette as Desk Sergeant
 * Aaron Lustig as Synedyne Supervisor
 * Rudolf Martin as Raoul
 * Julian Firth as John Wilkes Booth

Reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 49% based on 113 reviews, with an average of 5.5/10. The site's general consensus states: "Though it has its funny moments, this remake is essentially a one joke movie with too many flat plots, and not a patch on the superior original." On Metacritic the film has a score of 49 out of 100 based on reviews from 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

The film did reasonably well at the box office.