Sony Pictures
How Do You Know is a 2010 American romantic comedy[1][2] film directed, written and produced by James L. Brooks, and starring Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd and Jack Nicholson. It was the third film to feature Witherspoon and Rudd following Overnight Delivery and Monsters vs. Aliens. The plot follows softball player Lisa (Witherspoon), who is caught in a love triangle between two men—the charming baseball player Matty (Wilson) and George (Rudd), a businessman who is the target of an SEC stock fraud civil suit.
The film was shot in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and was released on December 17, 2010. It underperformed at the box office, grossing $48.7 million against a $120 million budget, and received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics.
PLOT
Professional softball player Lisa Jorgenson begins dating Matty Reynolds, a pitcher for the Washington Nationals. She also receives an intriguing phone call from a young executive, George Madison, who was given Lisa’s number by her friend to call. He calls out of politeness to explain that his relationship with his girlfriend Terry has just become more serious.
George’s life takes an abrupt turn for the worse when he suddenly finds himself the target of a federal criminal investigation for corporate malfeasance at his father Charles Madison’s company. He is fired from his job and abandoned by the company, with the exception of his father and his pregnant secretary Annie.
Still reeling from this blow, George goes to his girlfriend for sympathy and is stunned when she immediately breaks up with him. At the same time, Lisa is devastated to be left off the Team USA roster.
On a whim, George calls Lisa again to invite her to lunch, which she accepts. It turns out to be a disaster; he is so overwhelmed by his troubles that she eventually asks that they just eat in silence, then they part ways not expecting to see one another again.
Unsure what to do next, Lisa moves in with Matty, who has a penthouse in the same upscale building where George’s father lives. Matty is rich, well-meaning, and fun, but is also immature and insensitive, and continues to have casual affairs with other women.
George is indicted and could face prison time. Annie is so loyal that she tries to give him inside information in advance, but he urges her not to lose her own job. George and Lisa bump into each other in Matty’s building and he offers to help her carry her groceries home. When Matty returns home, he is upset to find Lisa at “his place” with an uninvited guest.
Matty inadvertently offends Lisa, so she moves out and spends a pleasant, tipsy evening at George’s modest new apartment. His father then drops one last bombshell on his son: he committed the illegal act for which George is being charged. Due to a previous conviction, Charles would spend at least 25 years—basically, the rest of his life due to his advanced age—in prison, whereas George would only do three years at most.
On the night Annie’s baby is born and her boyfriend proposes, Lisa begins to reconsider her previous reluctance to settle down. George is clearly smitten with her, but Matty pleads for another chance, so she accepts. George makes a proposition to his father: he will take one more shot at persuading Lisa to be with him. If she does, Charles must go to jail, and if she does not, George will take the rap for his dad.
At a birthday party that Matty throws for Lisa, George declares his feelings for her and asks her to meet him downstairs if she decides she reciprocates them. He then goes downstairs to give her time to think it over. Finally, Lisa says goodbye to Matty and joins George outside. Charles, looking on from above smiles at the sight, but his smile soon fades as he realizes he has to go to jail.
Lisa is confused about her feelings and tells George, “I thought you were this silly guy. Now it’s like… everything but you seems silly.” George suggests she has never felt the kind of overwhelming love where the guy is the whole deal, which helps her realize that she is in love with him. Lisa then reaches out and holds his hand as they board the bus together.
