have sex with him. Ned eventually relents, but insists on marriage if they are to continue a sexual relationship. Sara is unwilling to get married, and they break up and she returns to Hollywood. She gets a quickie marriage and divorce to Bob Balaban. Ned finds that he is now more attractive to women because of his famous relationship. Cultural references This episode is largely a parody of the film Notting Hill (1999). A billboard depicting Los Angeles personality Angelyne can be seen during Ned Flanders' Hollywood dream sequence. When Helen Fielding runs around being chased by bobbies and a man in a gorilla suit following the book club meeting and the end of the episode, it is an homage to the British sketch comedy The Benny Hill Show. The music featured in the sequence is "Yakety Sax", the music used in that series. Debussy's "Arabesque No. 1" and "Clair de Lune" were used as the background music for several scenes. After Sara asks Ned out on their first date (when she is leaving the Leftorium), Ned sings a version of America's "A Horse with No Name" referring to the date. Reception In a 2008 article, Entertainment Weekly named Marisa Tomei's role as Sara Sloane as one of the sixteen best guest appearances on The Simpsons. References External links The Simpsons (season 14) episodes 2003 American television episodes