about music") that the idea of "talking about love" is equivalent to "dancing about architecture". A second working title, If Only They Knew, made it as far as the top label for some copies of the soundtrack CD. Executive producers include Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein for Miramax Films. Jon Stewart's character is an architect, his home in the film is the Stahl House. The soundtrack includes songs by Morcheeba, Bonnie Raitt, Bran Van 3000, Edward Kowalczyk of Live, Neneh Cherry and Moby. Reception The film was released in the United States on December 18, 1998. In the United Kingdom, it was released on August 6, 1999, and opened at the number 11 spot. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 60% based on reviews from 53 critics, with an average rating of 6/10. The site's consensus was: "It's overly talky, but Playing by Heart benefits from witty insights into modern relationships and strong performances from an esteemed cast." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 55% based on reviews from 26 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of B+ on an A+ to F scale. Roger Ebert gave it a thumbs down, and 2.5 out of 4 in his print review, due to its entertaining dialogue, star power and charming moments, but determines it to be a 'near miss' because of its soft, gooey center. It was one of the last films reviewed on air, by film critic Gene Siskel, on Siskel and Ebert at the Movies, before his death on February 20, 1999. Like Ebert, Siskel gave it a thumbs down, deeming the film more about behaviour than story. Jolie won an award for "Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actress" from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, and writer/director Willard Carroll was nominated for an award at the Berlin International Film Festival. References External links Playing by Heart Trailer, YouTube, 2013 1998 films 1990s English-language films 1998 comedy-drama films Films directed by Willard Carroll Films scored by John Barry (composer) Films scored by Christopher Young American comedy-drama films Hyperlink films Hyperion Pictures films Miramax films Films with screenplays by Willard Carroll Films set in Los Angeles Films shot in Los Angeles HIV/AIDS in American films LGBT-related comedy-drama films 1990s American films