Le Divorce

Producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory made Le Divorce, a French-American comedy-drama of romance, in 2003. Ivory co-wrote the script with Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, working from Diane Johnson's novel of that title, published in 1997. Fox Searchlight Pictures released it in the United States on August 8, 2003, and UGC Fox Distribution followed in France on October 8. It drew mixed reviews and grossed about $13 million.

The story follows Isabel Walker, a young American who travels to Paris to see her pregnant sister Roxeanne, only to find that Roxeanne's husband, the French artist Charles-Henri de Persand, is leaving her. As the divorce sparks cultural and financial disputes between the two families, Isabel becomes entangled in an unexpected romance of her own. Kate Hudson plays Isabel, Naomi Watts plays Roxeanne and Melvil Poupaud plays Charles-Henri, with Thierry Lhermitte as Edgar Cosset. Glenn Close, Stockard Channing, Sam Waterston, Matthew Modine, Leslie Caron and Jean-Marc Barr also appear.

Filming took place in Paris at locations such as the Café de Flore, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the Salle Gaveau. The opening song is Paul Misraki's "Qu'est-ce qu'on attend pour être heureux", sung by Patrick Bruel and Johnny Hallyday; the closing credits play Serge Gainsbourg's "L'Anamour", sung by Jane Birkin.