Sweet November is a 2001 American romantic drama film directed by Pat O'Connor, starring Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron. The film is based on a 1968 film of the same name which starred Anthony Newley and Sandy Dennis.
Advertising executive Nelson Moss (Reeves), a self-absorbed and emotionally isolated man, one day meets Sara (Theron), a charming and intrepid woman whose passion for life upsets the manager's arrogant and determined attitude. However, he also discovers that she harbors a secret that will disrupt their newfound happiness.
This film features examples of:
- Adaptational Location Change: The 1968 film took place in New York City; this one takes place in San Francisco.
- Like You Were Dying: The film is part of the subtrope of Manic Pixie Dream Girl films that center around the fact that the girl in question is dying, and wants to try to live life to the fullest. The fact that this effectively makes their life goal "help some guy remove the stick from their ass" is incidental.
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Nelson meets Sara, the woman who "defy every law of nature he's ever known". Stumbling into her life, Nelson soon realizes Sara lives a lifestyle of voluntarily taking men under her wing to "change their lives for the better" in one way or another (MPDG for a living, if you will). So Sara asks Nelson (whose one and only concern in life is himself): "Do you want to be my November?" The rules are: no questions, no holding back, and no more and no less than ONE month.
- The Twelve Spoofs of Christmas: Nelson surprises Sara by climbing through her window bearing a bag which contains "The Twelve Gifts of Christmas", all the things she's ever told him she wanted or needed. Including a dishwasher.
Best not to think about that too hard. - Uptight Loves Wild: Introvert executive Nelson Moss meets carefree Sara Deever and she changes his life, with the twist that the girl has terminal cancer.
- Your Days Are Numbered: Sara is aware that she is going to die from her cancer, so she decides to "change [men's] lives for the better" for no more and no less than one month.
