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It Takes Two
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Andy Tennant
Produced by	Mel Efros Keith Samples
Written by	Deborah Dean Davis
Starring	Steve Guttenberg Kirstie Alley Mary-Kate Olsen Ashley Olsen
Cinematography	Kenneth D. Zunder
Editing by	Roger Bondelli
Distributed by	- USA - Warner Bros. - non-USA - Rysher Entertainment
Release date(s)	November 17, 1995
Running time	101 min
Country	United States
Language	English
Preceded by	How the West Was Fun
Followed by	Billboard Dad

It Takes Two was a 1995 film starring Steve Guttenberg, Kirstie Alley and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The movie title was taken from the song "It Takes Two", sung by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston. The song was featured in the end credits. It is based on the book Lottie and Lisa.

This film was rated PG by the MPAA for "some mild language".

Plot

Two unrelated young girls happen to look identical and they suddenly meet. Amanda Lemmon (Mary-Kate Olsen) is an orphan, and about to be adopted by a family whom she doesn't like, The Butkises. She actually wants her child-loving case worker Diane Barrows (Kirstie Alley) to adopt her instead. Diane would like the same thing but authorities will not let her, due to her low salary. Alyssa Callaway (Ashley Olsen) is coming home from her boarding school's piano recital competition, only to find that her wealthy father Roger (Steve Guttenberg) is about to marry Clarice Kensington (Jane Sibbett) a socialite who (secretly) hates kids and baseball (which Roger adores). The girls switch roles and find out that Diane and Roger would fit together perfectly. So they arrange "chance" meetings with the desired result: They fall in love with each other. After some turbulences, Alyssa who poses as Amanda ends up being adopted by the Butkises. She and Diane (while looking for Alyssa) find out the only reason The Butkises have adopted many and any children they could is to work in their salvage yard. When Clarice secretly spies on Roger and Diane, she decides to move up the wedding from the next month to the next day. After Amanda, who poses as Alyssa, proves to Vincenzo who she really is at the church, he summons to have a the real Alyssa picked up from the Butkises' salvage yard and to stall the wedding. Once Diane and Alyssa end up at the church, Roger stops the wedding and tells Clarice that he fell in love with Diane. Furious, Clarice slaps Roger and prepares to do the same to both Amanda and Alyssa but is stopped by both Diane and Vincenzo. Clarice storms out of the church shouting, "I've never been so humiliated in my life!" Alyssa replies, "Wanna bet?" stepping on Clarice's wedding gown, ripping it and revealing Clarice's underwear, with Clarice running out in embarrassment. Roger and Diane both find out in the end that it was Amanda and Alyssa that arranged all the meetings between the two of them the entire time.

Cast and character bios

• Amanda Lemmon (Mary-Kate Olsen) is a tomboyish orphan girl. She loves to play baseball and is just as good at it as any boy. She wants to be adopted by her social case worker Diane, but the government won't allow it because of Diane's low salary. Amanda switches lives with Alyssa Callaway and she realizes that she likes having a dad. She had to go to an engagement party and wedding (as the flower girl) for Roger and Clarice because they thought she was Alyssa.
• Alyssa Callaway (Ashley Olsen) is a rich girl and the daughter of Roger Callaway, the owner of the camp for the orphans. Alyssa is a very cultured young lady and won first prize in a piano recital competition and is an equestrian. Alyssa doesn't want her father to marry the wrong woman, Clarice Kensington, instead she wants her father to marry Diane. Alyssa switches places with Amanda and has to attend the orphan camp, Camp Callaway, that her father owns (also thought of by her late mother) because Diane didn't think that she could be anybody except Amanda.
• Roger Callaway (Steve Guttenberg) is a very wealthy widower. He owns Camp Callaway and is residing in a vacation house across the lake from the camp. He spoils his daughter and tries hard to make her happy. He realizes that he doesn't love Clarice when he falls for the girls' plan and meets Diane. He rejects Clarice at the altar.
• Diane Barrows (Kirstie Alley) takes care of the orphans. She especially loves Amanda and wants to adopt her. She gets mad when she finds out that another crazy family (particularly the Butkises) is able to adopt her. She wants to find love and when she meets Roger she knows that he is "the one." She finally gets her man at the end of the movie when she shows up at the wedding.
• Clarice Kensington (Jane Sibbett) is a socialite and a gold digger, the opposite of Diane. She hates kids and baseball and only wants to marry Roger for his money. She is very rude to people, especially Vincenzo. She is two-faced between Alyssa and Roger: when she is around Roger and Alyssa together, she is nice to both of them; however, when she is around Alyssa, alone, she is mean to her, and threatens to send her to year-round Tibetan boarding school after the wedding. During the wedding, she literally runs down the aisle and tries to speed up the ceremony to marry Roger so Diane can't have him. Despite this, after she is rejected by Roger, she tries to hit the girls, but is stopped by Vincenzo, and then Diane. Furious, she storms out of the cathedral only to have her dress ripped, revealing her panties.
• Vincenzo (Philip Bosco) is Roger's butler, best friend, and right-hand man. He is like a second father to Alyssa and knows everything about her, such that Amanda needs to show him the scars on her neck from a roman candle accident to prove to him she is not Alyssa.
• Harry (Ernie Grunwald) & Fanny Butkis (Ellen-Ray Henessy) are the couple that end up adopting Alyssa (posing as Amanda) on the day of Roger & Clarice's wedding. The Butkises are known for adopting (or rather collecting) many children and any kind of children they can get. The real reason behind that is to have them work in their salvage yard. They changed Alyssa's name to Betty Butkis, as they have with their adopted children. They also have a natural child of their own: Harry Butkis, Jr. (Dov Tiefenbach). Both Harry Butkis Sr., Junior and the adopted Butkis kids don't believe Alyssa when she tried telling them that she was not Amanda, until her father's private helicopter comes and picks her up from the salvage yard.

Awards and nominations

• Won - Nickelodeon Blimp Award for Favorite Movie Actress (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen)

• Nominated - Nickelodeon Blimp Award for Favorite Movie Actress (Kirstie Alley)

• Nominated - Young Artist Award for Best Performance by an Actress Under Ten (Ashley Olsen)

• Nominated - Young Artist Award for Best Performance by an Actress Under Ten (Mary-Kate Olsen)

Movie reviews

• Anyone the age of Amanda and Alyssa will be able to figure out instantly that after the two girls cross paths, have fun and adventure exchanging lives, that they're going to play cupid. -Kevin Thomas (Los Angeles Times)

• Luckily, they're quite engaging: Kirstie Alley continues to be the robust girl next door with the big smile, Steve Guttenberg is likable in the Donald O'Connor role, and the Olsen twins, from TV's "Full House," play the two look-alikes - which is a relief, since it's always such a distraction when one actor plays a dual role and you have to spend the whole movie trying to spot the trick photography. -Roger Ebert

• It Takes Two doesn't miss any predictable modown. But us adults need to remember that children often like predictable movies, probably because they haven't sat through as many films as we have, and they can sense a happy ending. With only a couple of bad words and a bit of child intimidation from the bad guys, this movie will deliver some entertaining moments to your children. -Parent Previews

External links

• It Takes Two at the Internet Movie Database
• It Takes Two at Allmovie

From Wikiquote

It Takes Two is a 1995 film starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

Harry Jr.: We've been looking for you, Your Highness.

[he kneels to Alyssa and presents her with a makeshift crown made out of an old can]

Alyssa: (annoyed) Leave me alone.

Brenda: But, Your Majesty, we brought you something.

Billy: Yeah. Something to make you feel more at home.

[he has a plunger in his hand as a makeshift scepter]

[Cut to Alyssa sitting on a pile of scrap with her makeshift crown, cape, and scepter]

Billy: Here's your royal throne, "Alyssa Calloway"!

[the other kids laugh]

Billy: Hail Betty, Queen of the scrap heap!

All Butkis Kids: Hail Betty!

[they kneel before Alyssa]

Alyssa: But my name's Alyssa Calloway!

Harry: Yeah, right. And I'm Princess Di.

[While watching Alyssa slowly walk down the aisle]

Roger: [to Vincenzo] Any slower and she'd be walking backwards.

Vincenzo: Oh, she's just not herself today.

Clarice: This is all YOUR fault!

(she's about to slap Amanda (posing as Alyssa) but is stopped by Vincenzo)

Vincenzo: (furiously) Lady, if you touch that child, I'll POP you one, so help me God!

(Clarice storms off and sees the real Alyssa, then Amanda, and she does a double take)

Clarice: Oh, my God! There's 2 of them! It's a conspiracy! (laughs and smiles) Well, at least I'll get to hit one of you.

(she reaches over to slap Alyssa, but Diane stops her)

Diane: HEY! Back off, "Barbie". And by the way, you have a little bit of tiny bit of something right here on your teeth.

(she points to Clarice having lipstick on her teeth)

Clarice: I have never been more humiliated in my LIFE!

(she heads out the door, when...)

Alyssa: Wanna bet?

(she steps on Clarice's wedding gown, and reveals her underpants in front of everybody in the church, making them all laugh)

Clarice: Oh, my God! (shrieks) Daddy! (runs out) Oh, my God!

Roger: Well, I guess we're even.

Diane: What do you mean?

Roger: You saved my life.

Diane: I'm sorry about spoiling your party. I just didn't want the wrong girl to go down the aisle. I-I mean the wrong flower girl.

Roger: I think you had it right the first time.

Alyssa: [to Amanda] Told ya, third time's the charm.

Roger: W-wait a minute, All of this? This was your doing?

[both Amanda and Alyssa nod their heads in unison]

Diane: Oh, it WAS, was it?

[the girls nod their heads in unison again]

Roger: Well, ladies, what do you have to say for yourselves?

Amanda and Alyssa: [in unison] So kiss already!

Diane: FOOD FIGHT!!!

[Roger and Vincenzo see Amanda as Alyssa banging on the piano keys at the engagement party]

Roger: You think maybe my daughter's asking for a little attention?

Vincenzo: I'd say she's demandin' it.

[Amanda bangs the final notes]

Roger: Hmm.

[Alyssa and Diane arrive at the front steps of the church]

Alyssa: Aren't you coming?!

Diane: [stammers] Uh, no, I think I'm just gonna wait for Amanda out here.

Alyssa: Diane Barrows! Get your butt up here this... instant!

Diane: Okay. Okay. Maybe I'll just stand in the back and take a little look-see.

[Diane and Alyssa spot a horse-drawn carriage, and Alyssa gets on]

Diane: Oh, no. NOT another horse!

Alyssa: Diane, come on!

Diane: All right.

[she gets into the carriage]

Diane: Where is the driver?

[she notices that the driver is at the hot dog stand, eating hot dogs]

Diane: Oh! Hey, Buddy! Listen, you gotta take us to St. Bart's right away! It's an emergency!

Driver: [mouthful] We're closed, Miss. I'm on my break!

[Diane turns to Alyssa, and makes a gesture telling her to get in the driver's seat and take the reins, both of which Alyssa does, and Diane gets in the passenger seat and turns angrily to the driver]

Diane: I wanna thank you for all your help, Bud!

Alyssa: [whips the reins] HYAH!

[the horse runs off, pulling the carriage, but Diane falls backwards into the seat]

[The driver notices and runs after his horse]

Driver: [still mouthful] Hey. Hey, lady! Hey, that's...

[he spits]

Driver: [screams clearly] THAT'S MY HORSE!!!!!

[Alyssa is posing as Amanda and is with Mr & Mrs. Harry Butkis]

Alyssa (to Harry & Mrs. Butkis): Uh, look here. There's been a big mistake. You see, my name is not Amanda.

Mrs. Butkis: [laughs] Oh, we know that honey.

Alyssa: You do?

Mrs. Butkis: Sure, and you'll never have to be Amanda again.

Harry: That's right. Because from now on, you're gonna be little Betty Butkis.

Roger: I made my money the old fashion way - pure dumb luck.

Clarice: Where the hell is everybody? Vincenzo!

(Amanda and Vincenzo have heard the whole thing)

Vincenzo: I sure hope you got a plan.

Amanda: (as Alyssa) All this money, and these people eat slugs?!

(the helicopter flies across New York City, on the way to St. Bart's)

Alyssa: We'll never make it! We only have 10 minutes!

Diane: So, Lou!

Lou: Yeah?

Diane: How close can you land this thing to the church?

Lou: Central Park close enough?

Diane: Central Park? The Central Park? That'll do.

External links

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It Takes Two (1995 film)