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# ‘Delovely’ comes up short on hitting a high note
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/the-clearing-thankfully-lacking/
- Published: 2004-07-02T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T04:41:35.000Z
- Author: Dan Dunn
- Tags: Entertainment, Santa Monica, #archive-import

The music of Cole Porter is the star of this alternately bleak and bouncy biopic, with Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd as the legendary composer and his muse. Fans of the golden age of jazz will no doubt revel in director Irwin Winkler’s celebration of the era’s most accomplished songwriter. The film features many of Porter’s great-est hits, performed with varying degrees of competence by the likes of Alanis Morissette, Robbie Williams and Elvis Costello, all of whom were brought in to entice youngsters unfamiliar with the musical genre. Problem is, even Porter devotees will likely find the stuff in between the melodies — the story, that is — to be excessively glum. Porter certainly led a difficult life as a gay man trapped in a sexless marriage of convenience. Then there was a debilitating horseback-riding injury that left him in constant pain and led to drug addiction (a fact curiously avoided in the film). But it seems there simply had to be more joy in Porter’s life than is offered here. After all, the guy penned some of the most romantic, upbeat tunes of the 20th century. There are reasons to recommend this picture: Both leads acquit themselves well, and many of the musical numbers are absolutely buoyant. Still, I left the theater feeling not so much Delovely as Depressed, wishing the filmmakers had hit a higher note. (Rated PG-13 for sexual content. Running time: 125 minutes)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 2, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/070204.pdf?ref=smdp.com)