Kate and Leopold -- Are You For Real?

Are you for real?

That is the question that Kate asks Leopold. The question of Leopold’s true identity is a theme that runs throughout this incredibly touching film. It is a question every character, and every viewer, must answer for themselves before the credits roll. In this time-travel, romantic-adventure Kate McKay is played by Meg Ryan, and Leopold, the Duke of Albany, is played by Hugh Jackman.

In the opening sequence there is a visual celebration of period costumes and horses pulling carriages on the streets of historic New York City. We can almost smell the fragrance of the elaborate floral bouquets and swags in Leopold’s home. These all create a vivid display of the elegance and refinement of the day.

When Leopold wakes up and unknowingly finds himself in modern-day New York City, his reaction to the radical change in society and culture is absolutely side-splitting. He is shocked by the television and the music, and intrigued by the numerous inventions found in Stuart’s apartment. He even studies, with rapt attention, the flushing toilet. Most entertaining is his encounter with a New York City police officer who orders him to pick up dog poop and put it in the garbage. He respectfully refuses, and everything within us that longs for the return of chivalry, triumphantly cheers.

One of the most memorable moments of this endearing picture is when Leopold valiantly bursts through the shrubbery of Central Park galloping on a white horse. He pauses barely long enough to scoop Kate onto the saddle behind him, and they are off! Leopold is determined to chase down the New York City thief who has grabbed Kate’s purse while she stood in broad daylight in the public street. Through several feats of equestrian excellence, he is able to corner the perpetrator and eloquently convince him to surrender the stolen property.

It is after this heroic intervention that Kate asks the pivotal question of the film, “Are you for real?”