Mr. and Mrs. Smith, starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, is now streaming on Netflix.
By Charlene Badasie | Posted
Every new month brings a new batch of content to Netflix and October is packed with tons of cool stuff. In the same way Mr. Harrigan’s phonebased on the short story by Stephen King, and The School of Good and Evil based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Soman Chainani, the streamer added some old favorites like Peak hour and Mr. and Mrs. Smith with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
Billed as an action-comedy, the film stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as John and Jane Smith who met in Bogota, got married, and settled into a comfortable routine. But the opening scene finds the couple in marital counseling. The spark has gone out of their relationship since a typical day sees them leaving separately for work. But their suburban life is turned upside down when the couple learns that they are assassins employed by competing agencies.
John (Brad Pitt) keeps his guns and cash in a pit under the tool shed, while Jane (Jolie) keeps her knives and other weapons in trays that slide under the oven. When tasked with killing each other, the pair’s skills and love are put to the test. Directed by Doug Liman from a screenplay by Simon Kinberg, the 2005 film earned $487 million at the worldwide box office.
While fans loved it, Mr. and Mrs. Smith was met with mixed reviews from critics who said the action-romance suffered from weak writing and too much outburst. But Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s performances were praised, with their on-screen chemistry described as palpable and enough to make the film enjoyable. The film still holds a 59% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
However, far from the box office, the film also established Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s personal relationship. After his very public courtship and marriage to Jennifer Aniston, the couple announced their separation in 2005 – six months before the release of Mr and Mrs Smith. In a statement via People, the couple did their best to dispel rumors that the split was due to an affair between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
“We would like to announce that after seven years together, we have decided to officially separate. For those who follow this sort of thing, we would like to explain that our separation is not the result of any of the speculation reported by the tabloids. This decision is the result of a long reflection”, explained Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. “We thankfully remain committed and caring friends with much love and admiration for each other.”
Contrary to assertion, Brad Pitt and his Mr Mrs. Black-smith co-star (who had denied romance rumours) were spotted vacationing together in Kenya shortly after the actor’s divorce was finalized in October 2005. In an interview with vanity lounge, Aniston later opened up about grieving her marriage and her reaction to the headlines surrounding her ex-husband’s relationship with Jolie. “There are several stages in grief,” says the Friends said alum. “It’s sad, something is coming to an end. It kind of opens the door for you.
In 2014, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie legally married in Los Angeles on August 14 with a private ceremony at Chateau Miraval, France later that month. But a slew of kids and drama later, the actress filed for divorce from Pitt, citing irreconcilable differences in September 2016. On April 12, 2019, the court declared Angelina Jolie and Pitt legally single.
Interestingly, Angelina Jolie wasn’t Jane’s first choice in Mrs and Mrs Smith. Nicole Kidman was originally cast in the lead role, but when Brad Pitt dropped out, she did too. Doug Liman then considered Will Smith and Catherine Zeta-Jones for the roles, as well as Johnny Depp and Cate Blanchett. When Gwyneth Paltrow was cast as Jane, Pitt returned to the project. But she also later left the role, which led to Angelina Jolie joining.
In 2007, a pilot for a spin-off series was developed for ABC. Set six months after the events of the film, it’s the series that has been described as Married with children with guns. While the roles made famous by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie went to the talented Martin Henderson and Jordana Brewster, the network ultimately decided against commissioning the project. Then, in February 2021, Amazon announced that a reboot of the series was in the works, starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine. It is currently slated for release later this year.