Woman on Top
“A sexy comedy that turns happily ever after upside down.”
Synopsis
Set to the intoxicating rhythms of Brazil, "Woman on Top" is a spicy, sexy comedy about the magic of food, love and music. Meet Isabella, a sultry enchantress born with the special gift of melting the palates and hearts of men everywhere. When she decides to break free from her rocky marriage and the stifling kitchen of her husband's restaurant in Brazil, she spirits off to San Francisco in pursuit of her dreams of a real culinary career.
Top Cast
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Penélope Cruz
Isabella Oliveira
Murilo Benício
Toninho Oliveira
Mark Feuerstein
Cliff Lloyd
John de Lancie
Alex Reeves
Anne Ramsay
TV Director
Ana Gasteyer
Claudia Hunter
Harold Perrineau
Monica Jones
June Carryl
Zeke
Bob Greene
Nikos
Lázaro Ramos
Max
Wagner Moura
Rafi
Cléa Simões
Serafina
Jonas Bloch
Pierre Laroche
Carlos Gregório
Melvin
Danni Suzuki
Yoko
Jerry Penacoli
Tom Kelly
Release History & Theatrical Window
September 22, 2000
Wide Cinema Exhibition
September 5, 2001
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$8M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$10.2M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.27x
+$2.2M net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Fina Torres
- Screenplay & Story
- Vera Blasi
- Original Score
- Luis Bacalov
- Original Title
- Woman on Top
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- Portuguese, English
- Runtime
- 1h 32m
- Production Budget
- $8M
- Worldwide Gross
- $10.2M
- Production Studios
- Fox Searchlight Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Fina Torres
Vera Blasi
Luis Bacalov
Thierry Arbogast
Leslie Jones
Augusto Casé, Preta Gil, Bronwen Hughes, Alan Poul, Fina Torres
Department Leadership Roster
Fina Torres
Director
Vera Blasi
Writer
Thierry Arbogast
Director of Photography
Philippe Chiffre
Production Design
Alan Poul
Producer
Leslie Jones
Editor
Elisabeth Tavernier
Costume Design
Luis Bacalov
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Woman on Top.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Woman on Top.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Woman on Top
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Woman on Top about?
Set to the intoxicating rhythms of Brazil, "Woman on Top" is a spicy, sexy comedy about the magic of food, love and music. Meet Isabella, a sultry enchantress born with the special gift of melting the palates and hearts of men everywhere. When she decides to break free from her rocky marriage and the stifling kitchen of her husband's restaurant in Brazil, she spirits off to San Francisco in pursuit of her dreams of a real culinary career.
Who directed Woman on Top?
Woman on Top was directed by Fina Torres.
Who stars in Woman on Top?
The principal cast of Woman on Top includes Penélope Cruz, Murilo Benício, Mark Feuerstein, John de Lancie, Anne Ramsay.
When was Woman on Top released and how long is it?
Woman on Top was released in 2000 with a total runtime of 1h 32m.
What was the box office and production budget of Woman on Top?
Woman on Top had a reported production budget of $8M and grossed $10.2M at the worldwide box office (1.27 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for Woman on Top?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Woman on Top was composed by Luis Bacalov.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Woman on Top?
Woman on Top holds official age classifications: FR: TP; US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).