Fifty Shades of Grey is a 2015 film adaptation of the bestselling erotic novel of the same name by E. L. James, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and starring Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey and Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele, with Eloise Mumford, Jennifer Ehle, Marcia Gay Harden, Victor Rasuk, Luke Grimes, and Rita Ora in supporting roles.
The film follows the relationship between Anastasia Steele, a naïve, innocent young literature student, and Christian Grey, a mysterious and handsome Seattle-based billionaire. Their BDSM-flavored romance fuels most of the plot.
The film was released on Friday, February 13, 2015. Yes, that's the day before Valentine's Day. We're sure it's a coincidence.note The trailer for the film can be seen here
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Two sequels based on the two sequel novels, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, were filmed back-to-back and released on February 10, 2017 and February 9, 2018, respectively.
This film provides examples of:
- Actor Allusion: At one point Anastasia tells Christian "You're the complete serial killer," to which Christian answers, "Not today." Jamie Dornan (who plays Christian) also starred in The Fall (2013), in which he played a serial killer.
- A Mistake Is Born: In "Fifty Shades Freed", Ana becomes pregnant and fearful of Christian's reaction, dreads telling him about it. She tells him anyway, leading him to lash out at her, take off, get drunk and (possibly) sleep with Elena Lincoln. Despite the ill timing of the pregnancy in their new marriage, Ana wants to keep the baby anyway and fights with Christian.
- And Starring: Marcia Gay Harden, who plays Christian's mom.
- Artistic License – Geography: There are parts of the film that you can tell that it isn't filmed in Seattle. And unless Christian's office is located on a S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, the skyline in the movie poster is being shot looking out of a building that physically does not and cannot exist in Seattle.note
- Auto Erotica: In Freed, Ana and Christian have sex in the car at the parking lot after car racing to escape from a mysterious stalker.
- Beta Couple: Kate and Elliot, as well as Ana's mother and step-father.
- Billionaire Wristband: Christian wears two different Omegas, a $7,200 Seamaster Aqua Terra Chronograph and a $26,500 Speedmaster Moonwatch Co-Axial Chronograph. These are two of the many expensive watches kept in a special organizer in his dressing room.
- Body Double: In a case of "like mother, like daughter"note mostly averted, but Dakota insisted on a butt double for the scene where Christian gives Ana a spanking with a rod.
- Book Ends: The first movie begins and ends with Christian and Ana repeating each others' name as she leaves in an elevator.
- Chained to a Bed: One of the tortures used. First the hands, later it was both hands and legs.
- Character Tics: Ana biting her lip.
- Color Motif: Gray, of course. Red comes up a lot too, mostly being associated with sex and the forbidden (in particular Christian's 'Red Room').
- Contemplative Boss: The way Mr. Grey receives visitors in his office.
- Cool Plane: A bit understated, but the glider and the helicopter (an Airbus H130, in a nod to the novel) are definitely this for Anastasia. And they're piloted by none other than Christian himself, natch.
- Control Freak: Christian loves to have control over things, including Ana. In "Freed", he tells her even though he wants kids someday he's "just not ready to share her with someone yet" and loses it when she becomes pregnant.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Christian has one, though it's mostly only hinted at. Namely, being neglected by his drug addict/prostitute mother and finding her corpse when he was only four, and having a BDSM relationship with his mother's much older friend when he was only fifteen. It also serves as his Freudian Excuse.
- Downer Ending: The film ends with Ana leaving Christian, heartbroken, due to being unable to handle his more extreme sexual kinks and thus believing they are incompatible. Although, seeing as there are two more movies, we know it's only temporary.
- Epunymous Title: "Grey" is a reference to Christian Grey, the male lead character's name.
- Even Evil Has Standards: In "Fifty Shades Freed", Liz, Ana's co-worker who aids Jack Hyde in his kidnapping Mia and threatening Ana for ransom money, didn't even count on Hyde intending to kill Ana and potentially harm her unborn baby.
- Fan Disservice: Christian whipping Ana's bare bottom with a belt six times while she is forced to lie down and count and she is not enjoying it.
- Flirtatious Smack on the Ass: Christian slaps Anastasia's ass twice. Once, when about to have sex, second is when he carries her by his shoulder out of anger. In Darker, Christian smacks Anastasia's ass when about to have sex upon sneaking out from the masquerade party.
- Hates Being Touched: Christian, due to being abused by his dead mother's boyfriends.
- Hopeless Suitor: Jose for Ana. It's Fifty Shades of Grey, not Fifty Shades of Jose.
- Imperiled in Pregnancy: Ana's pregnancy is threatened by her stalker Jack in "Fifty Shades Freed".
- Insatiable Newlyweds: In the opening scene of Fifty Shades Freed, the newlyweds Anastasia and Christian are honeymooning in Paris and they can barely keep their hands off each other.
- Jealous Parent: In "Fifty Shades Freed", Christian comes off as this long before the big pregnancy announcement, saying how he's not ready to "share her with anybody else yet". Not only does he verbally abuse Ana after the news, he takes off to get drunk and presumably cheat with his ex Elena, then he goes as far as to continue voicing his controlling jealousy over his own unborn child by insulting him and sticking his head up Ana's sweater where the belly is —while she's still wearing it.Christian: Oh, we have an intruder...and some day you'll love him more than me.
- Karma Houdini: In Darker, Christian sells Ana’s car out from under her. This is a felony, yet there are no consequences of any kind.
- Kick The Son Of A Bitch: In "Fifty Shades Freed", after Jack kidnaps Mia, abuses Ana and kicks her in the belly (putting her unborn baby at risk), Ana grabs her gun and shoots Jack in both of his kneecaps before the police arrive.
- Lighter and Softer: A notable example where this is generally considered to have been a good thing. The film tones down or removes most of the creepier parts of the book, including the infamous "tampon scene".
- Like Parent, Like Spouse: In a negative sense. While defining that he's a sadist and not a dominant, Christian admits he gets sexually aroused from punishing women...
who resemble his dead mother. Not surprised, considering that almost all his former submissive lovers resemble his mother vaguely in looks. Also his Freudian Excuse. - Love Triangle:
- A downplayed example. Ana's best friend Jose is in love with her, but she only has eyes for Christian and it barely factors into the plot at all, due to it being made abundantly clear Jose has no chance. Of course, this doesn't stop Christian from getting all green-eyed about it...
- Four different variety love triangles in "Fifty Shades Darker. Examples such as Ana/Christian/Elena, Ana/Christian/Leila, Christian/Ana/Jack & Jose/Ana/Christian.
- In "Fifty Shades Freed", there's Ana/Christian/Elena, Ana/Christian/Gia and Christian/Ana/Jack and that's all during a surprise pregnancy.
- Male Gaze / Eating the Eye Candy:
- In the first movie, Christian gazes at Ana's swaying hips from behind while she's making pancakes for their breakfast.
- In Darker, Ana gazes at Christian when he's working out shirtless.
- Moment Killer: Mrs. Grey makes her introduction while Christian is banging Ana.
- Moody Trailer Cover Song: Beyoncé recorded a slower, more sensual cover of her own "Crazy in Love" for the trailer of the first film.
- Mr. Fanservice: Take a big guess.
- Ms. Fanservice: Anastasia Steele might think she’s unattractive, but she’s played by Dakota Johnson.
- Naïve Everygirl: Anastasia Steele, to the point where at age 21, she has no idea what butt plugs are.
- Official Couple: Christian and Ana. With helpings of Official Couple Ordeal Syndrome, what with Ana's naivety and Christian's...issues.
- Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Poor Jamie Dornan, trying to pull off being a
Fake American... - Over-the-Shoulder Carry: Christian carries Anastasia over his shoulder when he is upset with her for stopping him from attempting to finger her under the table while dining with his family. Later, in the second sequel, he carries her over his shoulder again when about to have sex with her and when about to propose her.
- Pragmatic Adaptation: Most of the explicit sexual content from the book is greatly simplified and toned-down for the films, while many of the kinkier and more shocking moments are dropped entirely. The film also removes Ana's inner monologues and references to her "subconscious" and "inner goddess", as it doesn't work too well in a film format (the books are written from Ana's first-person perspective).
- Punny Name: Anastasia Steele happens to work in a hardware store.
- Rockstar Parking: Anastasia is able to park right next to the curb in front of Christian's building. In Downtown Seattle, during business hours.
- Safe, Sane, and Consensual: Ana has to read through and sign a contract consenting to BDSM practices with Christian (which he requires all his submissives to sign so they know and agree to what they're getting into). However, considering how utterly naive Ana is about it all (she's actually still a virgin when she meets Christian and can't figure out what butt plugs are) and that Christian is rather inconsistent about following the contracts' rules, it doesn't work out very well...
- Secondary Character Title: Anastasia is the main protagonist/focal character, while the title refers to her love interest Christian.
- Shower of Love: Ana and Christian share this after she accepts his proposal in "Fifty Shades Darker".
- Shout-Out: The ibuprofen pills and orange juice tagged with "Eat me" and "Drink me" instructions, when Ana wakes from her hangover. Like Alice, she's just stepped into the rabbit hole, and her world is about to become curiouser and curiouser.
- Take Our Word for It: The audience never gets to see the bomb Jack Hyde planted in Christian's office go off, nor any of the damage the explosion from it has done. Instead, the whole event is described by Christian's assistant, Ros, in a video call.
- Trauma Button: In Darker, when Ana draws a map on Christian's skin with lipstick, he shakes every time she crosses a line with the lipstick which causes her to realize where she's not supposed to touch.
- Undressing the Unconscious: Christian takes Ana to his hotel suite after she gets drunk and passes out and changes her clothes himself since she hers were covered in vomit.
- Unequal Pairing: Christian is a powerful CEO with a ridiculous amount of money and the resources to find out anything and everything about a person, and a very sexually experienced dom to boot. Ana's a naive college student who works in a hardware store and had only ever been kissed once before meeting Christian.
- Vertical Power Play: In the leads' first scene together, Ana is sitting in a very low chair. Christian is intermittently sitting in a taller desk chair, standing, and leaning against his desk. He's consistently taller, and to meet his eyes she has to look up at him. At the turning point in the scene — a disarming moment in the conversation — he comes and sits in a matching chair beside her, bringing them to the same level.Folding Ideas: Christian spends most of the scene standing over Ana; a straightforward power position. But with the turning point, he moves to the chair; brings himself down to Ana's level. So we have some visual power play.
