Oscar (1991 film)
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| Oscar | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | John Landis |
| Produced by | Leslie Belzberg |
| Written by | Claude Magnier (play) Michael Barrie (screenplay) Jim Mulholland (screenplay) |
| Starring | Sylvester Stallone Peter Riegert Chazz Palminteri Kurtwood Smith |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Cinematography | Mac Ahlberg |
| Editing by | Dale Beldin |
| Distributed by | Touchstone Pictures |
| Release date(s) | April 26, 1991 |
| Running time | 109 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English / Italian |
| Budget | $35,000,000 (estimated) |
| IMDb profile | |
Oscar is a 1991 comedy movie directed by John Landis The film is a remake of Oscar from 1967. The story is set in Depression era New York and centers around a Mob Boss trying to go straight. The film stars Sylvester Stallone. It was a rare attempt by Stallone at doing a comedy role. It is directed as if it were a film of that time with humor and dialogue delivered in a manner reminiscent of old Hollywood comedies.
The movie did poorly in theatres both with its audience and with critics, never recouping its $35,000,000 budget. Critics gave overall bad reviews (although it received a "Two Thumbs Up" from Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel) however it maintains a high viewer rating today as a DVD rental.
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[edit] Plot
In the prelude, Gangster Angelo “Snaps” Provolone (Sylvester Stallone) promises his dying father (Kirk Douglas) that he will give up a life of crime, and instead “go straight.”
Months later, Snaps awakes at his mansion and begins his important morning. He has a meeting with several prominent bankers, as he hopes to donate a large sum of cash and join the bank’s board of trustees, thereby having an honest job and keeping his word to his father. Anthony Rossano (Vincent Spano), a young good natured accountant of Snaps arrives at the mansion and sets all events in motion. Anthony tells his boss that he’s in love, asks for a monumental raise, then tells Snaps the true love he speaks of is actually "Snaps's daughter." After Anthony professes his love for the daughter, Snaps agrees to let Anthony and his daughter marry.
Lisa Provolone (Marisa Tomei) is the only child of Snaps and Sofia. Lisa is a spoiled daughter whose dreams of seeing the world’s great sights run into a roadblock because of her overly protective father. Wishing to move out of the house, she lies to her parents (at the suggestion of the maid, Nora) and claims to be pregnant. Snaps, believing the father to be Anthony (as he wants to marry "Snaps's daughter"), is shocked when Lisa says the father is Oscar, the old chauffeur who is now out of the country.
Things get even more complicated when Anthony learns that Theresa, the woman he fell in love with, is not actually Snaps' daughter, but was merely pretending to be. Before Anthony can catch on, Snaps tricks him into agreeing to marry his actual daughter, Lisa, who is pregnant but without a husband. Both Lisa and Anthony are unhappy at the hasty arrangement, and the pair luck out when Lisa falls in love with someone else – Dr. Poole (Tim Curry), Snaps' dialectician.
Meanwhile, local police lieutenant Toomey (Kurtwood Smith) is keeping eye on the mansion, believing that Snaps is meeting with Chicago mobsters soon. Also watching Snaps is mob rival Vendetti, who, too, believes that Snaps is meeting Chicago mobsters. Vendetti plans a hit on Snaps in the early afternoon while Toomey plans a raid at the same time to catch Snaps red-handed.
While Anthony seeks out Theresa, Snaps meets his mansion's new maid, Roxie. As it turns out, Roxie is an old flame of Snaps, and the pair talk memories and the life that never was. Theresa comes to the mansion and is revealed to be Roxie's daughter - who was actually fathered by Snaps long ago - making Snaps her dad after all. The impromptu celebration of both his daughters' engagements is cut short by the arrival of the bankers. During the meeting, Snaps senses the bankers are giving him a raw deal. The meeting is interrupted by policeman and Toomey, who is embarrassed to find no money or gangsters present on site. He leaves the mansion just in time for Vendetti's car full of armed men to crash right outside. Toomey smiles for reporters and arrests the men.
With no hope to actually become a banker, Snaps decides to abandon his short-lived honest ways and return to a life of crime. The final scene of the movie shows a double wedding for both his daughters. Oscar himself finally appears and objects to Lisa's marriage, but he is carried off by Snaps' men and the weddings end happily.
[edit] Production
Produced by Buena Vista, the film featured Original Music by Elmer Bernstein. The costumes were designed by Deborah Nadoolman and Art Direction by William Ladd Skinner. The movie recreates a 1930 era film, including the gestures along with bit acts and with some slapstick.
[edit] Casting
- Peter Riegert ... Aldo, Snaps’s top man who took over the role of house butler when his boss went straight. Often underappreciated, Aldo tries to keep all the mansion henchmen in line in preparation for Snaps’s important meeting with the bankers.
- Chazz Palminteri ... Connie,a loyal but dim-witted button man for Snaps. Connie’s penchant for carrying numerous weapons and his slow brain make for several humorous moments.
- Joey Travolta ... Ace
- Paul Greco ... Schemer
- Sylvester Stallone ... Angelo 'Snaps' Provolone is feared gangster who, at the beginning of the film, promises his dying father that he will give up a life of crime, and instead “go straight.”
- Richard Foronjy ... Knucky
- Yvonne De Carlo ... Aunt Rosa
- Don Ameche ... Father Clemente
- Richard Romanus ... Vendetti, rival gangster of Snaps who’s worried at how quiet Snaps has been recently. Vendetti gathers a group of men and plans to assassinate Snaps in the early afternoon. His car full of men crashes near the house though, right in front of Lt. Toomey, who arrests the whole group.
- Arleen Sorkin ... Vendetti's Manicurist
- Eddie Bracken ... Five Spot Charlie
- Tony Munafo ... Frankie the Roach
- Robert Lesser ... Officer Keough
- Art LaFleur ... Officer Quinn
- Kurtwood Smith... Lt. Toomey, Chicago PD
- Vincent Spano ... Anthony Rossano, the kind yet wily accountant of Snaps. Anthony’s early morning arrival to the mansion sets all events in motion. Anthony tells his boss that he’s in love, asks for a monumental raise, then tells Snaps the true love he speaks of is actually "Snaps's daughter." After Anthony professes his love for the daughter, Snaps agrees to let he and his daughter marry. What Anthony soon learns is this: The woman he fell in love with is not actually Snaps' daughter, but was merely pretending to be.
- Joycelyn O'Brien ... Nora
- Marisa Tomei ... Lisa Provolone, the only child of Snaps and Sofia. Lisa is a spoiled daughter whose dreams of seeing the world’s great sights run into a roadblock because of her overly protective father. Wishing to move out of the house, she lies to her parents (at the suggestion of the maid, Nora) and claims to be pregnant.
- Martin Ferrero ... Luigi Finucci is one of a pair of Italian tailors who arrive early to find Snaps the perfect suit for his important meeting. The Fenucci’s are constantly disrupted as problems around the house continue to occur.
- Harry Shearer ... Guido Finucci, Luigi's brother. Snaps manages to convince Anthony that the Fenucci’s are vicious assassins who will murder Anthony on a moment’s notice should he step out of line.
- William Atherton ... Overton
- Mark Metcalf ... Milhous
- Ken Howard ... Kirkwood
- Sam Chew Jr. ... Van Leland
- Elizabeth Barondes ... Theresa
- Ornella Muti ... Sofia Provolone
- Sal Vecchio ... Vendetti Hood
- Tim Curry ... Dr. Thornton Poole is a linguistics expert who arrives for an elocution lesson with Snaps. Poole is a world traveler, who giddily traverses the country in his studies of the sub-dialects of the English language.
- Danny Goldstine ... Cab Driver
- Kai Wulff ... Underwood Chauffeur
- Linda Gray ... Roxanne, a replacement maid sent over by the service after Nora’s sudden departure. Snaps recognizes Roxanne (“Roxy”), as the two are actually former lovers who had a fling many years ago, before Snaps became a gangster. Roxanne reveals she left Snaps one night because she was pregnant. She is extremely surprised to see her daughter in the mansion – Theresa. Connie then puts all the facts together and reveals that Theresa is actually Snaps’ real daughter from a relationship 20 years ago]].
- Marshall Bell ... Reporter #1
- Tom Grant ... Reporter #2
- Louis D'Alto ... Reporter #3
- Rick Avery ... Vendetti's Driver
- Jim Mulholland ... Oscar
- Joe Dante ... Face on the Cutting Room Floor
- Kirk Douglas ... Eduardo Provolone
[edit] Reaction
The film did badly at the boxoffice. First weekend gross was $5,091,027, only 21.6% of total gross.
[edit] Release
The film was released on April 26, 1991 (USA) and nine international releases from June until September. The Laser Disc version was released Released November 1991. The VHS release was Date: April 21, 1994, and the DVD was released May 6, 2003.
[edit] References
- Oscar at the Internet Movie Database
- Oscar at Rotten Tomatoes
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