The Man with One Red Shoe (1985)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Stan Dragoti

Writers:

Francis Veber (screenplay) and
Yves Robert (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

19 July 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Thriller

Plot:

A man picked randomly out of a crowd is made the target of CIA survelliance and pursuit.

Plot Keywords:

CIA | Shoe | Red Shoes | Surveillance | Farce

Cast

Tom Hanks	...	Richard Harlan Drew
Dabney Coleman	...	Cooper
Lori Singer	...	Maddy
Charles Durning	...	Ross
Carrie Fisher	...	Paula
Edward Herrmann	...	Brown (as Ed Herrmann)
James Belushi	...	Morris (as Jim Belushi)
Irving Metzman	...	Virdon
Tom Noonan	...	Reese
Gerrit Graham	...	Carson
David L. Lander	...	Stemple
Ritch Brinkley	...	Hulse
Frank Hamilton	...	Edgar
Dortha Duckworth	...	Natalie
David Ogden Stiers	...	The Conductor

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:15 (re-rating) (uncut) (2004) | UK:PG (original rating) (cut) | Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Georgetown, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The musical love theme and composition that Tom Hanks plays throughout the film on the violin was written by Michael Masser.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Paula is climbing out of Richard's window and talking back to Richard her wristwatch is missing and her hair is longer than in the previous scenes.

Quotes:

Paula: Oh, don't talk about Morris. All he cares about is his practical jokes.
Richard: I know, I know, I know, he's a percussionist, but still, that doesn't mean he's not a nice guy.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "NYPD Blue: The Man with Two Right Shoes (#7.3)" (2000)

Spies are US

If there is a lesson to be learned by Hollywood is not to try to remake whatever was already made, and better. Which seems to be a lesson American movie people seem to forget. The criteria might be that the original film didn't reach a wide American audience, thus the reason for the remake, but frankly, neither Stan Dragoti, the director, or Robert Klane, its adapter, put a dent in what Francis Vever and Yves Robert achieved with the original.

Then again, if one hasn't seen the French film of the same name, this comedy will appear to be the real thing. In fact, there are hardly any laughs in the film. The best sequence involves the Richard and Maddy in the seduction scene where some of her hair is caught in a zipper.

In a way, this was Tom Hanks' third film as a lead man. One can't blame him because he is bogged down by a screen play that could have been better. Tom Hanks pales in comparison with the original Pierre Richard, who was a better comedian.

The cast shows several familiar faces, Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning, Edward Herrmann, John Belushi, but ultimately the ones that fare better in the film are Lori Singer and Carrie Fisher in smaller roles, but ones that afford these two actress good opportunities in which to shine.

Stick with the original version if you can find it in DVD format.