Family Business (1989)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers (WGA):

Vincent Patrick (novel)
Vincent Patrick (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 December 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Comedy

Tagline:

There's nothing like a good robbery... to bring a family together.

Plot:

Jessie is an ageing career criminal who has been in more jails, fights, schemes, and lineups than just about anyone else...

Plot Keywords:

Heist | Family Relationships | Father Son Relationship | Prison | Box Office Flop

Cast

Sean Connery	...	Jessie McMullen
Dustin Hoffman	...	Vito McMullen
Matthew Broderick	...	Adam McMullen
Rosanna DeSoto	...	Elaine (as Rosana DeSoto)
Janet Carroll	...	Margie, Waitress at Dohenys
Victoria Jackson	...	Christine, Adam's Girl
Bill McCutcheon	...	Danny Doheny, Bar Owner
Deborah Rush	...	Michele Dempsey, Adam's Lawyer
Marilyn Cooper	...	Rose Gruden, Elaine's Mother
Salem Ludwig	...	Nat Gruden, Elaine's Dad
Rex Everhart	...	Ray Garvey, Jessie's Lawyer
James Tolkan	...	Judge in 2nd Trial (as James S. Tolkan)
Marilyn Sokol	...	Marie, Vitel Meat Bookeeper
Thomas A. Carlin	...	Neary the Undertaker
Tony DiBenedetto	...	Phil, Selling Things That Fell Off a Truck

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:15 | Brazil:12 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Jericho, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

TriStar Pictures

Trivia:

Sean Connery is only seven years older than Dustin Hoffman, but plays his father.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Adam said he went to college on a Westinghouse Scholarship, one of only 6 students to win one. The Westinghouse Science Talent Search selects 10 students per year, not 6. First prize is a $20,000 scholarship; second and third prize is $15,000. Needless to say, the prizes do not pay for the student's entire 4 years of college.

Quotes:

Jessie: Hey, you bald-headed prick! Don't you ever get caught on the take. Because if you wind up in any joint I'm in, you'll leave feet first.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 77th Annual Academy Awards (2005) (TV)

Why?

"Family Business" looked like a sure-thing with its star-power of Dustin Hoffman, Sean Connery, and Matthew Broderick. However, this is a very bad film that wants to be good but never does come together the way it should. The three aforementioned actors star as three generations of a family who go on a big heist that goes terribly wrong. Sidney Lumet's direction is never clear and this, more than anything else, grounds "Family Business". 2 stars out of 5.