Family Business (1989)

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:

Passover | New York City | Box Office Flop | Family | Heist

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
Isabell O'Connor	...	Judge in 1st Trial (as Isabell Monk)
Wendell Pierce	...	Prosecutor in 1st Trial
James Carruthers	...	Clerk in 1st Trial
Jack O'Connell	...	John, Police Lieutenant
John Capodice	...	Tommy
Luis Guzmán	...	Julio Torres, Vitel Meat Worker
Dermot A. McNamara	...	Casket Mourner
William Preston	...	Flask Mourner
John Connell	...	Wake 'Suit' Cop (as John P. Connell)
Raymond H. Bazemore	...	'Caper' Guard
Willie C. Carpenter	...	'Caper' Cop
Conard Fowkes	...	'Caper' Detective
B.D. Wong	...	Jimmy Chiu, Adam's MIT Prof
Hal Lehrman	...	Assistant D.A.
Nick Discenza	...	Detective #1
Ed Crowley	...	Charlie
Arthur Pierce	...	Convict
Alberto Vazquez	...	Prisoner #1 (as Alberto Vázquez)
Jose Machado	...	Prisoner #2
June Stein	...	Diner Waitress
David Warshofsky	...	Lawyer's Parking Attendant
John E. Byrd	...	Van Guard
Joe Lisi	...	Desk Sergeant
Elizabeth A. Reilly	...	Phil's Girlfriend
Tom Dillon	...	Tenor #1, Kevin
Paul Forrest	...	Tenor #2, Michael
Karen Needle	...	Denise a Hooker
Susan Korn	...	Margo a Hooker
Aideen O'Kelly	...	Widow Doheny
George Kodisch	...	Wake Cop #1
Mary T. Fay	...	Lady Mourner #1
Patricia Fay	...	Lady Mourner #2
Jery Hewitt	...	Stunt Cop #1 (as Jerry Hewitt)
Danny Aiello III	...	Stunt Cop #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nick Vallelonga	...	Courtroom Guard arresting Sean Connery (uncredited)

Directed by
Sidney Lumet

Writing credits (WGA)
Vincent Patrick		(novel)
Vincent Patrick		(screenplay)

Produced by
Lawrence Gordon	....	producer
Burtt Harris	....	executive producer
Jennifer Ogden	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Cy Coleman

Cinematography by
Andrzej Bartkowiak		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Andrew Mondshein

Production Design by
Philip Rosenberg

Art Direction by
Robert Guerra

Set Decoration by
Gary J. Brink		(as Gary Brink)

Costume Design by
Ann Roth

Makeup Department
Joseph Cranzano	....	makeup artist
Bob Grimaldi	....	hair stylist (as Robert Grimaldi)
Ilona Herman	....	hair stylist: Mr. Connery
Ilona Herman	....	makeup artist: Mr. Connery
Peter Mannino	....	hair stylist: Mr. Hoffman
Peter Mannino	....	makeup artist: Mr. Hoffman
Vito Mannino	....	hair stylist: Mr. Hoffman
Vito Mannino	....	makeup artist: Mr. Hoffman
Craig Lyman	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Lilith Jacobs	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Hallinan	....	trainee assistant director
Daniel M. Stillman	....	second second assistant director
Carla Zackson	....	additional second second assistant director

Art Department
William F. Reynolds	....	lead man
Siv Sandstrom	....	art department coordinator
William Sohmer	....	stand-by scenic artist
Walter Stocklin	....	property master
Richard A. Ventre	....	master scenic artist (as Richard Ventre)

Sound Department
Allan Byer	....	sound mixer
Richard P. Cirincione	....	sound editor
Lee Dichter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eugene Gearty	....	sound effects editor
Bruce Kitzmeyer	....	sound editor
Jane McCulley	....	adr editor
James H. Nau	....	assistant sound editor
Peter Odabashian	....	sound editor
Maurice Schell	....	supervising sound editor
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Susan Sklar Friedman	....	apprentice sound editor (uncredited)
Kerry Fulton-Peluffo	....	apprentice sound editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Richard Greenberg	....	opticals

Camera and Electrical Department
Norman Buck	....	key grip
Michael J. Fabiano	....	key rigging grip (as Mike Fabiano)
James Malone	....	key rigging electrician
Frances 'Buddy' McBride	....	best boy electric (as Buddy McBride)
James McGrath	....	dolly grip (as Jim McGrath)
Gary Muller	....	first assistant camera
Andrew Priestley	....	second assistant camera
Tom Priestley Jr.	....	camera operator
John Seakwood	....	still photographer
John Skotchdopole	....	camera trainee
Joseph Trammell	....	video technician (as Joe Trammell)
William Ward	....	gaffer (as Bill Ward)

Casting Department
Linda Carolei	....	extras casting
Joy Todd	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gary Jones	....	assistant costume designer
Daniel P. Lomax	....	costume supervisor: men
Donna Maloney	....	costume supervisor: women

Editorial Department
Richard J. Rossi	....	assistant editor
Colleen Sharp	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Cy Coleman	....	music arranger
Michael Farrow	....	music engineer
Sonny Kompanek	....	conductor
Sonny Kompanek	....	orchestrator
Michael Farrow	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
John Leonidas	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Alexis Alexanian	....	office assistant
Bruce Bahrenburg	....	unit publicist
Stacy Basoll	....	assistant: Mr. Gordon
Judith Lyn Brown	....	production coordinator
Dominique Bruballa	....	production accountant
Paul Cremo	....	location assistant
Gerald Cuesta	....	production assistant
Stephen Danza	....	location manager
Eugene Gearty	....	engineer: synclavier
Richard Greenberg	....	title designer
Hannah Green	....	production assistant
Eric Holloway	....	production assistant
Mary A. Kelly	....	continuity
John Kerr	....	production assistant
Scott Kordish	....	production assistant
Bonnie Kurt	....	assistant: Mr. Hoffman
Robert McClung	....	location assistant
Christopher Mollo	....	production assistant (as Chris Mollo)
Danielle Rigby	....	production assistant
Kas Self	....	stand-in: Mr. Hoffman
Michael Sporn	....	title designer
Kellett Tighe	....	assistant: Mr. Gordon
Daisy von Scherler Mayer	....	production assistant
Abraham Vorster	....	production assistant
Tim Williams	....	production assistant
Marc Baron	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Liz Newman	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)
Maurice Schell	....	adr loop group (uncredited)

Production Companies

• TriStar Pictures
• Gordon Company
• Regency International Pictures
• The A. Milchan Investment Group

Distributors

• Flashstar Home Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (199?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• TriStar Pictures (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:PG | 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:

Revealing mistakes: When Jessie McMullen confronts Jimmy Chiu in his car, he calls him by his real name (Wong).

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)

Disappointingly flat comedy...

In this disappointingly recycled, dry and surprisingly unfunny comedy, a tri-generation family of males (Sean Connery, Dustin Hoffman, Matthew Broderick) with problems of their own mix paths in crime. Broderick is the grandson who wants to help his granddad pull off the heist. Hoffman works in-between as the worrier who knows exactly what's going to happen to his son. And it does.

Too bad Lumet never stopped to insert any laughs in this dry comedy with a top-notch cast that just barely manages to make it worth watching on television.

Just barely.

Don't go out of your way for this one.

2.5/5 stars

- John Ulmer