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:

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

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 | 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)

Reasonable little drama if not totally convincing

Jessie McMullen is a career thief. His son Vito runs a meat processing plant but has criminal links but has made sure that his son, Adam, has had the best education and not turned to the life of his father and grandfather. However this privilege has caused a rift between Adam and Vito and has drawn Adam to Jessie. When Adam brings Jessie in on a job, Vito reluctantly joins in as his only way of protecting Adam. However when Adam is arrested it causes conflict between the three.

It is clear that the cast is the major draw for this drama, that is very talky but still reasonably effective drama that relies more on generational tensions than crime hi-jinks. The film sees a job planned and executed midway in the film, with the second half being the fallout for the failure of the job. The build up is pretty good and the second half just about manages to be involving even if it more or less talks itself to death.

The director keeps it very heavy, but could really have done with developing the characters in a more entertaining manner, this would have made the heavier emotional conclusion a sweeter pill to swallow. As it is it is still pretty enjoyable as a drama and the cast do well to deliver the rather weighty material. Connery and Hoffman are far too close in age to play father and son and, even with makeup to make Hoffman look younger, it doesn't really work. However both are alright in their roles and carry the material. Broderick makes up a talented trio that make the film worth seeing. They interact really well and rise above the material.

Overall this is a heavy but enjoyable drama. The material isn't great and it could have done with being a bit shorter or a bit lighter on it's feet. As it is the drama doesn't totally work as emotions aren't totally allowed to let rip until the end, but which time things are a little slow to be really gripping.