IMDb > The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)
The Bonfire of the Vanities
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 3 NEW)
The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) -- US Home Video Trailer from Warner Bros.
The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)
The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) -- MyMovieScripts.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
5.1/10   9,432 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Up 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writers (WGA):

Michael Cristofer (screenplay)
Tom Wolfe (novel)

Contact:

View company contact information for The Bonfire of the Vanities on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

21 December 1990 (USA) more

Genre:

Comedy | Drama more

Tagline:

Take one Wall Street tycoon, his Fifth Avenue mistress, a reporter hungry for fame, and make the wrong turn in The Bronx...then sit back and watch the sparks fly. more

Plot:

Financial "Master of the Universe" Sherman McCoy sees his life unravel when his mistress Maria Ruskin hits a black boy with his car... more | full synopsis

Plot Keywords:

more

Awards:

5 nominations more

NewsDesk:

Comedian Alan King Dies at 76
 (From WENN. 10 May 2004)

User Comments:

Clever and interesting and not a little funny more (93 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Tom Hanks ... Sherman McCoy

Bruce Willis ... Peter Fallow

Melanie Griffith ... Maria Ruskin

Kim Cattrall ... Judy McCoy

Saul Rubinek ... Jed Kramer

Morgan Freeman ... Judge Leonard White
John Hancock ... Reverend Bacon

Kevin Dunn ... Tom Killian
Clifton James ... Albert Fox
Louis Giambalvo ... Ray Andruitti
Barton Heyman ... Det. Martin
Norman Parker ... Det. Goldberg
Donald Moffat ... Mr. McCoy

Alan King ... Arthur Ruskin
Beth Broderick ... Caroline Heftshank
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

The making of this film was chronicled in Julie Salamon's best-selling book "The Devil's Candy." more

Goofs:

Continuity: While Reverend Bacon is accusing District Attorney Abe Weiss, the TV remote control that Weiss is using switches hands between shots. more

Quotes:

Judy McCoy: I'm leaving you!
[pause]
Judy McCoy: After the party... and now, if you will excuse me, we have guests.
more

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Directors: The Films of Adrian Lyne" (????) more

Soundtrack:

That's Life more


FAQ

What does the title mean?
more
25 out of 33 people found the following comment useful.
Clever and interesting and not a little funny, 2 March 2001
9/10
Author: big al-41 from cambridge

Too many people have slagged this film without good reason. Firstly Bruce Willis reprises the type of character we remember from moonlighting. Tom Hanks plays his part well and it's only Melanie Griffiths whiney southern accent that spoils her role.

The story has plenty of irony and twists as well. This isn't action, this isn't slapstick, this is an American soap with humour, pathos and a reasonable story.

It annoys me when you get dire twaddle like "The Blair Witch Project" being touted as genius and a decent film like this being panned. Take the time to watch this and I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (93 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Willis miscast huntergreen
Who thought it was good? Im_satisfied
racist movie ap1704
This ...MOVIE...IS... punk_rock_gurl78
This ...MOVIE...IS... punk_rock_gurl78
Worst adaptation of a book I have ever seen. deadlyledley
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Sunshine Fury A Face in the Crowd Strangers on a Train They Won't Forget
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Comedy section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.