IMDb > City Hall (1996)
City Hall
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City Hall (1996) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.1/10   9,359 votes
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Down 14% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Ken Lipper (written by) and
Paul Schrader (written by) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for City Hall on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
16 February 1996 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Murder...Corruption...Cover-up...Scandal... more
Plot:
The accidental shooting of a boy in New York leads to an investigation by the Deputy Mayor, and unexpectedly far-reaching consequences. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
Actor Tony Franciosa Dead at 77
 (From WENN. 22 January 2006)

User Reviews:

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Al Pacino ... Mayor John Pappas

John Cusack ... Deputy Mayor Kevin Calhoun

Bridget Fonda ... Marybeth Cogan

Danny Aiello ... Frank Anselmo

Martin Landau ... Judge Walter Stern

David Paymer ... Abe Goodman

Anthony Franciosa ... Paul Zapatti (as Tony Franciosa)

Richard Schiff ... Larry Schwartz
Lindsay Duncan ... Sydney Pappas

Nestor Serrano ... Det. Eddie Santos
Mel Winkler ... Det. Albert Holly

Lauren Vélez ... Elaine Santos
Chloe Morris ... Maria Santos
Ian Quinlan ... Randy Santos
Roberta Peters ... Nettie Anselmo
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for language and some violence.
Runtime:
111 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Anthony Franciosa's last film. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: When Kevin Calhoun is crossing this busy street and is almost hit by multiple vehicles you can clearly see the traffic light in the background signaling a green "WALK" for the pedestrian crossing Calhoun is using, so all the vehicles almost hitting him are running a red light. more
Quotes:
Mayor John Pappas: Lyndon Johnson said, "Everybody will give you ideas on how to get out of trouble cheaply and fast. And they all come down to this: deny your responsibility." John F. Kennedy said, "An error doesn't have to become a mistake, until you refuse to correct it." more
Movie Connections:
References "The Robert MacNeil Report" (1975) more
Soundtrack:
You'll Never Walk Alone more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
18 out of 21 people found the following review useful.
Good., 3 September 2005
Author: yisraelh

I liked this neglected movie quite a bit, for a number of reasons.

The characters. I found them believable, real, with some depth, in conflict. Not cardboard, cartoon-like. I found that I could really identify with and care about them.

The story. I thought it was really interesting and realistic. The behind-the-scenes look at political machinations was exciting. I tend to like movies without special effects, that are not unrealistic fantasies. ("Ordinary People" generally comes to my mind.) I thought that this movie simply took real-life type people, put them in interesting situations, filled with conflict, and had us watch them deal with the problems they were in.

I also think the movie had a message for us, in terms of right and wrong. In fact, it's downright Shakespearian. (Contrast this with another Al Pacino movie, "Heat", where the criminals are portrayed just as sympathetically as the law enforcement officers, and there is no inkling at all that there is anything morally wrong with armed robbery. I'm uncomfortable with that.)

It's refreshing to see a movie in this day and age without gratuitous sex, violence, bombs and bullets, profanity.

On a cinematic level, I found the directing, acting (the entire cast) and production to be first rate.

I realize that many, many people (possibly the large majority) don't see things as I've described here. But if what I've written resonates, then you'll probably like this movie a lot.

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Message Boards

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
need opinions.. rahulicon_99
Deputy Mayor from Louisiana jwells-7
What was the plot ????? Generic_Name99
No credits at start of film goha
was the mayor in on it? FogettaBoutIt
Why was Anselmo indicted? briantrash
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