Hurlyburly (1998)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Anthony Drazan

Writers (WGA):

David Rabe (play)
David Rabe (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 December 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Hollywood movers and shakers dissect their own personal lives when everything seems to clash together.

Plot Keywords:

Hollywood | Baby | Suicide | Hollywood California | Brunette

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Tue. July 7

12:30 PM

BRAVO

Cast

Sean Penn	...	Eddie
Kevin Spacey	...	Mickey
Robin Wright Penn	...	Darlene
Chazz Palminteri	...	Phil
Garry Shandling	...	Artie
Anna Paquin	...	Donna
Meg Ryan	...	Bonnie
Gianna Ranaudo	...	Susie (as Gianna Renaudo)
David Fabrizio	...	Store Manager
Kenny Vance	...	Singer
Michaline Babich	...	Receptionist
Elaine Corral Kendall	...	TV Anchor (as Elaine Corral)
Sharon Tay	...	TV Reporter
Frank Somerville	...	TV Anchor
Bob Jimenez	...	Newscaster

MPAA:

Rated R for constant drug use, pervasive strong language and sexual material.

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Iceland:16 | USA:R (certificate #36014) | Australia:MA | France:U | Hong Kong:III | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | Germany:16 | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Storm Entertainment

Trivia:

The cast of the Chicago stage premiere in 1984: William Hurt as Eddie; Christopher Walken as Mickey; Sigourney Weaver as Darlene; Harvey Keitel as Phil; Jerry Stiller as Artie; Cynthia Nixon as Donna; Judith Ivey as Bonnie. On Broadway, Ron Silver replaced Christopher Walken.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Eddie lies under the glass table while Mickey and Artie talk to him, the location (and amount) of cocaine changes between shots.

Quotes:

Artie: [Holding a baby girl] Damn.
Phil: What happened?
Artie: Well, she's a... She's a broad already, Phil. She's done everything that every other broad done. She had a dump on me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Game K N B: (2007-03-03)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

There Goes the Neighborhood

Great movie, more theatrical than cinematic

A touching movie about friendship and dependency viewed through the distorting lens of rampant nihilism.

There's a theatrical eloquence to the dialogue that lends it mesmerizing power. It has a literary quality that some people will find unbearably pretentious, but which I found deeply moving.

The movie starts out with a fast paced barrage of hilarious absurdities. As it gets slower and more ponderous it sometimes veers off course, but in a sense this just deepens the sense of human frailty. Similarly the somewhat grasping conclusion does not significantly detract from the film's main thrust.

Acting by Kevin Spacey, Sean Penn and Garry Shandling is absolutely top notch. Chazz Palminteri isn't always as convincing. Excellent showing by Meg Ryan.