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

Also Known As:

À Beira do Caos (Brazil) [pt]
Ano kato (Greece) [el]
Bugie, baci, bambole & bastardi (Italy) [it]
Caos mental (Mexico) (TV title) [es]
Casting Director (Japan: English title) [en]
Descontrol (Spain) [es]
Eddien maailma (Finland) [fi]
Hollywood Sunrise (France) [fr]
Senli benli (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]

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

Review

This is a recipe for filmmaking at its finest... Get a dialog driven play, get the playwright to pen it for the screen, and toss in two of the most intense and talented actors (Kevin Spacey and Sean Penn) in the business, supported by a very talented and surprising cast. What do you get? Hurlyburly! Billed as a black comedy, this is more what I would term "black hole" comedy. It is VERY dark, very disturbing, and the humor comes from the characters' need to lighten up a moment or to justify their actions. This film is NOT for everyone... If you're looking for anything truly humorous, this isn't the film. But if you want to see amazing acting and professionals who work well together, this is your film. Read other reviews with cautions on this film--don't confuse the tone of someone who hates what the characters stand for, what they believe in, and how they behave with the quality of the work done by the entire cast.