''Get Shorty'' is a 1995 American
gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...
directed by
Barry Sonnenfeld
Barry Sonnenfeld (born April 1, 1953) is an American filmmaker and television director. He originally worked as a cinematographer for the Coen brothers before directing films such as ''The Addams Family'' (1991) and its sequel '' Addams Family V ...
and written by
Scott Frank. Based on
Elmore Leonard
Elmore John Leonard Jr. (October 11, 1925August 20, 2013) was an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. His earliest novels, published in the 1950s, were Westerns, but he went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense th ...
's
novel of the same name, the film stars
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes '' Carrie'' ( ...
,
Gene Hackman
Eugene Allen Hackman (born January 30, 1930) is an American retired actor and former novelist. In a career that has spanned more than six decades, Hackman has won two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, one Screen Actors Guild Award, two BAFTAs ...
,
Rene Russo,
Delroy Lindo
Delroy George Lindo (born 18 November 1952) is an English-American actor. He is the recipient of such accolades as a NAACP Image Award, a Satellite Award, and nominations for a Drama Desk Award, a Helen Hayes Award, a Tony Award, two Critics' C ...
,
James Gandolfini,
Dennis Farina, and
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. (born November 17, 1944) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He gained prominence for his portrayal of the taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma in the television series ''Taxi'' (1978–1983), which won him a Gold ...
. The film follows Chili Palmer (Travolta), a Miami mobster and loan shark, who inadvertently gets involved in Hollywood feature film production.
A sequel, ''
Be Cool'', which was also based on an Elmore Leonard novel, was released in 2005. In 2017, ''Get Shorty'' inspired a
television series of the same name.
Plot
Ernesto "Chili" Palmer is a
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
loan shark
A loan shark is a person who offers loans at extremely high interest rates, has strict terms of collection upon failure, and generally operates outside the law.
Description
Because loan sharks operate mostly illegally, they cannot reasonably ...
and movie buff. When his jacket is taken by rival mobster Ray "Bones" Barboni, Chili retrieves it and breaks Bones' nose. A vengeful Bones ambushes him at his office, but Chili shoots first, grazing Bones' forehead. Bones' boss refuses to retaliate, reminding him that Chili is under the protection of
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
mob boss Momo.
After Momo dies of a heart attack, Bones takes over his operation and demands that Chili collect an outstanding debt from Leo Devoe, a dry cleaner who died in a plane crash. Chili learns from Leo's wife Faye that Leo is alive, having left the plane before takeoff; he was presumed dead when Faye identified his belongings in the crash, and she received $300,000 in life insurance, but Leo ran away with the cash. Chili tracks Leo to a
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...
casino, and the director of gaming asks him to collect a debt from
B movie
A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...
director Harry Zimm.
Surprising Harry in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
at the home of
scream queen Karen Flores, Chili pitches him the story of chasing the dry cleaner’s mob debt as an idea for a movie. Harry persuades Chili to help him placate his investor Bo Catlett, owner of a limo service that serves as a
drug front. Having gambled away Bo's $200,000 investment, Harry shows him the script he really wants to make, ''Mr. Lovejoy'', but the screenwriter's widow Doris controls the rights. Chili confronts Leo and takes his money to invest in the film, deciding to become a Hollywood producer, and rejects Bo's suggestion that they collaborate.
Bo has left $500,000 in a locker at
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the ...
for his
Colombian contacts to collect. The cartel sends Yayo, who refuses to retrieve the money with the
DEA watching. At Bo's cliffside home, Yayo threatens to inform on Bo if he is arrested with the cash; Bo shoots Yayo, knocking him over the deck railing, and plans to eliminate Chili in a similar fashion. He is later visited by Colombian druglord Mr. Escobar, who demands his money and his nephew, Yayo.
Warming to Chili, Karen also wants to become a producer and arranges a meeting with Hollywood star Martin Weir, her ex-husband. Interested in ''Mr. Lovejoy'', Martin is also intrigued by Chili's own pitch and in playing the role of Chili himself. Making Harry jealous of Chili and Karen's partnership, Bo offers him the locker money as a new investment, suggesting he send Chili to fetch it. Sensing a trap, Chili rents a nearby locker instead and is briefly interrogated by the DEA. Bo's henchman Bear demands the locker key back, but Chili subdues him, and they bond over Bear's former career as a stuntman.
After being seduced by Doris, Harry drunkenly calls Bones and tells him that Chili has Leo's money. Having already questioned Faye, Bones flies to Los Angeles and brutally beats Harry, demanding the money. They are interrupted by Bo's associate Ronnie, whom Bones shoots dead and frames Harry. Bear has a change of heart about the plan to kill Chili, but Bo threatens him and his young daughter. Chili and Karen give in to their mutual attraction, and take a badly injured Harry to meet with Martin.
Desperate to pay the Colombians, Bo demands Leo's money from Chili and kidnaps Karen. Chili delivers the money, but Bo and Bear prepare to kill him; in the scuffle, Bo falls through the deck railing to his death, as arranged by Bear, who saves Chili. At Chili's hotel room, Bones demands Leo's money at gunpoint. Chili sends him to the airport locker, where Bones is surrounded by DEA agents.
Some time later, ''Get Shorty'' — the movie version of Chili's story — is being filmed, produced by Chili and Karen, directed by Harry, starring Martin as Chili and
Harvey Keitel as Bones, with Bear as stunt supervisor. When Martin's prop gun fails, Harry halts filming for the day, to Doris' displeasure. Chili and Karen depart the studio lot, officially Hollywood producers.
Cast
*
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes '' Carrie'' ( ...
as Chili Palmer:
A Miami mobster, loan shark, and film buff who gets involved in the film industry.
*
Gene Hackman
Eugene Allen Hackman (born January 30, 1930) is an American retired actor and former novelist. In a career that has spanned more than six decades, Hackman has won two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, one Screen Actors Guild Award, two BAFTAs ...
as Harry Zimm:
A debt-ridden
B movie
A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...
film director and producer.
*
Rene Russo as Karen Flores:
A B movie scream queen actress dissatisfied with her career. Karen is the ex-wife of famed actor Martin Weir.
*
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. (born November 17, 1944) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He gained prominence for his portrayal of the taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma in the television series ''Taxi'' (1978–1983), which won him a Gold ...
as Martin Weir:
A successful and two-time Academy Award nominated actor, whom Chili and Karen pursue to star in his film.
*
Dennis Farina as Ray "Bones" Barboni, Chili's new mob boss.
*
Delroy Lindo
Delroy George Lindo (born 18 November 1952) is an English-American actor. He is the recipient of such accolades as a NAACP Image Award, a Satellite Award, and nominations for a Drama Desk Award, a Helen Hayes Award, a Tony Award, two Critics' C ...
as Bo Catlett, a Los Angeles limo company owner and drug dealer
*
James Gandolfini and
Jon Gries as Bear and Ronnie Wingate, two members of Bo's crew.
*
David Paymer and
Linda Hart
Linda Hart (born July 5, 1950) is an American singer, musician, and actress, mainly appearing in musical theatre.
Life and career
Hart was born in Dallas, Texas, United States. As a child, Hart sang in her church choir; at age seven, she joine ...
as Leo and Faye Devoe, a couple who commit insurance fraud.
*
Miguel Sandoval
Miguel Sandoval (born November 16, 1951) is an American actor of film and television.
Biography
Sandoval was born in Washington, D.C. He began working as a professional actor in 1975 when he joined a mime school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. ...
as Mr. Escobar, a Colombian mobster and high level drug dealer.
*
Jacob Vargas
Jacob Vargas (born August 18, 1971) is a Mexican-American actor and performer.
Early life
Vargas was born in Michoacán, Mexico, and raised in Pacoima, Los Angeles, California. He was raised in a devout Roman Catholic family. He attended high sc ...
as Yayo Portillo, Escobar's nephew.
*
Bette Midler
Bette Midler (;'' Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received numerous accolades, including four Golden ...
as Doris Saffron, Murray Saffron's widow and Harry's new girlfriend.
*
Martin Ferrero as Tommy Carlo, the key member of Chili's Miami crew.
*
Renee Props
Renee Props (born February 15, 1962) in Bobby Slayton
Robert Michael Slayton (born May 25, 1955) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Slayton is probably best known for a supporting role in the 2001 film ''Bandits'', and as a frequent guest on '' The Adam Carolla Show'' (2006-2009).
Career
Sl ...
as Dick Allen
*
Ron Karabatsos
Ronald Christ Karabatsos (1933–2012) was an American character actor.
Early life
Karabatsos was born on April 22, 1933, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA, to Constantine and Antoinette Karabatsos, first-generation immigrants from Greece. The fam ...
as Momo
*
Jack Conley as Agent Dunbar
*
Bernard Hocke as Agent Morgan
*
Vito Scotti
Vito Giusto Scozzari (January 26, 1918 – June 5, 1996), also known as Vito Scotti, was an American character actor who played both dramatic and comedy roles on Broadway, in films, and later on television, primarily from the late 1930s to the ...
as Manager at Vesuvio's
*
Rino Piccolo
Rino Piccolo (born 14 February)Ludovico and Teresa is an international film producer, and film commissioner. Through his academic studies he achieved a doctoral degree in Business Economics at the University of Federico II in Naples, and a diplo ...
as Waiter at Vesuvio's
*
Alfred Dennis
Alfred Hugh Dennis (31 July 1924 – 15 December 2019) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1959 to 1962, representing the electorate of Blacktown. He was elected in 1959 as a Liberal for ...
as Ed the Barber
*
Ralph Manza as Fred the Barber
*
Patrick Breen as Assistant Doctor
*
Barry Sonnenfeld
Barry Sonnenfeld (born April 1, 1953) is an American filmmaker and television director. He originally worked as a cinematographer for the Coen brothers before directing films such as ''The Addams Family'' (1991) and its sequel '' Addams Family V ...
as Doorman
*
Rebeca Arthur
''Perfect Strangers'' is an American sitcom that ran for eight seasons, from March 25, 1986, to August 6, 1993, on the ABC television network. Created by Dale McRaven, the series chronicles the rocky coexistence of midwestern American Larry App ...
as Las Vegas Waitress
*
Leslie Bega as Vikki Vespa (uncredited)
*
Marlene Dietrich
Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...
as Tanya (archive footage) (uncredited)
*
David Groh as Buddy Lipton (uncredited)
*
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist.
As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten ...
as Mike Vargas (archive footage) (uncredited)
*
Harvey Keitel as Harvey Keitel (uncredited)
*
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He hosted late night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982 debut of ''Late Night with David Letterman' ...
as David Letterman (archive footage) (uncredited)
*
Penny Marshall
Carole Penny MarshallBorn Carole Penny Marshall in 1943, as per ''My Mother Was Nuts, a Memoir'', p. 10; . Copyright 2012 (October 15, 1943 – December 17, 2018) was an American actress, director and producer. She is known for her role as ...
as Penny Marshall (uncredited)
*
Dean Martin
Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...
as Dude (archive footage) (uncredited)
*
Alex Rocco
Alex Rocco (born Alessandro Federico Petricone Jr.; February 29, 1936 – July 18, 2015) was an American actor. Known for his distinctive, gravelly voice, he was often cast as villains, including Moe Greene in ''The Godfather'' (1972) and his Pr ...
as Jimmy Capp (Ray Bones' Boss) (uncredited)
*
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...
as Sheriff John T. Chance (archive footage) (uncredited)
*
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
as Police Captain Hank Quinlan (archive footage) (uncredited)
Get Shorty also features an appearance from the real Ernest "Chili" Palmer, a Miami loan shark and mob-connected man who inspired the original character.
Soundtrack
The movie features an acid- and soul-jazz themed soundtrack with songs by
Us3,
Morphine
Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies ('' Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a pain medication, and is also commonly used recreationally, or to make other illicit opioids. T ...
,
Booker T. & the M.G.'s,
Greyboy and
Medeski Martin & Wood alongside original compositions by
John Lurie
John Lurie (born December 14, 1952) is an American musician, painter, actor, director, and producer. He co-founded the Lounge Lizards jazz ensemble; has acted in 19 films, including ''Stranger than Paradise'' and '' Down by Law''; has composed ...
. The soundtrack was
nominated
A candidate, or nominee, is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position; for example:
* to be elected to an office — in this case a candidate selection procedure occurs.
* ...
for a Grammy Award (1997 - Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television).
Production
Warren Beatty
Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...
,
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...
and
Michael Keaton
Michael John Douglas (born September 5, 1951), known professionally as Michael Keaton, is an American actor. He is known for his various comedic and dramatic film roles, including Jack Butler in ''Mr. Mom'' (1983), Betelgeuse in '' Beetlejuice'' ...
were offered the role of Chili Palmer but they all declined. Sonnenfeld considered
Samuel L. Jackson for the role of Bo Catlett.
Steve Buscemi
Steven Vincent Buscemi ( ,As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself, some may insist that his pronunciation of his own name is "wrong" because it does not match the original Italian pronunciation as well. It is not uncommon for people to pronou ...
and
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew David McConaughey ( ; born November 4, 1969) is an American actor. He had his breakout role with a supporting performance in the coming-of-age comedy '' Dazed and Confused'' (1993). After a number of supporting roles, his first succes ...
were considered for the role of Ronnie Wingate.
Reception
On
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
, the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on 56 reviews, with an average rating of 7.74/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "With a perfect cast and a sly twist on the usual Hollywood gangster dynamic, ''Get Shorty'' delivers a sharp satire that doubles as an entertaining comedy-thriller in its own right." On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences surveyed by
CinemaScore
CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.
Background
Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
gave the film an average grade "B+" on scale of A+ to F.
The film was entered into the
46th Berlin International Film Festival
The 46th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 15 to 26 February 1996. The Golden Bear was awarded to British-American film ''Sense and Sensibility'' directed by Ang Lee. The retrospective dedicated to American film director, p ...
.
The film opened at #1 upon its release (10/20-22) with $12.7 million. ''Get Shorty'' remained #1 for three consecutive weeks before being overtaken by ''
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls''.
Accolades
For his role as Chili Palmer, John Travolta received the
. The film also received nominations for the
and the
.
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Get Shorty (Film)
1995 films
1990s crime comedy films
1990s satirical films
American crime comedy films
American black comedy films
American satirical films
Films about Hollywood, Los Angeles
Films based on works by Elmore Leonard
Films based on American novels
Films directed by Barry Sonnenfeld
Films featuring a Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe winning performance
Films produced by Danny DeVito
Films set in Los Angeles
Films set in Miami
Mafia comedy films
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
Films with screenplays by Scott Frank
1995 comedy films
1990s English-language films
1990s American films