Family Business (1989)

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers (WGA):

Vincent Patrick (novel)
Vincent Patrick (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 December 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

There's nothing like a good robbery... to bring a family together.

Plot:

Jessie is an ageing career criminal who has been in more jails, fights, schemes, and lineups than just about anyone else...

Plot Keywords:

Criminal | Career Criminal | Duct Tape | Bail | Prison Hospital

Cast

Sean Connery	...	Jessie
Dustin Hoffman	...	Vito
Matthew Broderick	...	Adam
Rosanna DeSoto	...	Elaine (as Rosana DeSoto)
Janet Carroll	...	Margie
Victoria Jackson	...	Christine
Bill McCutcheon	...	Doheny
Deborah Rush	...	Michele Dempsey
Marilyn Cooper	...	Rose
Salem Ludwig	...	Nat
Rex Everhart	...	Ray Garvey
James Tolkan	...	Judge (as James S. Tolkan)
Marilyn Sokol	...	Marie
Thomas A. Carlin	...	Neary
Tony DiBenedetto	...	Phil
Isabell O'Connor	...	Judge (as Isabell Monk)
Wendell Pierce	...	Prosecutor
James Carruthers	...	Clerk - 1st Court
Jack O'Connell	...	Police Lieutenant
John Capodice	...	Tommy (as John C. Capodice)
Luis Guzmán	...	Torres (as Luis Guzman)
Dermot A. McNamara	...	Casket Mourner
William Preston	...	Flask Mourner
John Connell	...	Wake 'Suit' Cop (as John P. Connell)
Raymond H. Bazemore	...	'Caper' Guard
Willie C. Carpenter	...	'Caper' Cop
Conard Fowkes	...	'Caper' Detective
BD Wong	...	Jimmy Chiu
Hal Lehrman	...	Assistant D.A.
Nick Discenza	...	Detective #1
Ed Crowley	...	Charlie
Arthur Pierce	...	Convict
Alberto Vazquez	...	Prisoner #1
Jose Machado	...	Prisoner #2 (as José Machado)
June Stein	...	Diner Waitress
David Warshofsky	...	Parking Attendant
John E. Byrd	...	Van Guard
Joe Lisi	...	Desk Sergeant
Elizabeth A. Reilly	...	Phil's Girlfriend
Tom Dillon	...	Tenor
Paul Forrest	...	Tenor #2
Karen Needle	...	Denise
Susan Korn	...	Margo
Aideen O'Kelly	...	Widow Doheny
George Kodisch	...	Wake Cop #1
Mary T. Fay	...	Lady Mourner #1
Patricia Fay	...	Lady Mourner #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Steve Baker	...	Court Detective (uncredited)
Nick Vallelonga	...	Arresting Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Sidney Lumet

Writing credits (WGA)
Vincent Patrick		(novel)
Vincent Patrick		(screenplay)

Produced by
Lawrence Gordon	....	producer
Burtt Harris	....	executive producer
Jennifer Ogden	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Cy Coleman

Cinematography by
Andrzej Bartkowiak		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Andrew Mondshein

Casting by
Fran Kumin
Meg Simon

Production Design by
Philip Rosenberg

Art Direction by
Robert Guerra

Set Decoration by
Gary J. Brink		(as Gary Brink)

Costume Design by
Ann Roth

Makeup Department
Joseph Cranzano	....	makeup artist
Bob Grimaldi	....	hair stylist (as Robert Grimaldi)
Ilona Herman	....	hair stylist: Mr. Connery
Ilona Herman	....	makeup artist: Mr. Connery
Peter Mannino	....	hair stylist: Mr. Hoffman
Peter Mannino	....	makeup artist: Mr. Hoffman
Vito Mannino	....	hair stylist: Mr. Hoffman
Vito Mannino	....	makeup artist: Mr. Hoffman
Craig Lyman	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Lilith Jacobs	....	post-production supervisor
Jennifer Ogden	....	unit production manager
Ted Zachary	....	executive in charge of production (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Haley	....	first assistant director
David Hallinan	....	dga trainee
Daniel M. Stillman	....	second second assistant director
Nathalie Vadim	....	second assistant director
Carla Zackson	....	additional second second assistant director

Art Department
William F. Reynolds	....	leadman (as Bill Reynolds)
Siv Sandstrom	....	art department coordinator
William Sohmer	....	stand-by scenic artist
Walter Stocklin	....	property master
Richard A. Ventre	....	master scenic artist (as Richard Ventre)

Sound Department
Allan Byer	....	sound mixer
Richard P. Cirincione	....	sound editor (as Richard Cirincione)
Lee Dichter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eugene Gearty	....	synclavier engineer
Bruce Kitzmeyer	....	sound editor
Jane McCulley	....	adr editor
James H. Nau	....	assistant sound editor
Peter Odabashian	....	sound editor
Maurice Schell	....	supervising sound editor
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Susan Sklar Friedman	....	apprentice sound editor (uncredited)
Kerry Fulton	....	apprentice sound editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Richard Greenberg	....	opticals

Stunts
Danny Aiello III	....	stunt cop
Jery Hewitt	....	stunt cop

Camera and Electrical Department
Norman Buck	....	key grip
Michael J. Fabiano	....	key rigging grip (as Mike Fabiano Jr.)
James Malone	....	key rigging electrician
Frances 'Buddy' McBride	....	best boy (as Buddy McBride)
James McGrath	....	dolly grip (as Jim McGrath)
Gary Muller	....	first assistant camera
Tom Priestley Jr.	....	camera operator (as Thomas A. Priestley Jr.)
Andrew Priestley	....	second assistant camera
John Seakwood	....	still photographer
John Skotchdopole	....	camera trainee
Joseph Trammell	....	video technician (as Joe Trammell)
William Ward	....	gaffer (as Bill Ward)

Casting Department
Linda Carolei	....	extras casting
Joy Todd	....	extras casting
David H. Kramer	....	adr voice casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gary Jones	....	assistant costume designer
Daniel P. Lomax	....	costume supervisor: men
Donna Maloney	....	costume supervisor: women

Editorial Department
Richard J. Rossi	....	assistant film editor
Colleen Sharp	....	apprentice film editor

Music Department
Cy Coleman	....	music arranger
Michael Farrow	....	music engineer
Sonny Kompanek	....	conductor
Sonny Kompanek	....	orchestrator
Michael Farrow	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
John Leonidas	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Alexis Alexanian	....	office assistant
Bruce Bahrenburg	....	unit publicist
Stacey Basoff	....	assistant: Mr. Gordon (as Stacy Basoff)
Judith Lyn Brown	....	production coordinator
Dominique Bruballa	....	production accountant
Paul Cremo	....	location assistant
Gerald Cuesta	....	production assistant
Stephen Danza	....	location manager
Hannah Green	....	production assistant
Richard Greenberg	....	title designer
Eric Holloway	....	production assistant
Mary A. Kelly	....	continuity
John Kerr	....	production assistant
Scott Kordish	....	production assistant
Bonnie Kurt	....	assistant: Mr. Hoffman
Robert McClung	....	location assistant
Christopher Mollo	....	production assistant (as Chris Mollo)
Danielle Rigby	....	production assistant
Kas Self	....	stand-in: Mr. Hoffman
Michael Sporn	....	title designer
Kellett Tighe	....	assistant: Mr. Gordon
Daisy von Scherler Mayer	....	production assistant
Abraham Vorster	....	production assistant
Tim Williams	....	production assistant
Marc Baron	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Liz Newman	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)
Maurice Schell	....	adr loop group (uncredited)

Production Companies

• TriStar Pictures
• Gordon Company
• Regency International Pictures
• The A. Milchan Investment Group

Distributors

• TriStar Pictures (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (199?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Special Effects

• R/Greenberg Associates (optical effects)

Other Companies

• ImClone Systems  special thanks
• Michael Sporn Animation  titles by
• Panavision  lenses and Panaflex® Camera by (as Panavision®)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Australia:M | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:15 | Brazil:12 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade)

Filming Locations:

Jericho, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

TriStar Pictures

Trivia:

Sean Connery is only thirty two years older than Matthew Broderick, but plays his grandfather.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Jessie McMullen confronts Jimmy Chiu in his car, he calls him by his real name (Wong).

Quotes:

Jessie:Come on. Let's pay our respects to the grieving widow before she falls flat on her face, drunk.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Parker Lewis Can't Lose: Jerry's First Date (#1.21)" (1991)

Soundtrack:

The Tenement Symphony

Nasty, but brilliant

When I see this film reviewed, over and over, as a comedy, I don't know whether to laugh or to cry. This is one of the most brutally cynical, agonizingly tragic films I've ever seen - the story of a family caught up in the romance of crime, trying to help at least the youngest generation escape its inevitable fate.

Perhaps it helps to know Sidney Lumet's other work, especially his previous bitterly brilliant collaborations with Sean Connery: The Hill, and The Offense. Family Business is a similarly scathing attack on preconceptions. Lumet takes what looks like a tame little 'heist comedy' scenario and shows just how poisonously evil it really is. He gives us the charming scoundrel (Connery), and shows how destructive his devil-may-care attitude can be.

One might as well criticize Othello or Macbeth for having no laughs. This film is, in fact, Shakespearian in its tragic dimensions. Connery starts out with the classic Tragic Flaw, and must pay for it in the end. (There is a heroic dimension in his ultimate realization, at least.)

I can easily understand that many people won't enjoy this film. It's a nasty, venomous, painful piece of work. But it's also quite brilliant. If you want easy answers, by all means, rent Ocean's Eleven. But if you're up for a challenge, don't overlook Family Business.