Miller's Crossing (1990)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Joel Coen

Writers:

Joel Coen (written by) and
Ethan Coen (written by)

Release Date:

October 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

What's the rumpus?

Plot:

Tom Regan, an advisor to a Prohibition-era crime boss, tries to keep the peace between warring mobs but gets caught in divided loyalties.

Plot Keywords:

Violence | Gangster | Prohibition | Irish Mob | Police

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Gabriel Byrne	...	Tom Reagan
Marcia Gay Harden	...	Verna
John Turturro	...	Bernie Bernbaum
Jon Polito	...	Johnny Caspar
J.E. Freeman	...	Eddie Dane
Albert Finney	...	Leo
Mike Starr	...	Frankie
Al Mancini	...	Tic-Tac
Richard Woods	...	Mayor Dale Levander
Thomas Toner	...	O'Doole
Steve Buscemi	...	Mink
Mario Todisco	...	Clarence "Drop" Johnson
Olek Krupa	...	Tad
Michael Jeter	...	Adolph
Lanny Flaherty	...	Terry

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian | Irish Gaelic | Yiddish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR | Dolby Digital (DVD version)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | France:-12 | Brazil:16 | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | South Korea:18 | Norway:11 (DVD rating) | Norway:15 (TV rating) | Germany:18 (nf) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Germany:18 (video rating) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Portugal:M/16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (re-rating) | UK:18 | USA:R (Approved No. 30173) | Canada:R (Canadian Home Video rating)

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Circle Films

Trivia:

John Turturro based his performance on the film's cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld.

Goofs:

Continuity: The robe that Verna wears when Tom visits her the morning after he loses his hat keeps changing positions between shots, alternately revealing and concealing her bra.

Quotes:

Tom Reagan: Rug Daniels is dead.
Verna: Gee, that's tough.
Tom Reagan: Don't get hysterical.

Movie Connections:

References The Third Man (1949)

Soundtrack:

Decatur Street Tutti

what's the rumpus? this movie is one of the greatest

This is for those who have seen the movie and given it the high hat.

"For a sheeny he's got a lot of good qualities." I'm watching the film AGAIN now and this gem just popped up. Any piece of dialog would make my quote book. This ain't no review. It's a response. First, seeing this as a gangster movie is like seeing Blade Runner as a sci-fi flick. Second, seeing this as film noir, with Tom as the typical anti-hero shows that we have to classify every film by the terms we are comfortable with. Finally, Tom is one of the most complex characters I've seen in film. Why? Because he's real. It reminds me a bit of the American Splendor comics and film where Pekar don't have to give a happy ending, a sad ending, clear symbolism, a strong message. Just a story even if it does not "fit" into what we expect from books, films, magazines, etc. Tom is one of my favorite characters and I still don't understand him and neither do you. This along with everything people have commented on (dialog, editing, characters, etc.) make the film in my opinion one of THE greatest films period. What makes Godfather better? Brando's tired speeches? This is a flick you can watch over and over and I stand by those who respect the genius of this film. So take ya flunkie and dangle and again- this paragraph is for those who give the high hat to Tom, the most conflicted and realistic personage in any film I've seen. Will you watch Tom with amazement or try to analyze his motivation based on film stereotypes? Let's get stinko.