The Fisher King (1991)

A former radio DJ, suicidally despondent because of a terrible mistake he made, finds redemption in helping a deranged homeless man who was an unwitting victim of that mistake.

Director:

Terry Gilliam

Writer:

Richard LaGravenese

Stars:

Jeff Bridges, Adam Bryant, Paul Lombardi

Won 1 Oscar. Another 16 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeff Bridges	...	Jack
Adam Bryant	...	Radio Engineer
Paul Lombardi	...	Radio Engineer
David Hyde Pierce	...	Lou Rosen (as David Pierce)
Ted Ross	...	Limo Bum
Lara Harris	...	Sondra
Warren Olney	...	TV Anchorman
Frazer Smith	...	News Reporter
Mercedes Ruehl	...	Anne
Kathy Najimy	...	Crazed Video Customer
Harry Shearer	...	Sitcom Actor Ben Starr
Melinda Culea	...	Sitcom Wife
James Remini	...	Bum at Hotel
Mark Bowden	...	Doorman
John Ottavino	...	Father at Hotel

Storyline

A madman carries out a massacre in a popular New York bar, after hearing the popular DJ Jack Lucas rail against Yuppies. Dejected by remorse, the DJ strikes up a friendship with Perry, former professor who became unhinged and then homeless after witnessing his wife's violent death in the bar shooting. Jack seeks redemption by helping Perry in his quest to recover what he believes is The Holy Grail, from the private Library of a New York Socialite and to win the heart of Lydia, the girl Perry has fallen in love with.

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Plot Keywords:

redemption | quest | love | massacre | professor | 

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Taglines:

A Modern Day Tale About The Search For Love, Sanity, Ethel Merman And The Holy Grail.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 September 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fisher King

Filming Locations:

101 Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$24,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$41,895,491 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

137 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tom Waits:  the beggar in the wheelchair at the train station.

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Goofs

The recording of Jack's diatribe on yuppies is very different from the "live" version we saw earlier.

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Quotes

Jack Lucas: Did you lose your mind all at once, or was it a slow, gradual process?

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Connections

References The Seven Little Foys (1955)

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Soundtracks

"Hit The Road Jack"
Written by Percy Mayfield
Performed by Ray Charles
Courtesy of Ray Charles Enterprises, Inc.

User Reviews

a modern romance

This is one of the best movies I've ever seen. I kept returning to it over they years and I always found it a great and enriching experience to watch. I especially like the shifting incarnations of the legendary Fisher King in this film (the wounded hero, kind of the wasteland, keeper of the holy grail. The archetype of the knight and of the wounded warrior can be seen as one of the prominent archetypes of masculinity we have. By this view, this movie can be seen as a research into masculinity as such. The performances by Bridges, Williams and Ruehl are exquisite. The eighties' New York is a great setting for this ethereal, symbolic quest, and the surreal theatricalness of some of the scenes (a la "Brazil") only adds to the overall artistic congruence of the film. The visuals are great. The movie works on many levels, so apart from this very abstract layer, we get a funny and intelligent comedy about modern misfits - with a great love story, or two. Also, I especially recommend this movie to anyone who loves New York City.