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

The first film directed by Terry Gilliam to not feature any other members of Monty Python.

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Goofs

After the little quarrel with Anne, Jack gets a call. When he picks up the phone, it still keeps ringing for a short moment.

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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 Hanky Panky (1982)

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Soundtracks

"The Power"
Written by Benito Benitez, John Garrett III, Toni C., Robert Frazier & Francis Zambon
Performed by Chill Rob G
Remixed by Kevin Lane
Courtesy of Wild Pitch Records, Ltd.

User Reviews

The perfect Robin Williams movie (and much more)

This movie is really exceptional in a lot of ways. It's got one of those plots, full of ironic reversals and personal struggle, that's been turned into melodramatic trash in every creative medium ever invented. With Robin Williams as the magic crazy guy and Jeff Bridges in an 80s ponytail, the ways the basic concept could have gone awry (in other hands) are truly frightening to contemplate. But with Terry Gilliam at the helm, The Fisher King speaks to your emotions more directly and powerfully than 90% of the movies out there without degenerating into sappiness.

Perhaps the most brilliant acheivement of this movie is the way it takes Robin Williams' crazy-improvisational persona and makes it an integral part of the story. Instead of being a tacked-on adjunct to the "real" movie, Williams' stream-of-consciousness patter is essential to the work as a whole.

At the same time, Gilliam is making an almost-mainstream movie for the first time in his career, while explicitly referencing his past (the Holy Grail). It all comes together into a movie you will never forget.