V.I. Warshawski (1991)

A female PI babysitting for a boyfriend gets stuck with his daughter and the case of her murdered father.

Director:

Jeff Kanew

Writers:

Sara Paretsky ('V.I. Warshawski' novels), Edward Taylor (screen story),

Stars:

Kathleen Turner, Jay O. Sanders, Charles Durning

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kathleen Turner	...	Victoria 'V.I.' Warshawski
Jay O. Sanders	...	Murray Ryerson
Charles Durning	...	Det. Lt. Bobby Mallory
Angela Goethals	...	Kat Grafalk, Bernard's Daughter
Nancy Paul	...	Paige Wilson Grafalk
Frederick Coffin	...	Horton Grafalk
Charles McCaughan	...	Trumble Grafalk
Stephen Meadows	...	Bernard 'Boom-Boom' Grafalk
Wayne Knight	...	Earl 'Bonehead' Smeissen
Lynnie Godfrey	...	Sal, Golden Glow Bartender
Anne Pitoniak	...	Dr. Lotty Herschel
Stephen Root	...	Mickey
Robert Clotworthy	...	Philip Pugh, Attorney
Tom Allard	...	Big Eddie, Earl's Thug
Mike Hagerty	...	Babe (as Michael G. Hagerty)

Storyline

Victoria "V.I" Warshawski is a Chicago based private detective who agrees to babysit for her new boyfriend; then he is murdered. Being the detective type, she makes the murder her next case. In doing so she befriends the victim's daughter, Kat, and together they set out to crack the case.

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Plot Keywords:

detective | murder | female stockinged feet | camera shot of feet | blood | 

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Taglines:

Killer eyes. Killer legs. Killer instincts.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and moments of violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 July 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

V.I. Warshawski, Detective in High Heels

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$11,128,309 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hollywood Pictures, Silver Screen Partners IV, Chestnut Hill Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kathleen Turner went on to play V.I. Warshawski on BBC radio.

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Goofs

At the scene of the tugboat explosion, the fire engine is solid red. Chicago fire engines are painted a distinct black over red design.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Murray Ryerson: Vic, about that blonde.
Victoria "V.I." Warshawski: Murray, have you ever seen what I can do with a nutcracker?

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Connections

Referenced in High Heels and Low Lifes (2001)

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Soundtracks

"Chopin: Waltz G Flat Major, Or 70, No. 1"
Performed by Eugene Ormandy and The Philadelphia Orchestra
Courtesy of Sony Classical

User Reviews

Good flick, better if truer to Paretsky's novel

For the time this movie was released, it really is a solid film. One I stop and watch anytime I catch it on cable. I like Kathleen Turner as Vic and see her as Vic when I read Paretsky's Blacklist (2004) and Indemity Only (1982). Paretsky is such a skilled writer that I read all 332 pages of Indemity Only completely in one Saturday. This would have been a good vehicle/series for Ms. Turner if the movie had followed the novels closer. They should have hired Paretsky to write the screen play.

The screenwriters, Edward Taylor, David Aaron Cohen, & Nick Thiel, I believe are responsible for this film being unsuccessful at the box office. It appears they did not read the books or believe themselves that a women could be a private investigator. Paretsky gave them a well rounded, gritty, thorough character. The screenwriters tried to make it a comedy/action film and dishonored Paretsky in their representation of her character. The screen play should have been written as an action/thriller along the lines of Patriot Games (1992), an action/crime like the Italian Job (2003), or a mystery along the lines of the Thomas Crown affair (1999). All have comedic moments in them and would be better genres for the V.I. Warshawki novels.

Maybe if Ms. Turner is up to it she could revive the character or perhaps Charlize Theron would take a shot at it.