Hoffa (1992)

A film based on the story of legendary union figure Jimmy Hoffa.

Director:

Danny DeVito

Writer:

David Mamet

Stars:

Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Armand Assante

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Nicholson	...	James R. 'Jimmy' Hoffa
Danny DeVito	...	Bobby Ciaro
Armand Assante	...	Carol D'Allesandro
J.T. Walsh	...	Frank Fitzsimmons
John C. Reilly	...	Pete Connelly
Frank Whaley	...	Young Kid
Kevin Anderson	...	Robert Kennedy
John P. Ryan	...	Red Bennett
Robert Prosky	...	Billy Flynn
Natalija Nogulich	...	Jo Hoffa
Nicholas Pryor	...	Hoffa's Attorney
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Ted Harmon
Karen Young	...	Young Woman at RTA
Cliff Gorman	...	Solly Stein
Joanne Neer	...	Soignee Woman

Storyline

Jack Nicholson's portrait of Union leader James R. Hoffa, as seen through the eyes of his friend, Bobby Ciaro (Danny DeVito). The film follows Hoffa through his countless battles with the RTA and President Roosevelt all the way to a conclusion that negates the theory that he disappeared in 1975.

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Plot Keywords:

union | rise and fall | organized crime | robbery | 1960s | 

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Taglines:

The man who was willing to pay the price for power.

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and strong language

Details

Country:

France USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jimmy Hoffa

Filming Locations:

Carnegie Mellon University - 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$24,276,500 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canal+, Jersey Films, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Courtroom scenes were filmed in the Wayne County Commission (Detroit) meeting room and most of the extras were Commissioners, their staffs, and County workers.

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Goofs

When Hoffa is shot for the final time, the back window of his car is shattered, but when it is driven up into the back of the semi, you can see the window is undamaged.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bobby Ciaro: Want me to go call him up?
Jimmy Hoffa: Uh-unh.
Bobby Ciaro: Want a cup of coffee?
Jimmy Hoffa: No.
Bobby Ciaro: Want to go?
[Hoffa gives him a scornful glance]
Bobby Ciaro: You OK?
Jimmy Hoffa: Yeah.

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Connections

Referenced in The Directors: The Films of Norman Jewison (1999)

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Soundtracks

"Hey Look Me Over"
Written by Cy Coleman & Carolyn Leigh

User Reviews

A brilliant characterization, underrated by critics at the time of release

Possibly Jack Nicholson was showing up nominated at to many award shows at this time and he was due for a put down.The movie seemed to be overlooked or not reviewed very well at the time of release. I thought his "Hoffa" was a memorable portrayal of a complex and contradictory personality. Having been around during Hoffa's reign as head of the Teamsters, as well as being a Teamster back then myself, Nicholson's potrayal was uncanny in it's grasp of Hoffa's style and personality. Nicholson seemed to get in Hoffa's skin for this role as George C. Scott did for Patton. As a matter of fact I think the analogy is accurate. Both Patton and Hoffa were contoversial, larger the life characters with a lot of flaws and a lot of attributes. Both actors were highly skilled and balanced in their potrayals.