Renaissance Man (1994)

Director:

Penny Marshall

Writer (WGA):

Jim Burnstein (written by)

Release Date:

3 June 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

One Man's Mission To Teach The Few, The Proud... The Impossible!

Plot:

Danny DeVito plays an advertising man who is slowly sliding downhill. When he is fired from his job in Detroit...

Plot Keywords:

Advertising | Army | Teaching | Captain | Shakespeare's Henry V

Cast

Danny DeVito	...	Bill Rago
Gregory Hines	...	Sergeant Cass
James Remar	...	Captain Tom Murdoch
Ed Begley Jr.	...	Jack Markin
Lillo Brancato	...	Pvt. Donnie Benitez (as Lillo Brancato Jr.)
Stacey Dash	...	Pvt. Miranda Myers
Kadeem Hardison	...	Pvt. Jamaal Montgomery
Richard T. Jones	...	Pvt. Jackson Leroy
Khalil Kain	...	Pvt. Roosevelt Nathaniel Hobbs
Peter Simmons	...	Pvt. Brian Davis, Jr.
Gregory Sporleder	...	Pvt. Melvin (as Greg Sporleder)
Mark Wahlberg	...	Pvt. Tommy Lee Haywood
Cliff Robertson	...	Colonel James
Ben Wright	...	Private Oswald
Ann Cusack	...	Bill's Secretary

Also Known As:

Army Intelligence
By the Book

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Philippines:G | Australia:M | France:U | Germany:6 | Norway:11 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Company:

Cinergi Pictures Entertainment

Trivia:

With one minor omission, Pvt Benitez recites the St. Crispian's speech from Henry V perfectly. The actual speech goes "For he today that sheds his blood with me, shall be my brother, be he ne'er so vile. This day shall gentle his condition. And gentlemen in England..." whereas Pvt Benitez recites it as "shall be my brother. And gentlemen in England..."

Goofs:

Continuity: The police car picking up Hobbs has only blue lights but the reflections show flashing red lights

Quotes:

Bill Rago: Hamlet's mother, she's a queen.
Soldiers: Hamlet's mother, she's a queen.
Bill Rago: Buys it in the final scene.
Soldiers: Buys it in the final scene.
Bill Rago: Drinks a glass of funky wine.
Soldiers: Drinks a glass of funky wine.
Bill Rago: Now she's Satan's valentine.
Soldiers: Now she's Satan's valentine.

Movie Connections:

References Rocky (1976)

Soundtrack:

LIFE IN THE STREETS

Danny de Vito is great!

This film is a very nice one. There are a few reasons for that. Danny de Vito (playing Bill Rago) is great and plays his role very enthousiast. De Vito's best scene is the one where he is in the office where he's going for a job. He totally does NOT want to be there because he's ashamed of being there. When he gets a teaching job offered, the look on his face,when he finds out he is supposed to teach soldiers in the army, is marvellous. All the other actors are playing (very) good, especially Gregory Hines as drill-instructor who wants Bill Rago gone. The few scenes Hines and De Vito chair together are no less than hilarious, that's for sure.

The story is not as strong as the (sometimes) brilliant acting from the whole cast. To be honest, the story of Jim Burnstein is predictable and boring. Not only is the ending something you know 30 minutes before it's there, also the most important lines of the story are predictable and because of that boring. I can't spoil the movie, but let me tell you: For this film, Jim Burnstein wanted all happy things and endings, even when it's not appropriate.

If you have read Willliam Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' (a brilliant book, if I may say so) you'll enjoy this film a lot more.

If you like this motion picture you should also see 'Dead Poets Society' with Robin Williams.