Faithful (1996)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Paul Mazursky

Writers (WGA):

Chazz Palminteri (play)
Chazz Palminteri (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 April 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

A comedy about a wife, her husband and his hit man.

Plot:

A depressed housewife whose husband is having an affair contemplates suicide, but changes her mind when she faces death by a killer hired to do her in.

Plot Keywords:

Wedding Cake | Peanut Butter | Bathroom Scene | Depression | Sandwich

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Cher	...	Margaret
Chazz Palminteri	...	Tony
Ryan O'Neal	...	Jack Connor
Paul Mazursky	...	Dr. Susskind
Amber Smith	...	Debbie
Elisa Leonetti	...	Maria
Mark Nassar	...	Maria's Boyfriend
Stephen Spinella	...	Young Man at Rolls
Jeffrey Wright	...	Young Man at Rolls
David Marino	...	Little Tony
Steven Randazzo	...	Tony's Father
Olinda Turturro	...	Tony's Mother
Max Norat	...	Jewelery Store Salesman
Allison Janney	...	Saleslady
Chris O'Neill	...	Priest

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sex-related dialogue.

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 (TV rating) | Iceland:12 | USA:R (certificate #33683) | Australia:M | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Singapore:NC-16 | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13

Filming Locations:

Harrison, New York, USA

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman were originally down to play the parts later taken up by Cher and Ryan O'Neal.

Goofs:

Continuity: The sandwich that Margaret is eating.

Quotes:

[two men are admiring a Rolls Royce parked near the sidewalk]
Young Man at Rolls: Nice Rolls. Beautiful. Incredible.
Young Man at Rolls: You see the line, though?
Young Man at Rolls: It's incredibly beautiful. I wonder what it costs.
Young Man at Rolls: More than we could ever afford.
Young Man at Rolls: Yeah, well, wouldn't it be great to have a car like this? Totally awesome.
Margaret: [looking miserable] It wont make you happy.
Young Man at Rolls: [realizing her presence] What?
Margaret: This car, it won't make you happy.
Young Man at Rolls: [scoffs] I'll look happy, though.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References The Rains of Ranchipur (1955)

Soundtrack:

Let's Face The Music And Dance

Unexpected and okay

I came across this movie on late night TV with no previous knowledge of the movie not knowing any of the cast and was pleasantly surprised. Do not get me wrong this in not a great movie but it is certainly a lot better than the usual late night moves we find on terrestrial TV her in the UK. As I learnt from the opening credits that this was adapted from a play by the co-lead Chazz Palminteri and it really shows with the vast majority of the movie being set in the one location the house of the female lead Margaret (played by Cher whom normally really grates me by in this is not to bad, though she has had so much plastic surgery she does look like an extra from 'The Dark Crystal). The premise is of Tony a hit-man being sent by Margaret's husband to kill her, but this turns into a wiseguy farce with lots or role reversals especially with the re-appearance of the husband Jack (a slimy Ryon O'Neil). The direction really is point the camera and the set and shoot adding to the theatre feeling but considering there are pretty much only three characters on screen most of the time we get some decent chemistry between them and a not totally predictable outcomes. I would not go out of my way to see this again but would not avoid it on a bored afternoon trapped in some hotel or another.