IMDb > Donnie Brasco (1997)
Donnie Brasco
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Donnie Brasco (1997) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 8 NEW)
Donnie Brasco (1997) -- An FBI undercover agent infilitrates the mob and finds himself identifying more with the mafia life to the expense of his regular one.
Donnie Brasco (1997) -- An FBI undercover agent infilitrates the mob and finds himself identifying more with the mafia life to the expense of his regular one.
Donnie Brasco (1997) -- ZuGuide.com - Trailer (Flash)
Donnie Brasco (1997) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)
Donnie Brasco (1997) -- MyMovieScripts.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   58,932 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 57% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Mike Newell
Writers (WGA):
Joseph D. Pistone (book) and
Richard Woodley (book) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Donnie Brasco on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
28 February 1997 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama | Thriller more
Tagline:
Donnie Brasco. Based On A True Story. more
Plot:
An FBI undercover agent infilitrates the mob and finds himself identifying more with the mafia life to the expense of his regular one. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(49 articles)
Alan Greenspan Joins Cork Media Panel
 (From IFTN. 4 November 2009, 11:26 PM, PST)

International Trailer: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
 (From HeyUGuys. 3 November 2009, 2:44 AM, PST)

User Comments:
Depp and Pacino in terrific movie more (178 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for some strong graphic violence, pervasive strong language and brief nudity and sexuality.
Runtime:
127 min | 147 min (extended cut)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
SDDS | Dolby Digital

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
At various points Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Andy Garcia were all previously attached to star; Stephen Frears to direct. more
Goofs:
Continuity: During a conversation between Lefty and 'Donnie', Lefty complains that the temperature is only 10 degrees. If this were so, his breath would be visible. more
Quotes:
Nicky: The good news is, my dick is now a popsicle! more
Soundtrack:
Por Primera Vez more

FAQ

What are the differences between the Theatrical Version and the Extended Cut?
more
58 out of 66 people found the following comment useful.
Depp and Pacino in terrific movie, 17 September 2004
8/10
Author: rbverhoef (rbverhoef@hotmail.com) from The Hague, Netherlands

For some reason a Johnny Depp movie is always interesting. Whether it is a biopic about Ed Wood, a dark fairy tale about a man with scissors instead of hands, a movie about the greatest lover the world has ever known or a adventurous story about pirates, Depp's performance alone makes it worth seeing. Here he plays FBI-agent Joe Pistone who goes undercover using the name Donnie Brasco. He becomes a wiseguy with the help of Lefty (Al Pacino), who is sort of a loser wiseguy who desperately needs to be a mentor because most of his mafia family members look down on him. Donnie comes as a gift from heaven and it does not take long before Lefty trusts Donnie completely. The problem for FBI-agent Donnie is that he's starting to like Lefty as well.

The movie is a gangster movie but has its focus on the relationship between Lefty and Donnie and sometimes on other relationships. Donnie, or Joe, is married to Maggie (Anne Heche) who he hardly sees. He can not exactly tell her what he is doing and sometimes stays away for a couple of weeks. She pretends she is a widow to deal with it. We also learn about the relationships in the mafia family, including new boss Sonny (Michael Madsen).

The fact that this movie is more about the people and their relationships than about the events is a good thing. Sure movies like 'Goodfellas' are terrific but to see something a little different from time to time is nice as well. If you make a movie about people and their emotions you need to have some good performers to make the scenes believable. I already mentioned Depp but of course we have Pacino here as well. His Lefty is a memorable character and it is Pacino who makes sure that happens, but the fact that Depp is as good and especially believable as heavyweight Pacino says something. Of course we have Madsen who was probably the only right actor for the macho mobster Sonny.

Director Mike Newell seems to be a strange choice for this sometimes very violent and bloody story since he directed the terrific but sweet 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'. Fortunately it turns out he is the right man for this material, probably because its real subject is not gangsters but, like I said before, the relationships between the characters. 'Donnie Brasco' has enough to offer for people who like the gangster-genre, but even if you are normally not a big fan there is still a chance you might like it.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (178 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Donnie Brasco (1997)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
So Underrated! Ivysweet
Please Explain as I am a bit lost skc087
Did the FBI really treat Pistone that poorly? plethorapat
Something I don't understand... loriot-ludivine
Carlito's Way and Donnie Brasco kelgrim
How is Joe Pistone still alive? Abe_Phroman
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Goodfellas Casino American Gangster Scarface Carlito's Way
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Crime section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.