Breakfast of Champions (1999)

A portrait of a fictional town in the mid west that is home to a group of idiosyncratic and slightly neurotic characters. Dwayne Hoover is a wealthy car dealer-ship owner that's on the ... See full summary »

Director:

Alan Rudolph

Writers:

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (book), Alan Rudolph (screenplay)

Stars:

Bruce Willis, Albert Finney, Nick Nolte

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bruce Willis	...	Dwayne Hoover
Albert Finney	...	Kilgore Trout
Nick Nolte	...	Harry Le Sabre
Barbara Hershey	...	Celia Hoover
Glenne Headly	...	Francine Pefko
Lukas Haas	...	George 'Bunny' Hoover
Omar Epps	...	Wayne Hoobler
Vicki Lewis	...	Grace Le Sabre
Buck Henry	...	Fred T. Barry
Ken Hudson Campbell	...	Eliot Rosewater / Gilbert (as Ken Campbell)
Jake Johannsen	...	Bill Bailey
Will Patton	...	Moe the Truck Driver
Chip Zien	...	Andy Wojeckowzski
Owen Wilson	...	Monte Rapid
Alison Eastwood	...	Maria Maritimo

Storyline

A portrait of a fictional town in the mid west that is home to a group of idiosyncratic and slightly neurotic characters. Dwayne Hoover is a wealthy car dealer-ship owner that's on the brink of suicide and is losing touch with reality.

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Plot Keywords:

breakfast | science fiction writer | writer | suicide | n word | 

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Taglines:

In a world gone mad, you can trust Dwayne Hoover.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality and some language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 February 1999 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Autokauppias Jumalan armosta

Filming Locations:

Twin Falls, Idaho, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$42,326 (USA) (17 September 1999)

Gross:

$175,370 (USA) (17 December 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Flying Heart Films, Hollywood Pictures, Rain City

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Rosewater's office, a self-portrait of author Kurt Vonnegut Jr. can be seen among the paintings on the wall.

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Quotes

[on Harry dressing like a mortician]
Dwayne Hoover: Modern science has given us a vast array of colors with exciting names like Red! Blue! Orange! Brown! and PINK!
Harry Le Sabre: Why don't you come right out and say it, Dwayne?
Dwayne Hoover: Say what, Harry?
Harry Le Sabre: That I like to wear women's clothing.
Dwayne Hoover: Is that what you LIKE, Harry?
Harry Le Sabre: Yes... I mean, NO! NO! OF COURSE NOT!

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Crazy Credits

In the score listings - "Borrowed Borodin" by K.Trout (The main tune of this movie is "Stranger in Paradise", which is a "remake" of A.P.Borodin's Polovtsian Dances from "The Prince Igor". K.Trout is one of the principal characters of the movie)

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Connections

Referenced in Nick Nolte: No Exit (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Coronation"
Written by Les Baxter
Performed by Martin Denny

User Reviews

Unfunny things are happening to Dwayne Hoover

Kurt Vonnegut's satirical novel of 1973 resonates as deeply now as it did way back then. The themes of suburban paranoia and soulless consumerism have motivated some of the best films of the last twelve months, so an inspired interpretation of Breakfast of Champions would have been warmly endorsed.

It's clearly been a labour of love for director Alan Rudolph, who has tried for twenty years to make this film. Sadly, twenty years of work appears to have produced one bad draft copy. And Rudolph does not have the slightest grasp on what is funny.

Nick Nolte wanders aimlessly around in a dress but it isn't funny. Albert Finney searches out his chaotic literary masterpieces in pornographic magazines but it isn't funny. Barbara Hershey's character is a product of the chaos, but her appearances lack a motive. She isn't required until the film bursts into chaotic life in its last ten minutes.

This means three great actors are left stranded. It results in the unlikely event of Bruce Willis stealing the acting honours. He is good, but one feels it would have been no great stretch to act insane.

Among the problems here is that the film keeps its feet on the ground. While we're expected to believe the world has gone mad, the actual events are as uninspired as they are unfunny. This doesn't mean it is any easier to understand. In fact, without having read the novel, you'd most likely be lost from the beginning.

The chaos of Vonnegut's vision was its real joy. The way characters conspired to come together was inventive. The film though plays like a cliche. The ending is anarchic, but you get the impression it only serves one purpose: to stop you making rational sense of the rest of the film. And as much as you want to like it, or applaud Rudolph's commitment, the truth is that BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS is a sad, poor film.