The Impostors (1998)

In an attempt to resurrect the slapstick comedy of Laurel and Hardy or The Marx Brothers, Stanley Tucci and Oliver Platt team-up as two out-of-work actors who accidentally stowaway on a ... See full summary »

Director:

Stanley Tucci

Writer:

Stanley Tucci

Stars:

Oliver Platt, Stanley Tucci, Walker Jones

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Oliver Platt	...	Maurice
Stanley Tucci	...	Arthur
Walker Jones	...	Maitre D'
Jessica Walling	...	Attractive Woman
David Lipman	...	Baker in Kramer's Pastries
E. Katherine Kerr	...	Gertrude in "Hamlet"
George Guidall	...	Claudius in "Hamlet"
William Hill	...	Bernardo in "Hamlet"
Alfred Molina	...	Sir Jeremy Burtom
Michael Emerson	...	Burtom's Assistant
Jack O'Connell	...	Stage Manager
Matt Malloy	...	Mike / Laertes in "Hamlet"
Ted Blumberg	...	Francisco in "Hamlet"
Lili Taylor	...	Lily 'Lil'
Tony Shalhoub	...	Voltri, First Mate

Storyline

In an attempt to resurrect the slapstick comedy of Laurel and Hardy or The Marx Brothers, Stanley Tucci and Oliver Platt team-up as two out-of-work actors who accidentally stowaway on a ship to hide from a drunken, belligerent lead actor who has sworn to kill them for belittling his talents. Of course, the lead actor end up on the ship as well. Also, a madman (Tony Shalhoub) plots the destruction of the ship and Steve Buscemi is a depressed, suicidal lounge singer named Happy Frank.

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Plot Keywords:

ship | actor | singer | drunkenness | attempted murder | 

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Taglines:

Why be yourself when you can be somebody else?

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 October 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ship of Fools

Filming Locations:

Murdoch Hall - 114 Clifton Place, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$308,767 (USA) (2 October 1998)

Gross:

$2,197,921 (USA) (8 January 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

First Cold Piece, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

The song, "Skokiaan" is used in the movie which takes place in the 1930s. However, "Skokiaan" was not released until 1947.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Maurice: [as they discuss an act which they did] I'm sorry.
Arthur: You stole my death.

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Crazy Credits

As the closing credits role, the entire cast performs a line dance, starting on the ocean liner set and working their way out of the soundstage.

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Connections

References Some Like It Hot (1959)

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Soundtracks

"Sweetie Dear"
Written by Joe Jordan and William Cook
Performed by Sidney Bechet
Courtesy of The RCA Records Label of BMG Entertainment

User Reviews

Funny, but not for everyone. *** out of ****.

THE IMPOSTORS (1998) ***

Starring: Oliver Platt, Stanley Tucci, Lili Taylor, Steve Buscemi, Campbell Scott, Isabella Rossellini, Billy Connolly, and Hope Davis Written and directed by: Stanley Tucci Running Time: 102 minutes Rated R (for some language and sex-related material) By Blake French:

Certain movies are just not for all audiences. Stanley Tucci directs the new comedy, who is one of the creators of the 1995 drama-comedy "Big Night." The film is certainly not for everyone. It will satisfy fans of screwball comedies, and perhaps fans of someone in the cast-they may enjoy it. However, I only liked "The Impostors" because of the laughs it brought along with its well-written script. It is not your typical comedy. Now, I'm not saying that this movie is great. I am saying, however, that this movie satisfied me to the point of a recommendation.

"The Impostors" opens with a hilarious sequence in which the two main stars, Tucci and Platt, play two out of work actors, Maurice & Arthur, who play on a silent stage who have serious and comical problems with women, coffee, and each other.

Maurice & Arthur get in to trouble and escape from the police in a boarding box. However, while they were sleeping, the box was loaded onto a ship carrying an assortment of bizarre passengers that provoke even more laughs. They include a Nazi steward with tight lips, Lily, the social director who helps Maurice & Arthur, a First Mate who is a mad bomber, a tennis pro who is aggressively gay, an ex-queen in despair entertainer who wants to commit suicide, and many more.

The films casting was more to my liking than any other movie I have seen this year. The characters fit the actors so perfectly and realistically that I could have been fooled that these people were actually victims of a secret tapping of "Candid Camera." Each of them bring a story to themselves outside the plot. No one character is at the mercy of the script.

As for the script itself, it kept its cool even as it organized its own extremely complicated chaos. There are many laughs that evolve from hyperactive activity from the assortment of characters because there is such a variety, everything feels so fresh in this movie.

"The Impostors" is an opinion based movie. Certain film's don't carry massive plot holes, obvious flaws, or any other structural or character problem, but they don't necessarily bring anything overwhelmingly powerful to the big screen either. "The Impostors" is this kind of comedy. Whether you find it to your liking or not will totally depend on your taste in comic material in film. I was amused by the picture. Many filmgoers will differ on my opinion though. The individual I screened the film longed for its conclusion and declared this was the worst movie she had seen in her life. I recommend the film, but take into account your personal feelings on my review before you make a judgment call. "The Impostors" might make you laugh uncontrollably, but it also may cause you to turn your head in pitiful despise.

Brought to you by Fox Searchlight Pictures.