Flawless (1999)

An ultraconservative police officer (DeNiro) suffers a debilitating stroke and is assigned to a rehabilitative program that includes singing lessons - with the drag queen next door.

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writer:

Joel Schumacher

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Miller

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert De Niro	...	Walt Koontz
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Rusty
Barry Miller	...	Leonard Wilcox
Chris Bauer	...	Jacko
Skipp Sudduth	...	Tommy
Wilson Jermaine Heredia	...	Cha-Cha
Nashom Benjamin	...	Amazing Grace
Scott Allen Cooper	...	Ivana
Rory Cochrane	...	Pogo
Daphne Rubin-Vega	...	Tia
Vincent Laresca	...	Raymond Camacho
Karina Arroyave	...	Amber
John Enos III	...	Sonny (as John Enos)
Jude Ciccolella	...	Detective Noonan
Mina Bern	...	Mrs. Spivak

Storyline

Walt Koontz, a homophobic guy, ends up with paralyzed vocal cords because of an unfortunate stroke. His therapy includes receiving singing lessons from a neighbor who is not only openly flamboyant but also a pre-op transgenderist. Both of them are equally prejudiced; Koontz against homosexuals and the neighbor against close-minded straight people.

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Plot Keywords:

stroke | neighbor | singing lesson | singing | police | 

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Taglines:

They couldn't like each other less or need each other more.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language and strong violence

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 November 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Makellos

Filming Locations:

211 Avenue A, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$1,590,155 (USA) (26 November 1999)

Gross:

$4,485,485 (USA) (3 March 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tribeca Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The line "I'm more of a man than you'll ever be and more of a woman than you'll ever get" was first uttered by Antonio Fargas as 'Lindy' in Car Wash.

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Goofs

A hemiplegic patient has a paralysis of one side and paralysis of the face on the other side which is not the case in this movie.

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Quotes

Leonard Wilcox: Do you know the phrase, "two closed ears and one closed mouth"? Well, that's my motto and I follow it. To hear noting. To See nothing. To speak nothing.
Walt Koontz: Eh, I don't care what goes on in this rat-trap. Who do you think you're kidding, you got the biggest ears, the biggest nose, and the biggest mouth of anybody I ever met. Which makes you the biggest asshole...

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Crazy Credits

During the credits, DeNiro and Hoffman sing the "Name Song" together while staying in character.

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Connections

References The Miracle Worker (1962)

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Soundtracks

"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"
Written by Sylvester (as Sylvester James) & James Wirrick
Performed by the cast, with additional vocals by Bruce Roberts

User Reviews

Offbeat movie with a point

‘Flawless' is an offbeat story about Walter Koontz (Robert De Niro) an ex-cop who suffers a stroke and loses partial ability to speak. In an effort to regain some of his speech capabilities it is recommended to him that he take singing lessons. So he decides to ask his neighbor Rusty (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who is a female impersonator, to give him singing lessons. This is an unlikely pairing because Walter is a belligerent homophobe.

This film was written and directed by Joel Schumacher. His story, though peculiar, makes some powerful points. This is a story about hatred, bigotry and reconciliation. Walter learns through his disability who his friends really are, and who they are not. It seems that the people he hates treat him a lot better than the people he thought he loved. Ultimately, he is able to look past his prejudices to find the human elements that make him and Rusty not so different after all.

This was an excellent character study of both main characters, giving a lot of insight into the motivations and lives of each. Unfortunately, the story meanders too often to irrelevant characters and scenes that don't really contribute much (like the Gay Republicans). Schumacher would have been better to concentrate on the relationship between Walter and Rusty rather than digressing so frequently into Rusty's relationships with his friends.

De Niro was outstanding in this film. Not only was he excellent in the emotional portrayal of a man having to deal with a sudden debilitating stroke, but he was very realistic in his portrayal of the physical disability itself. The combination of his struggles to do the simplest of tasks and the obvious look of anguish and frustration on his face was poignant and affecting.

Hoffman brought a lot of emotional energy to his part, and his imitation of a drag queen was passable, though somewhat forced and unnatural. Wilson Jermaine Heredia, who played Cha-Cha, the winner of the Flawless contest, was a much more convincing queen.

I rated this film a 7/10. This is a good film that helps us understand that the remedy for the fear wrought of our differences is understanding, not hatred. In that respect it makes an important contribution. If cross dressing and blatantly gay themes put you off, perhaps you should defy your inclinations and see it.