Be Cool (2005)

Disenchanted with the movie industry, Chili Palmer (John Travolta) tries the music industry, meeting and romancing a widow of a music exec (Uma Thurman) on the way.

Director:

F. Gary Gray

Writers:

Elmore Leonard (novel), Peter Steinfeld (screenplay)

Stars:

John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughn

1 win & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Travolta	...	Chili Palmer
Uma Thurman	...	Edie Athens
Vince Vaughn	...	Raji
Cedric the Entertainer	...	Sin LaSalle
André Benjamin	...	Dabu
Steven Tyler	...	Himself
Robert Pastorelli	...	Joe Loop
Christina Milian	...	Linda Moon
Paul Adelstein	...	Hy Gordon
Debi Mazar	...	Marla
Gregory Alan Williams	...	Darryl (as GregAlan Williams)
Harvey Keitel	...	Nick Carr
Dwayne Johnson	...	Elliot Wilhelm (as The Rock)
Danny DeVito	...	Martin Weir
James Woods	...	Tommy Athens

Storyline

Streetwise mobster-turned-movie producer Chili Palmer is back, but this time Chili has abandoned the fickle movie industry and veered into the music business, tangling with Russian mobsters and gangsta rappers and taking a talented, feisty young singer named Linda Moon under his wing. From the recording studio to an Aerosmith concert to the MTV Music Awards, he manipulates events to watch them play out the Chili way, using his signature blend of wiseguy skills and negotiation tactics. It's a dangerous business, and everyone's looking for their next big hit.

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Plot Keywords:

widow | sequel | russian mafia | bodyguard | music business | 

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Taglines:

Everyone is looking for the next big hit

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence, sensuality, and language including sexual references

Details

Official Sites:

MGM [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

4 March 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tómalo con calma

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$53,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$143,975 (Norway) (22 April 2005)

Gross:

$426,111 (South Africa) (6 May 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Jersey Films, Double Feature Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.40:1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Sin LaSalle goes to call Raji after the threatening "prank" call, we get to see two of the numbers in Sin's cell phone directory. One is R. Lowenthal (Raji), the other is G. Gray - an obvious reference to director F. Gary Gray.

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Goofs

At the end during Linda Moon's performance when Elliot is waving to Chili and Edie, you see the break dancers starting to dance behind him; when he is exiting the stage, you see the same dancers just getting on stage.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Chili Palmer: I hate sequels.

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Crazy Credits

In the closing credits, the various cast members are seen dancing, even the Russian "corpse".

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Connections

Edited into Love Wrecked (2005)

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Soundtracks

"The Boss"
From the AIP Motion Picture Black Caesar
Composed by James Brown, Fred Wesley and Charles Bobbitt (as Charles Bobbit)
Performed by James Brown
Courtesy of MGM Music Inc.

User Reviews

Get Shorty deserves better

Get Shorty was an excellent film. It was funny and had the perfect balance of highly comical acting and a serious plot. Be Cool is like some cheap knock-off trying to pass for a sequel. John Travolta as Chili Palmer seems to have forgotten that he was ever in the mob. He plays it like he's a bored movie exec, rather than a bored movie exec who used to be a Shylock. Uma Thurman, great in nearly every role she's ever played, comes off as strained and confusing. Is she supposed to be ditzy or clever? The chemistry between her and Travolta is strained and uncomfortable. Other than that, just add every movie cliché you can think of. A well-educated rap producer by Cedric the Entertainer, an inept gangster wannabe in Andre 3000, the girl with heart, soul, and a good set of pipes in Christina Milian, a gimmicky black dude wannabe in Vince Vaughn, and a stupid celebrity cameo by Stephen Tyler. The only funny part was the Rock, who invents his own new cliché as a gay Samoan bodyguard actor wannabe. Probably the biggest crime is the plot: IT MAKES NO SENSE. Get Shorty was clever with Chili playing one group against another and coming out on top. But this film tries that with about a million different characters. And even Chili doesn't seem to know what's going on. Fans of Get Shorty be warned: this is a very different, very worse movie.