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Movers & Shakers

  • 1985
  • PG
  • 1h 20m
IMDb RATING
4.2/10
606
YOUR RATING
Movers & Shakers (1985)
Studio head promises his dying producer and mentor, to adapt a popular sex manual into a film, despite his better judgment. Unable to figure out how to turn the nonfiction book into a narrative movie, Mulholland enlists the services of a screenwriter of popular romantic films with a bad marriage, and volatile director Sid Spokane to help him create a movie.
Play trailer1:48
1 Video
18 Photos
SatireComedy

Joe Mulholland, Head of Production at a Hollywood studio, makes a rather fool-hardy promise to a dying friend. He undertakes to make a major movie using the title - if not the content - of a... Read allJoe Mulholland, Head of Production at a Hollywood studio, makes a rather fool-hardy promise to a dying friend. He undertakes to make a major movie using the title - if not the content - of a best-selling sex manual "Love in Sex". Enlisting the help of depressed screenwriter Herb ... Read allJoe Mulholland, Head of Production at a Hollywood studio, makes a rather fool-hardy promise to a dying friend. He undertakes to make a major movie using the title - if not the content - of a best-selling sex manual "Love in Sex". Enlisting the help of depressed screenwriter Herb Derman and rather off-centre director Sid Spokane to try and come up with an idea or two, ... Read all

  • Director
    • William Asher
  • Writer
    • Charles Grodin
  • Stars
    • Walter Matthau
    • Charles Grodin
    • Vincent Gardenia
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    4.2/10
    606
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • William Asher
    • Writer
      • Charles Grodin
    • Stars
      • Walter Matthau
      • Charles Grodin
      • Vincent Gardenia
    • 12User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:48
    Trailer

    Photos17

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    Top cast31

    Edit
    Walter Matthau
    Walter Matthau
    • Joe Mulholland
    Charles Grodin
    Charles Grodin
    • Herb Derman
    Vincent Gardenia
    Vincent Gardenia
    • Saul Gritz
    Tyne Daly
    Tyne Daly
    • Nancy Derman
    Bill Macy
    Bill Macy
    • Sid Spokane
    Gilda Radner
    Gilda Radner
    • Livia Machado
    Earl Boen
    Earl Boen
    • Marshall
    Michael Lerner
    Michael Lerner
    • Arnie
    Joe Mantell
    Joe Mantell
    • Larry
    William Prince
    William Prince
    • Louis Martin
    Nita Talbot
    Nita Talbot
    • Dorothy
    Sandy Ward
    Sandy Ward
    • Doctor
    Judah Katz
    Judah Katz
    • Freddie
    Peter Marc Jacobson
    • Robin
    • (as Peter Marc)
    Sam Anderson
    Sam Anderson
    • Ray Berg
    Frances Bay
    Frances Bay
    • Betty Gritz
    Luana Anders
    Luana Anders
    • Violette
    Gene Dynarski
    Gene Dynarski
    • Board Member
    • Director
      • William Asher
    • Writer
      • Charles Grodin
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews12

    4.2606
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    Featured reviews

    1jotix100

    The film project

    Most films start with good intentions by all the people involved in its creative process. It's a nightmare for the studio that produces a film like "Movers and Shakers" to watch the project turned into a lemon that no one will ever see. In fact, it was a surprise this showed recently on cable. Based on some of the names involved in it, we decided to take a look. Well, let's assume all the people that participated in it, won't include this experience in their resumes for future jobs within the movie industry.

    It's also a puzzle as to why did a talented man of the stature of Walter Matthau ever saw in the possibility of this turkey having any future. For that matter, Charles Grodin, who wrote the screen play, is seen as a writer who hasn't figured out how to do an adaptation of the book the dying studio head wants to be made into a film. It appears that Mr. Grodin was writing about what would be his own role in this ill conceived movie.

    Better keep surfing channels until something better is found.
    10mbirchjr

    Awesome film

    One of my favorite films of all time. So very quotable with an unforgettable performance from Bill Macy. This film stands up to many, many viewings. I've seen it over 25 times.
    6uptownmyrnafan

    Too Inside for Audiences ?

    i just got done watching this movie on TCM, & i found it very funny. i saw the listing with Matthau & Grodin, & i didn't even bother to read the synopsis. That was enough for me. The story about a studio that buys the title of a book, simply for the title -- not the subject of the book. the movie focuses on how the movie studios will focus group & committee an idea to death. (a la the TV series "Action"). the young studio hot-shot keeps complaining about the 'old' age of the people working on the project ('why him? what is he 50?'). typical of the youth obsession in Hollywood, & the discarding of people in their middle-ages. those with NO life experience who trash fine or even classic movies by doing flat & soulless remakes, by flat & soulless performers. or by making inane movies about TV shows just because they grew up on those shows. that's today's Hollywood : No Real Stars, No Real Personas. just flat soulless surgically enhanced hacks. Could anyone recognize an impression of any of todays so-called stars? (& no i don't mean their catch-phrases). where's the talent of a Bogey, Gable, Carey Grant, Bette Davis, or Myrna Loy. or of a Shirley MacLaine, Peter Sellers, Paul Newman, Jack Lemmon, or Matthau? they don't make talent like that anymore. before the movie Charles Grodin asked the question : "because of today's audiences having better knowledge of the Hollywood system, would the movie play better today than it did in 1985 ?" sadly based on the other reviews here it would appear that the answer is no. i gave it 6 stars. nothing special, just a good comedy that features two of the best at their craft : Matthau & Grodin.
    2thumper-19

    Nothing on Cutting Room Floor

    This movie has everything: Inane writing; heavy-handed direction; call-in acting; a voice-over that attempts to tie a series of pointless scenes into a plot line. Someone lacked the courage to say no, no, no. Anything that might have been edited out would have doubtless been better than what was edited in. Student films are better. What's Up Tiger Lily was better. A Woody Woodpecker cartoon is better. A George Burns/Bea Arthur porno would be better.
    4planktonrules

    Decent acting but a film that couldn't help but fail at the box office.

    "Movers & Shakers" is a film written by Charles Grodin and he also produced and starred in the movie. In many ways, it reminds me of "The Player", as it's a look at some of the insiders who run Hollywood. However, the film is no where nearly as clever or enjoyable at "The Player"...in fact, it seems to have little sense of direction as well.

    The story is about a film project whose pedigree is odd. On a friend's deathbed, Joe (Walter Matthau) promises to make a movie using the same title as a famous sex book! The rest of the story is about the process...where the producers, director and writer all hash out what the film will be. Sadly, apart from the title, there's really not much more to their film.

    Again and again, I kept hoping this movie would get better and funnier. It seemed like the folks who MADE the film thought it was clever....but it never translated to the audience and is therefore a directionless and mostly unfunny comedy with some good acting.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Charles Grodin got some of his actors friends involved in trying to pitch the film. Himself, Steve Martin, Gilda Radner, Penny Marshall and Tyne Daly all agreed to work for the least amount of money the union allowed.did so without even reading the script. When the film was finally green-lit, Grodin received no salary for writing or producing the film, only the minimum for working five weeks as an actor: about five thousand dollars for two years of work (seven years in total since the inception of the project).
    • Goofs
      The huge prop dinosaur that is mounted on the lawn of the movie studio lot changes position in respect to nearby buildings several times throughout the film.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Secret Admirer/The Goonies/Prizzi's Honor/Movers and Shakers (1985)
    • Soundtracks
      Can't We Go Home Again
      Words and Music by Mitzie Welch and Ken Welch

      Performed by Stephen Bishop

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    FAQ15

    • How long is Movers & Shakers?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 31, 1988 (Italy)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • MGM
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Dreamers
    • Filming locations
      • California, USA(Location.)
    • Production companies
      • Asher-Grodin Productions
      • United Artists
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $372,438
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $9,580
      • May 5, 1985
    • Gross worldwide
      • $372,438
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 20 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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