Johnny Handsome (1989)

After being double crossed and thrown in jail, a deformed gangster gets a new face and rehabilitation, but his desire for revenge looms.

Director:

Walter Hill

Writers:

John Godey (novel), Ken Friedman (screenplay)

Stars:

Mickey Rourke, Ellen Barkin, Elizabeth McGovern

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mickey Rourke	...	John 'Johnny Handsome' Sedley / Johnny Mitchell
Ellen Barkin	...	Sunny Boyd
Elizabeth McGovern	...	Donna McCarty
Morgan Freeman	...	Lt. A.Z. Drones
Forest Whitaker	...	Dr. Steven Fisher
Lance Henriksen	...	Rafe Garrett
Scott Wilson	...	Mikey Chalmette
David Schramm	...	Vic Dumask
Yvonne Bryceland	...	Sister Luke
Peter Jason	...	Mr. Bonet
J.W. Smith	...	Larry
Jeffrey Meek	...	Earl (as Jeff Meek)
Allan Graf	...	Bob Lemoyne
Ed Zang	...	Prestige Manager
John P. Fertitta	...	Prestige Salesman (as John Fertitta)

Storyline

Johnny Handsome is a deformed gangster who plans a successful robbery with a friend of his, Mikey Chalmette, and another couple (Sunny Boid and Rafe Garrett). During the heist, Johnny and Mikey are double-crossed by Sunny and Rafe---Mikey is killed and Johnny sent to prison. While in prison, Johnny is invited to a rehabilitation program, where Dr. Steven Fischer rebuilds Johnny's face and helps Johnny get paroled. Johnny starts working in a shipyard, where he meets Donna McCarty and starts a romance. Lt. A.Z. Drones is a skeptical detective who follows the rehabilitation of Johnny. Johnny's new life is consumed by the desire of payback.

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Plot Keywords:

plastic surgery | neo noir | prison | rehabilitation | new life | 

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Taglines:

They changed his looks, his life and his future... but they couldn't change his past.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 September 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Johnny Handsome - Der schöne Johnny

Filming Locations:

Avondale Shipyard - 5100 River Road, Avondale, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$7,237,794

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carolco Pictures, The Guber-Peters Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie's soundtrack composed by Ry Cooder featured four songs performed by American drummer and percussionist Jim Keltner.

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Goofs

During the graveyard scene, Larry "pumps" the action on a double barreled shotgun.

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Quotes

Vic Dumask: I don't know you, Mr. Mitchell. What can I do for you?
John 'Johnny Handsome' Sedley: A laundry service. Could be five million dollars worth.
Vic Dumask: That sounds illegal.
John 'Johnny Handsome' Sedley: [sotto voce] It is.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Buried Treasures - 1992 Edition (1992)

User Reviews

A piece consisting of a great composition of talent

I pondered why Mickey agreed to do this movie. To work with the respected Walter Hill? Or because of the sincerity he saw in portraying a man resurrected? He plays his character with conviction, yet you know Handsome is emotionally wounded, a quality hard to project. You will be impressed by the film's monumental scene where Forest Whitaker reveals Handsome's new face, in turn revealing the jubilation he certainly has dreamt about his whole life. I believe that scene to be hallmark Mickey, very hard to mimic. He handles the role with a sensitivity you can believe about a man in his predicament. A good reason why casting is vital to a clichéd story! Walter Hill directs Mickey to his fullest. I also thought Liz McGovern to be a good choice as a clinging, excessive optimist with a heart for bad boys. It's a suitable choice that she's not lustfully beautiful- a regular, dull, secretarial girl puts the attention on Rourke, which would have detracted from the real element of the storyline had they cast a perfect 10. Freeman functions as a foil to the story and with a vintage performance of his obvious range.