Next of Kin (1989)

Truman, a Chicago cop, sets out to find the killer of his brother. Meanwhile, another of his brothers, Briar (a hillbilly) decides to find the killer himself.

Director:

John Irvin

Writer:

Michael Jenning

Stars:

Patrick Swayze, Liam Neeson, Adam Baldwin

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Patrick Swayze	...	Truman Gates
Liam Neeson	...	Briar Gates
Adam Baldwin	...	Joey Rosselini
Helen Hunt	...	Jessie Gates
Andreas Katsulas	...	John Isabella
Bill Paxton	...	Gerald Gates
Ben Stiller	...	Lawrence Isabella
Michael J. Pollard	...	Harold
Ted Levine	...	Willy Simpson
Del Close	...	Frank
Valentino Cimo	...	Rhino
Paul Greco	...	Leo
Vincent Guastaferro	...	Paulie
Paul Herman	...	Tony Antonelli
Don Herion	...	Zimmer

Storyline

Truman, a Chicago cop, sets out to find the killer of his brother. Meanwhile, another of his brothers, Briar (a hillbilly) decides to find the killer himself.

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Plot Keywords:

six shooter | modern western | cowboy | cowboy hat | desert eagle | 

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Taglines:

A man murdered in cold blood. But they didn't count on his brother's revenge!

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the last film from Lorimar Filmed Entertainment before going under.

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Goofs

Throughout the movie lines of dialogue are a mismatch for mouth movements. Especially for background characters, or main characters seen from oblique angles. Also, several scenes have acoustics mismatching the environment. For example dialogue in cars where the actors faces aren't visible, or the violin scene on the porch.

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Quotes

Joey Rosselini: Find him, take care of him. I don't care if you have to go through every flophouse in Uptown!

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Immediate Family/The Bear/Dad/Next of Kin/Carnival of Souls (1989)

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Soundtracks

Hey Backwoods
Written and Performed by Rodney Crowell

User Reviews

"You ain't seen bad yet. But it's comin'."

Hillbilly-turned-Chicago cop Patrick Swayze sets out to find his brother Bill Paxton's killer. His other brother Liam Neeson comes to the city to find the killer himself -- hillbilly style! It's hillbillies vs mobsters on the streets (and a cemetery) of Chi-town. I'm sure whoever did the casting on this movie had a brief career. I can buy Swayze and Paxton as hillbillies but Neeson? Also, Ben Stiller as a Sicilian mobster?

Swayze is a citified hillbilly. We know they've civilized him because he pulls his mullet back into a fashionable ponytail. Neeson is not civilized. We know this because he wears a dirty baseball cap at all times, even when he has on a suit. Helen Hunt is Swayze's city wife. She plays the violin, which Swayze's hillbilly kin refer to as the fiddle. Rest assured, this movie never misses a chance to traffic in clichés.

The action is so-so and the performances are about what you would expect. Swayze takes his part very seriously. Adam Baldwin seems to know the score and hams it up appropriately as the villain. There are many quotable lines, which is the mark of a good cheesy action movie. It's not at the top of my list of great '80s actioners but it's worth checking out anyway.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 October 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Next of Kin

Filming Locations:

Cabrini-Green Public Housing Projects, Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,805,516, 22 October 1989

Gross USA:

$15,942,628

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$15,942,628

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lorimar Film Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1