Miami Blues (1990)

An ex-con's first act of freedom is moving to Miami where he restarts his old criminal ways with even more potency.

Director:

George Armitage

Writers:

Charles Willeford (novel), George Armitage (screenplay)

Stars:

Fred Ward, Alec Baldwin, Jennifer Jason Leigh

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alec Baldwin	...	Frederick J. Frenger Jr.
Cecilia Pérez-Cervera	...	Stewardess
Georgie Cranford	...	Little Boy at Miami Airprt
Edward Saxon	...	Krishna Ravindra at Miami Airport
José Pérez	...	Pablo
Obba Babatundé	...	Blink Willie, Informant
Fred Ward	...	Sgt. Hoke Moseley
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Susie Waggoner
Charles Napier	...	Sgt. Bill Henderson
Matt Ingersoll	...	Mourning Hare Krishna
Jack G. Spirtos	...	Pickpocket Victim
Raphael Rey Gomez	...	Pickpocket
Tony Paris	...	Pickpocket's Accomplice
Wendy Thorlakson	...	Toy Store Cashier
William Taylor Anderson Jr.	...	Crack Dealer

Storyline

When Fred Frenger gets out of prison, he decides to start over in Miami, Florida, where he starts a violent one-man crime wave. He soon meets up with amiable college student/prostitute Susie Waggoner. Opposing Frenger is Sgt Hoke Moseley, a cop who is getting a bit old for the job, especially since the job of cop in 1980's Miami is getting crazier all the time.

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Plot Keywords:

neo noir | prostitute | girl stripped down to panties | female frontal nudity | sex scene | 

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Taglines:

Real badge. Real gun. Fake cop.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 April 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Miami Blues

Filming Locations:

Kendall, Florida, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,002,997, 22 April 1990

Gross USA:

$9,888,167

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,888,167

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tristes Tropiques

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A framed photograph of Miami Blues author Charles Willeford can be seen on Hoke Moseley's desk in the police station.

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Goofs

Staff members and camera equipment visible in Frenger's glasses right before "muscle heads" raid and throughout it.

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Quotes

Frederick J. Frenger Jr.: I wrote two, heh.
Susie Waggoner: Well, maybe I get extra credit.
[Notices pork chops in kitchen sink]
Susie Waggoner: Hey! Where did you get these?
Frederick J. Frenger Jr.: Dumb question. Are you a nosy rosy?
[Doorbell rings]
Frederick J. Frenger Jr.: What the hell was that man?
Susie Waggoner: The doorbell. Talking about dumb questions.

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Connections

References Scarface (1983)

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Soundtracks

Felicia My Love
(uncredited)
Music by Les Baxter

User Reviews

Pulpy but quite fun

Fred Frenger Jr is just out of prison when he flies into Miami. When he accidentally kills someone at the airport he becomes hunted by the police - something that his criminal activities can't afford. When Sergeant Moseley gets too close to catching him, Jnr robs him taking his badge, gun and false teeth. Living with his wife (under a lie) Jnr starts to live out the life as a cop AND a criminal while Moseley tries to get him.

I've seen this film a couple of times and still am not 100% sure what it wants to be, a comedy, a violent crime thriller or a mix of both. A mix of both would seem to be the answer but the two don't seem integrated only separate throughout the film. What the film comes across as, is the story of two men, both of whom have their own humorous touches and quirks that make the story work quite well.

The story is quite violent and is best viewed as a crime thriller that happens to have dark humour through it. While the plot seems to lack a real obvious direction it is the characters that take the film along. Frenger is violent and unhinged and played very well by a crazy looking Baldwin. Moseley is a stronger character whom I would have liked to have seen more of in the film - he is cheap, dirty and very interesting. Ward fits him like a glove and plays the character well. The third strong in the bow is rather sympathetic and is well done by Leigh who delivers an interesting character.

Overall this is a strange hybrid but it works well. It has all the traits of a pulp thriller with dark comedy, even if the plot is less substantial than I'd expected it to be. Overall this is an underrated little film that is well worth keeping an eye out for, if only for it's characters and dark humorous violence.