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Ambition

  • 19911991
  • RR
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
4.7/10
286
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Clancy Brown and Lou Diamond Phillips in Ambition (1991)
  • Drama
  • Thriller
Mitchell Osgood dreams of being a famous writer, but the book he has written constantly is rejected by the editors. When the psychopathic killer Albert Merrik is released from prison after 1... Read allMitchell Osgood dreams of being a famous writer, but the book he has written constantly is rejected by the editors. When the psychopathic killer Albert Merrik is released from prison after 15 years, Osgood believes that writing down the history of his crimes could be his breakthr... Read allMitchell Osgood dreams of being a famous writer, but the book he has written constantly is rejected by the editors. When the psychopathic killer Albert Merrik is released from prison after 15 years, Osgood believes that writing down the history of his crimes could be his breakthrough. Although he refuses to talk to him at first, Osgood follows him around and offers hi... Read all
IMDb RATING
4.7/10
286
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Scott D. Goldstein
  • Writer
    • Lou Diamond Phillips
  • Stars
    • Lou Diamond Phillips
    • Clancy Brown
    • Cecilia Peck
Top credits
  • Director
    • Scott D. Goldstein
  • Writer
    • Lou Diamond Phillips
  • Stars
    • Lou Diamond Phillips
    • Clancy Brown
    • Cecilia Peck
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 4User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Ambition (1991)
    Ambition (1991)
    Ambition (1991)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Lou Diamond Phillips
    Lou Diamond Phillips
    • Mitchell Osgoodas Mitchell Osgood
    Clancy Brown
    Clancy Brown
    • Albert Merrickas Albert Merrick
    Cecilia Peck
    Cecilia Peck
    • Julieas Julie
    Richard Bradford
    Richard Bradford
    • Jordanas Jordan
    Willard E. Pugh
    Willard E. Pugh
    • Freddieas Freddie
    Grace Zabriskie
    Grace Zabriskie
    • Mrs. Merrickas Mrs. Merrick
    Katherine Armstrong
    • Roseanneas Roseanne
    JD Cullum
    • Jackas Jack
    Haing S. Ngor
    Haing S. Ngor
    • Tatayas Tatay
    Mik Scriba
    Mik Scriba
    • Prison Guard #1as Prison Guard #1
    Randy Hall
    • Male Danceras Male Dancer
    Maria Rangel
    Maria Rangel
    • Female Danceras Female Dancer
    Robert Harvey
    Robert Harvey
    • Merrick's Attorneyas Merrick's Attorney
    Teresa Bowman
    • Media Reporter #1as Media Reporter #1
    Rick Scarry
    Rick Scarry
    • Media Reporter #2as Media Reporter #2
    Aaron Seville
    • Media Reporter #3as Media Reporter #3
    Steve Whiteford
    • Media Reporter #4as Media Reporter #4
    Maggie Egan
    Maggie Egan
    • Anchoras Anchor
    • Director
      • Scott D. Goldstein
    • Writer
      • Lou Diamond Phillips
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Mitchell Osgood dreams of being a famous writer, but the book he has written constantly is rejected by the editors. When the psychopathic killer Albert Merrik is released from prison after 15 years, Osgood believes that writing down the history of his crimes could be his breakthrough. Although he refuses to talk to him at first, Osgood follows him around and offers him a job in his book shop. To get the right impressions for his book, he feels that he has to experience Merrik psychopathic again... —Tom Zoerner <Tom.Zoerner@informatik.uni-erlangen.de>
    • writing
    • prison
    • cynicism
    • serial killer
    • psycho thriller
    • 13 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • To write the perfect thriller, I had to get into the mind of a murderer. Now I can't get out.
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Thriller
    • Certificate
      • R
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Lou Diamond Phillips wrote the script in 1986, after finishing production on La Bamba (1987).
    • Connections
      References The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986)

    User reviews4

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    Taking Truman Capote A Step Or Two Farther
    In this rather quirky script and story written by the star of Ambition, Lou Diamond Phillips, Lou is playing aspiring writer Mitchell Osgood who is supporting himself by running a second hand bookshop. He has to have that job because as a writer he's not making it.

    Ambition was the first film in which Lou Diamond Phillips plays an Asian American. In his mixed bag of ethnicity, part of Lou's heritage is Filipino and he plays one here. He is also besides failed writer and bookshop manager, closest relative to Haing S. Ngor playing his father and whose health care demands are cutting into his time.

    Lou is taking as an inspiration no doubt, Truman Capote and what he did with In Cold Blood, in the way he was able to capture the souls and personalities of a pair of killers. He's got one in mind now who is coming up for parole played by Clancy Brown. Lou goes to some considerable lengths to befriend him and even fires someone at the bookstore just to get him a job.

    If you think you've figured out which way Ambition is headed for a conclusion from what I've written you are wrong. The screenplay that Lou Diamond Phillips fashioned here is quite original and will startle you with its conclusion.

    What a project like Ambition needed was a director like Alfred Hitchcock. Sad to say it didn't get that. Also it didn't have the biggest of budgets to work with.

    Still it's an interesting work and a treat for fans of Lou Diamond Phillips.
    helpful•8
    0
    • bkoganbing
    • Aug 28, 2008

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 31, 1991 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Det perfekta brottet
    • Filming locations
      • Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Spirit
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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