Hoffa (1992)

The story of the notorious American labor union figure Jimmy Hoffa, who organizes a bitter strike, makes deals with members of the organized crime syndicate and mysteriously disappears in 1975.

Director:

Danny DeVito

Writer:

David Mamet

Stars:

Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Armand Assante

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Nicholson	...	James R. Hoffa
Danny DeVito	...	Bobby Ciaro
Armand Assante	...	Carol D'Allesandro
J.T. Walsh	...	Fitzsimmons
John C. Reilly	...	Pete Connelly
Frank Whaley	...	Young Kid
Kevin Anderson	...	Robert Kennedy
John P. Ryan	...	Red Bennett
Robert Prosky	...	Billy Flynn
Natalija Nogulich	...	Jo Hoffa
Nicholas Pryor	...	Hoffa's Attorney
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Ted Harmon
Karen Young	...	Young Woman at RTA
Cliff Gorman	...	Solly Stein
Joanne Neer	...	Soignee Woman

Storyline

Jack Nicholson's portrait of Teamsters Union leader Jimmy Hoffa, as seen through the eyes of his friend Bobby Ciaro (Danny DeVito). This film follows Hoffa's struggle to shape America's most influential labor union through his countless battles with the RTA. As he fights for workers' rights, Hoffa locks horns with industry management, organized crime and Attorney General Robert Kennedy. In 1975, four years after serving his prison term, Hoffa disappears, in one of America's most fascinating unsolved crime mysteries.

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Plot Keywords:

mafia | title spoken by character | no opening credits | no title at beginning | watching tv | 

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Taglines:

The man who was willing to pay the price for power.

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and strong language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character Jimmy Hoffa is one of Jack Nicholson's favorite film roles.

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Goofs

When Hoffa is shot for the final time, the back window of his car is shattered, but when it is driven up into the back of the semi, you can see the window is undamaged.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bobby Ciaro: Want me to go call him up?
Jimmy Hoffa: Uh-unh.
Bobby Ciaro: Want a cup of coffee?
Jimmy Hoffa: No.
Bobby Ciaro: Want to go?
[Hoffa gives him a scornful glance]
Bobby Ciaro: You okay?
Jimmy Hoffa: Yeah.

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Crazy Credits

there are no opening credits and the title of the film at the beginning.

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Alternate Versions

On a special laserdisc edition, Danny DeVito hosts a supplemental portion of the disc with outtakes, including a scene where Hoffa perfectly shoots a beer bottle with a rifle.

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Connections

Referenced in Hoffa: Special Shots (1993)

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Soundtracks

Let's Make Love Tonight
Written, Produced and Performed by Nicky Addeo

User Reviews

A Nice Biopic

A film based on the story of legendary union figure Jimmy Hoffa (played here by Jack Nicholson).

Can I first say this was strange casting for Bobby Kennedy? It just seems like someone doing a very poor Kennedy impersonation, not a serious attempt to really capture him. Which is unfortunate, given how central his role is. (This film, more than anything, seems to be Hoffa versus Kennedy.) The Nicholson casting is not perfect, either, because it is hard to hide his distinctive voice... but I think he pulls it off ,and the makeup helps.

The Hoffa story is a fascinating one, and one that deserves to be explored on film again. This was 1992, and I write this in 2015. In the past two decades, more memoirs have been written, more government documents released... we need another biopic, and maybe a really serious documentary?

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian Latin

Release Date:

25 December 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hoffa

Filming Locations:

Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,406,012, 27 December 1992

Gross USA:

$24,276,506

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$29,302,121

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Jersey Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1