Of Mice and Men (1992)

Two drifters, one a gentle but slow giant, try to make money working the fields during the Depression so they can fulfill their dreams.

Director:

Gary Sinise

Writers:

John Steinbeck (novel), Horton Foote (screenplay)

Stars:

John Malkovich, Gary Sinise, Ray Walston

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Malkovich	...	Lennie Small
Gary Sinise	...	George Milton
Ray Walston	...	Candy
Casey Siemaszko	...	Curley
Sherilyn Fenn	...	Curley's Wife
John Terry	...	Slim
Richard Riehle	...	Carlson
Alexis Arquette	...	Whitt
Joe Morton	...	Crooks
Noble Willingham	...	The Boss
Joe D'Angerio	...	Jack
Tuck Milligan	...	Mike
David Steen	...	Tom
Moira Sinise	...	Girl in Red Dress (as Moira Harris)
Mark Boone Junior	...	Bus Driver

Storyline

Two traveling companions, George and Lennie, wander the country during the Depression, dreaming of a better life for themselves. Then, just as heaven is within their grasp, it is inevitably yanked away. The film follows Steinbeck's novel closely, exploring questions of strength, weakness, usefulness, reality and utopia, bringing Steinbeck's California vividly to life.

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Plot Keywords:

simple minded | california | dead mouse | puppy | old man | 

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Taglines:

We have a dream. Someday, we'll have a little house and a couple of acres. A place to call home.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some scenes of violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 October 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Des souris et des hommes

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$5,101,632

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Several of the supporting cast members went on to star in "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit."

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Goofs

At 19:27, and again at 19:52, the position of Lenny's hands changes between shots.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[George sits on a train on a dark night looking depressed, scene cuts to girl with red dress running through field whimpering as George and Lennie escape from her]
George: [to Lennie] Come on.
[woman continues running in fright as George and Lennie continue running away from her as sergeants on horses with dogs track George and Lennie]
Lennie: George, they're gone. They're gone.
George: [angrily] Come on! Keep moving!
[both keep running as sergeants continue following them]

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Connections

Referenced in Honest Game Trailers: Sonic the Hedgehog (2016)

User Reviews

Great except for Malkovich

This movie has a good script, fine acting, and is beautifully photographed. Even though I had read the book and knew the plot, I was drawn into story and moved by the ending. Gary Sinise does a very good job of showing what a complicated and conflicted character George is. George seems to be a smart man, but he has not gotten far in life. He feels the need to watch out for his closest friend, Lenny. But, you sense that George sometimes thinks Lenny is a burden and George feels guilty about those thoughts. This might be Gary Sinise's best acting performance.

I was disappointed in John Malkovich's over-the-top portrayal of Lenny. In the book, I felt that Lenny was just very simple minded, but in the movie version, Lenny seems to be seriously retarded. The Malkovich Lenny has too many odd facial expressions and a speaking style that is like a cartoon parody Lenny. That performance was distracting and irritating and made Lenny less sympathetic. It also changed the relationship with George. It makes George more of a nursemaid to seriously ill Lenny, instead of a helpful friend who watches out for Lenny.