Scent of a Woman (1992)
Trivia
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Spoilers (2)
Al Pacino was helped by a school for the blind in his preparation for this role. He said that he made himself appear blind by not allowing his eyes to focus on anything.
Al Pacino would often remain in character off set, using his cane to walk with and never looking at anyone when they talked to him.
Al Pacino and Gabrielle Anwar rehearsed their tango for 2 weeks. The scene took 3 days to shoot.
Director Martin Brest disowned the version of the film shown on airlines and television.
Philip Seymour Hoffman auditioned for his role five times before he was cast. He was working various odd jobs in between sporadic film and TV roles, stocking shelves at a Manhattan deli before being cast. Hoffman cited this as the film that changed everything for his career.
Leonardo DiCaprio auditioned to play Charlie.
Al Pacino originally turned down the lead, and Jack Nicholson, Harrison Ford, Dustin Hoffman and Joe Pesci were considered. On his agent's advice Pacino reluctantly accepted the part. He later gave his agent credit on Inside the Actors Studio (1994) for making him reconsider taking his Oscar-winning role.
The first choice for Frank Slade was Jack Nicholson.
Scenes showing the audience the Baird School and depicting it as an all male boarding school were filmed at the Emma Willard School, one of the oldest all-female boarding schools in the country.
As a guest on Inside the Actors Studio (1994) (Oct. 2, 2006), Al Pacino recounted to host James Lipton how he'd had an embarrassing moment in a crowded elevator after winning his first Oscar. Unbeknownst to Pacino, was that the head of his statuette was poking a well-known actress in her posterior. When she turned around, Pacino quickly explained that his Oscar, not he, was to blame for her discomfort.
Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Brendan Fraser, Cole Hauser, Randall Batinkoff and Anthony Rapp tried out for the role of Charlie Simms. That same year, all the six actors and Chris O'Donnell would star in School Ties (1992), with a plot that also revolves around a preparatory school.
An adaptation of Giovanni Arpino's novel "Il buio e il miele", the movie actually shares with the book only the basic premise (young man accompanies on a journey a blind ex-officer who is bitter, charismatic and strong-willed).
In addition to winning the Best Actor Oscar, Al Pacino was nominated for Supporting Actor for Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) the same year.
Frank's bizarre habit of yelling "hoo-wah!" is an actual United States Army battlecry, although he is saying it wrong. He places far too much of a "W" sound on the second syllable. The real version is closer to "hoo-ah!"
During the disciplinary meeting, Trask tells Slade 'You are out of order!', a line told to another of Al Pacino's characters in And Justice for All (1979).
According to Chris O'Donnell, when the production was permitted to film at Manhattan's Plaza Hotel, they agreed to allow a cameo by the hotel's then owner Donald Trump with wife-to-be Marla Maples. Apparently when a limo drops Pacino and O'Donnell off at the hotel entrance, right behind them Trump and Maples exit another limo. Trump's scene was ultimately cut.
According to his book, Chris Rock asked to audition for the part of Charlie but was turned down.
To force Charlie to leave the Waldorf Astoria, Col. Slade asks him for medicines and Montecristo No. 1 from a nearby street. Montecristo is a Cuban tobacco limited in the USA's territory due to Cuba's trade sanctions. There is also a Dominican version of the same cigar easily available in most smoke shops.
Two choreographers, Jerry Mitchell and Paul Pellicoro, guided the dance scene between Donna and Col. Slade.
Gabrielle Anwar's character is named Donna. In Italian language donna means "woman".
During the meeting of Baird's Disciplinary Committee, in the background on the wall of the great hall can be seen the next quote: "The place where people meet to seek the highest is holy ground". This quote was pronounced by Felix Adler (1851-1933), a prominent religious leader and Jewish rationalist who created the idea about Ethical Culture.
There seems to be some confusion between the terms "hoo-ah" and "oo-rah." "Oo-rah" is a United States Marine Corps expression with a completely separate history from the United States Army expression "hoo-ah." "Hoo-ah" derives from the acronym HUA which stands for "Heard, Understood, Acknowledged." Over the years this phrase has taken on many meanings to US Army personnel including; "understood?", "thanks", "I'm not listening to you", "go away", "you're a moron", "excellent!", "shut up", etc. For the origin of the Marine expression "oo-rah"... ask any Marine. They all know, and they'll be happy to explain it.
According to an interview with Conan O'Brien in 1997, Sylvester Stallone turned down the role of Frank Slade.
Gabrielle Anwar played a lead role as a blind person in Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken (1991).
Stephen Dorff was considered for the role of Charlie Simms.
Philip Seymour Hoffman and James Rebhorn would later appear in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) and Cold Mountain (2003).
The only Best Picture Oscar nominee not nominated in either of the support acting categories that year.
Cinematographer Mikael Salomon was replaced by Donald E. Thorin after ten days of filming.
According to Pacino, his use of "Hoo-wah" was inspired by the armed forces consultant for the movie who had to teach him how to assemble and disassemble his weapon in under 45 seconds with his eyes closed (to replicate being blind). He said it took him a long time to learn it, and whenever he nailed it particularly well, the consultant would yell, "Hoo-wah!.
Christopher Serrone auditioned for the role of Charlie.
Spoilers
It was reported that, in order to make Chris O'Donnell cry during Lt. Colonel Slade's near-suicide scene, Al Pacino had to take him aside and scream at him "drill-sergeant style".
