Swimming with Sharks (1994)

A young, naive Hollywood studio assistant finally turns the tables on his incredibly abusive producer boss.

Director:

George Huang

Writer:

George Huang

Stars:

Kevin Spacey, Frank Whaley, Michelle Forbes

4 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Kevin Spacey	...	Buddy Ackerman
Frank Whaley	...	Guy
Michelle Forbes	...	Dawn Lockard
Benicio Del Toro	...	Rex
T.E. Russell	...	Foster Kane
Roy Dotrice	...	Cyrus Miles
Matthew Flint	...	Manny
Patrick Fischler	...	Moe
Jerry Levine	...	Jack

Storyline

A young Hollywood executive becomes the assistant to a big time movie producer who is the worst boss imaginable: abusive, abrasive and cruel. But soon things turn around when the young executive kidnaps his boss and visits all the cruelties back on him.

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Plot Keywords:

black comedy | assistant | boss | movie producer | torture | 

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Taglines:

Back Stabbing - Two Faced - Revenge

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some scenes of psychological/physical torture and pervasive strong language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 April 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Boss

Filming Locations:

Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$700,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$376,928

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cineville,Keystone Studios,Mama'Z Boy Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Directorial debut of George Huang.

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Goofs

Guy stays late to bury the article about Buddy in TIME. Buddy calls, telling him to record the Foster Kane interview on TV. Guy picks up the "Real Life" script and writes "Foster Kane" on it. In the shots of Guy writing from the front, he is using a Bic ball-point pen. When there are overhead shots, he is using a Sharpie permanent marker.

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Quotes

Buddy: This is the only way that you can hope to survive. Because life... is not a movie. Everyone lies. Good guys lose. And love... does not conquer all.

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Connections

Referenced in Project Runway All Stars: Sketching with Sharks (2015)

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Soundtracks

YOU DON'T KNOW
Written and Performed by Mark Holden & Craig Minjanian
Published by Polygram Int'l Publishing, Inc. / Dreaming Dog
Music (ASCAP) /Minicott Music (BMI)

User Reviews

Delightful discovery

I was so depressed after watching "The Men Who Stare At Goats" that I actively sought out Kevin Spacey movies to help redeem my perceptions of him. I saw "K-Pax" last week, which was adequately engaging, then found "Swimming with Sharks" on the IFC. What a find! This low-cost(less than $1M) film must not have had a very big marketing budget -- it completely escaped me at the time -- but it's one of the best performances Kevin Spacey I've ever seen. An abusive, self-indulgent, arrogant boss in the film industry, his role easily translates into that of a recognizable evil boss in any field. Spacey nicely runs the gamut of expression from god-like to humbled. His once-idealistic assistant is played by Frank Whaley, who never really saw his full potential subsequently develop in his career but has had nice turns in Pulp Fiction and a number of high-production TV series. Whaley too should be commended for his ability to grow the character from a wide-eyed beginning his dream job, to a vengeful warrior out for blood. The film centers on the dysfunctional relationship between these two and is weak only when it attempts to introduce minor roles featuring Michelle Forbes (Maryann on "True Blood") and Benecio del Toro (though these actors perform well with what they've been given).