American Buffalo (1996)

Long-repressed feelings of bitterness and betrayal explode when three inner-city losers plot the robbery of a valuable coin in a seedy second-hand junk shop.

Director:

Michael Corrente

Writers:

David Mamet (play), David Mamet (screenplay)

Stars:

Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Franz, Sean Nelson

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dustin Hoffman	...	Teach
Dennis Franz	...	Don
Sean Nelson	...	Bob

Storyline

AMERICAN BUFFALO is another story of men's interminable struggle toward the top of the heap, a goal which ultimately and inevitably eludes most of us. Don Dubro, the proprietor of a dusty dark inner-city junk shop, holds court there with his friends and makes plans probably on a daily basis for his ascendancy to the top. He does this more out of habit than hope because he's long ago surrendered his future to the daily repetition of his life as guardian of the discarded remnants of others' possessions. Disheveled Teach, on the other hand, is either too dumb or too stubborn to accept the lot life has dealt him. Instead, he bucks like a wild horse under the saddle and refuses to be broken. Most pitiable of the trio which populates the movie is teen-aged Bobby. Mistaking much of the palaver which passes between the older men as pearls of wisdom, Bobby is the only one of the trio who still has a chance to make a life for himself somewhere beyond this tired too-familiar neighborhood. Don ...

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Plot Keywords:

coin | loser | betrayal | robbery | junk shop | 

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Taglines:

Conning, stealing and lying are all in a day's work.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 September 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

American Buffalo

Filming Locations:

Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$164,109, 15 September 1996

Gross USA:

$665,450

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$665,450

Company Credits

Production Co:

Capitol Films, Channel Four Films, Prairie Oyster Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Corrente was offered the job of directing after meeting Producer Gregory Mosher at a screening of Corrente's Federal Hill (1994). He told Mosher, the director of the original stage production, "This won't mean anything to Mamet, bout could you tell him that 'Federal Hill' never would have happened if I hadn't seen 'Buffalo' on-stage when I was a kid?" Mosher then suggested that Corrente direct the film adaptation.

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Quotes

Teach: All I'm saying is don't confuse business with pleasure.

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Crazy Credits

special thanks to Mr. B

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Connections

References My Little Margie (1952)

User Reviews

Excellent Adaptation of an Award-winning Play

"American Buffalo" is an excellent example of how a director with a breadth of vision can take an established, award-winning play and expand it to mesmerize big-screen and VHS audiences. All the action takes place in an inner-city junkshop, where Donnie (Dennis Franz) and Teach (Dustin Hoffman) plot to steal a valuable coin collection. From the movie's opening lines to the closing scene where one of the characters is being wheeled to the hospital, "American Buffalo" makes plain that, in America, people's business interests often turn them on one another, and sometimes turn them violent. The real star of the show is Dustin Hoffman's flawless and addicting interpretation of the character "Teach," once again showing Hoffman's dedication not just to the craft of interesting filmmaking - but to presenting the minute details an actor can reflect when given such a well-written character.