The Big Brass Ring (1999)

Blake Pellarin is on the campaign trail to become Governor of the state of Missouri. While making a stop in St. Louis, a chance encounter brings his past back to haunt him. Will the truth ... See full summary »

Director:

George Hickenlooper

Writers:

Orson Welles (earlier screenplay), Oja Kodar (earlier screenplay)

Stars:

William Hurt, Nigel Hawthorne, Miranda Richardson

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Hurt	...	Blake
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Kim
Miranda Richardson	...	Dinah
Irène Jacob	...	Cela (as Irene Jacob)
Ewan Stewart	...	Kinzel
Gregg Henry	...	Billy
Ron Livingston	...	Sheldon Buckle
Jefferson Mays	...	Garne Strickland
Jim Metzler	...	Pacxy Barragan
Carmine Giovinazzo	...	Young Billy
Thomas Patrick Kelly	...	Young Blake
Mack Harrell	...	Homer Dix
Lisette Bross	...	B.C. Dix
F. Joseph Schulte	...	Senator Jack Moorehead
Peggy Freisen	...	Gigi Moorehead (as Peggy Friesen)

Storyline

Blake Pellarin is on the campaign trail to become Governor of the state of Missouri. While making a stop in St. Louis, a chance encounter brings his past back to haunt him. Will the truth ruin his chances for office or will he land the "Big Brass Ring"?

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Plot Keywords:

suspected homosexual | based on short film | nudity | remake | election | 

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Taglines:

In pursuit of power, the only thing worse than denying the truth - is telling it.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some graphic sexuality, and for language and some violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

George Hickenlooper and F.X. Feeney heavily re-wrote the screenplay and made substantial changes from the Orson Welles script (published in 1991 by the University of Santa Barbara Press). Welles' script concerned Senator Pellarin, a Democratic Presidential candidate in 1984 (closely modelled on Senator Gary Hart), and his troubled relationship with his disgraced homosexual mentor Kim Minnaker, a one-time Roosevelt New Deal Democrat, who was now living in exile as advisor to the corrupt government of an unnamed African dictatorship. Hickenlooper retained the basic concept, but instead re-cast Pellarin as a candidate for Governor of Missouri, and Minnaker as living in Cuba, while much of the dialogue was re-written and re-interpreted. None of Welles' satire of Reagan-era politics was retained in the final movie, while several key scenes, like a charged confrontation between Pellarin and Minnaker on a Ferris wheel, were also omitted.

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Goofs

In the scene just after Blake (Hurt) and Brandini (Jacob) make love, she is still in bed and is trying to encourage Blake to come public with the truth. She suggests that she might expose him if he doesn't. Blake then yanks the bed covers off exposing her completely naked body. But in the next second, closeup, she is seen with something covering her from the waist down.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Kim: Abraham Lincoln said it best: it is common enough that we triumph under adversity, but if you truly wish to test a man's character, give him power.

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Connections

References Citizen Kane (1941)

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Soundtracks

Club Lois XIV
Performed by Jesse Lawson and Joseph Schoen
Composed by Christopher Jackson
Used by permission of Christopher Jackson
(c) 1998 Christopher Jackson

User Reviews

Accomplished, refined: pretty dull.

William Hurt plays Gubernatorial candidate William Blake, in the final days of his election campaign. Nigel Hawthorne is Kim Mennaker, a svengali figure from Blake's childhood, who lives in Cuba for some reason, and has evidence which can sink Blake's election chances. Actually, by halfway through the movie, half of Missouri seems to have this evidence, and why nobody actually uses it is about as bewildering as why Hurt wanders about all night with a monkey on his shoulder, which he had previously complained had urinated all over him - unless that's a pun on a monkey for his back.

As usual, William Hurt is boring (look, I'm sorry, but he just is). Nigel Hawthorne, on the other hand, is incapable of being less than good, though his character is really quite ridiculous.

An understated movie, which, I admit, has emotional subtleties and plot complexities which keep it above average, but which ultimately don't save it from being a bit soporific. I'll give it 6.0. Worth watching, but don't expect to be dazzled.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Latin

Release Date:

23 June 2000 (Spain)

Also Known As:

The Big Brass Ring

Filming Locations:

St. Louis City Hall - 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Millennium Films, Pfilmco

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1