Faithful (1996)

A depressed housewife whose husband is having an affair contemplates suicide, but changes her mind when she faces death by a killer hired to do her in.

Director:

Paul Mazursky

Writers:

Chazz Palminteri (play), Chazz Palminteri (screenplay)

Stars:

Cher, Chazz Palminteri, Ryan O'Neal

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cher	...	Margaret
Chazz Palminteri	...	Tony
Ryan O'Neal	...	Jack Connor
Paul Mazursky	...	Dr. Susskind
Amber Smith	...	Debbie
Elisa Leonetti	...	Maria
Mark Nassar	...	Maria's Boyfriend
Stephen Spinella	...	Young Man at Rolls
Jeffrey Wright	...	Young Man at Rolls
David Marino	...	Little Tony
Steven Randazzo	...	Tony's Father
Olinda Turturro	...	Tony's Mother
Max Norat	...	Jewelery Store Salesman
Allison Janney	...	Saleslady
Chris O'Neill	...	Priest

Storyline

For their 20th wedding anniversary, Jack gets Maggie a diamond necklace and a hit man. But when Tony shows up and, waiting for the signal from Jack in Connecticut to do the hit, he and Maggie begin to talk - perhaps Tony can come to value Maggie even more than her husband does. And when Jack shows up, things get very tricky.

---

Plot Keywords:

attempted suicide | female protagonist | kitchen | flashback | bathtub | 

---

Taglines:

A comedy about a wife, her husband and his hit man.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and sex-related dialogue

Details

Official Sites:

Movieweb

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 April 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

20 lat... i ani dnia dluzej

Filming Locations:

Harrison, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$2,104,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax,New Line Cinema,Price Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Amber Smith.

---

Goofs

The sandwich that Margaret is eating.

---

Quotes

[two men are admiring a Rolls Royce parked near the sidewalk]
Young Man at Rolls: Nice Rolls. Beautiful. Incredible.
Young Man at Rolls: You see the line, though?
Young Man at Rolls: It's incredibly beautiful. I wonder what it costs.
Young Man at Rolls: More than we could ever afford.
Young Man at Rolls: Yeah, well, wouldn't it be great to have a car like this? Totally awesome.
Margaret: [looking miserable] It wont make you happy.
Young Man at Rolls: [realizing her presence] What?
Margaret: This car, it won't make you happy.
Young Man at Rolls: [scoffs] I'll look happy, though.
[...]

---

Connections

References The Rains of Ranchipur (1955)

---

Soundtracks

Let's Face The Music And Dance
Performed by Nat 'King' Cole (as Nat King Cole)
Written by Irving Berlin
Published by Irving Berlin Music Co. (ASCAP)
Administered by Williamson Music Co.
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Under license from CEMA Special Markets

User Reviews

Depression sets in early...

Anemic comedy-drama, an unhappy, seemingly rushed affair featuring Cher as a woebegone housewife who slowly makes friends with the hit-man who's been hired to kill her by her husband. Chazz Palminteri, as the talkative hired gun, adapted the screenplay from his own play, with stagy set-ups and back-and-forth dialogue that quickly tires the eye and ear. An air of gloom hangs over the entire project, and director Paul Mazursky can't get Cher out of her perpetual funk (she's listless). Despite all the top talent (including Robert De Niro as one of the producers), "Faithful" is fraudulent, with no substance to the story and characters who rarely come to life. *1/2 from ****