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Kansas City

  • 19961996
  • RR
  • 1h 56m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
4.9K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Harry Belafonte, and Miranda Richardson in Kansas City (1996)
Home Video Trailer from Fine Line
Play trailer2:20
1 Video
62 Photos
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Music

A pair of kidnappings expose the complex power dynamics within the corrupt and unpredictable workings of 1930s Kansas City.A pair of kidnappings expose the complex power dynamics within the corrupt and unpredictable workings of 1930s Kansas City.A pair of kidnappings expose the complex power dynamics within the corrupt and unpredictable workings of 1930s Kansas City.

IMDb RATING
6.3/10
4.9K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Robert Altman
  • Writers
    • Robert Altman
    • Frank Barhydt
  • Stars
    • Jennifer Jason Leigh
    • Miranda Richardson
    • Harry Belafonte
Top credits
  • Director
    • Robert Altman
  • Writers
    • Robert Altman
    • Frank Barhydt
  • Stars
    • Jennifer Jason Leigh
    • Miranda Richardson
    • Harry Belafonte
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 50User reviews
    • 48Critic reviews
    • 57Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Kansas City
    Trailer 2:20
    Kansas City

    Photos62

    Kansas City (1996)
    Jennifer Jason Leigh and Dermot Mulroney in Kansas City (1996)
    Miranda Richardson in Kansas City (1996)
    Kansas City (1996)
    Harry Belafonte in Kansas City (1996)
    Jackie Ciro in Robert Altman's "Kansas City"
    Leonardo DiCaprio at an event for Kansas City (1996)
    Jennifer Jason Leigh, Dermot Mulroney, Harry Belafonte, and Miranda Richardson in Kansas City (1996)
    Jennifer Jason Leigh, Dermot Mulroney, Harry Belafonte, and Miranda Richardson in Kansas City (1996)
    Steve Buscemi, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Harry Belafonte, and Miranda Richardson in Kansas City (1996)
    Jennifer Jason Leigh, Harry Belafonte, and Miranda Richardson in Kansas City (1996)
    Jennifer Jason Leigh, Dermot Mulroney, Harry Belafonte, and Miranda Richardson in Kansas City (1996)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jennifer Jason Leigh
    Jennifer Jason Leigh
    • Blondie O'Haraas Blondie O'Hara
    Miranda Richardson
    Miranda Richardson
    • Carolyn Stiltonas Carolyn Stilton
    Harry Belafonte
    Harry Belafonte
    • Seldom Seenas Seldom Seen
    Michael Murphy
    Michael Murphy
    • Henry Stiltonas Henry Stilton
    Dermot Mulroney
    Dermot Mulroney
    • Johnny O'Haraas Johnny O'Hara
    Steve Buscemi
    Steve Buscemi
    • Johnny Flynnas Johnny Flynn
    Brooke Smith
    Brooke Smith
    • Babe Flynnas Babe Flynn
    Jane Adams
    Jane Adams
    • Nettie Boltas Nettie Bolt
    Jeff Feringa
    • Addie Parkeras Addie Parker
    A.C. Tony Smith
    • Sheepshan Redas Sheepshan Red
    • (as A.C. Smith)
    Martin Martin
    • 'Blue' Greenas 'Blue' Green
    Albert J. Burnes
    • Charlie Parkeras Charlie Parker
    Ajia Mignon Johnson
    • Pearl Cummingsas Pearl Cummings
    Tim Snay
    Tim Snay
    • Rally Speakeras Rally Speaker
    Tawanna Benbow
    • Roseas Rose
    Cal Pritner
    • Governor Parkas Governor Park
    Jerry Fornelli
    • Tom Pendergastas Tom Pendergast
    Michael Ornstein
    Michael Ornstein
    • Jackie Ciroas Jackie Ciro
    • Director
      • Robert Altman
    • Writers
      • Robert Altman
      • Frank Barhydt
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Robert Altman's jazz-scored film explores themes of love, crime, race, and politics in 1930s Kansas City. When Blondie O'Hara's husband, a petty thief, is captured by Seldom Seen and held at the Hey Hey Club, she launches a desperate plan to release him. She kidnaps the wife of a powerful local politician in an attempt to blackmail him into using his connections to free Johnny. Despite this being election time, he risks exposure by putting the political machine into action to free Johnny and thereby save his wife. Mrs. Stilton, meanwhile, has befriended Blondie and is impressed by her love and devotion to Johnny, especially in contrast to her own loveless marriage. —Tad Dibbern <DIBBERN_D@a1.mscf.upenn.edu>
    • 1930s
    • kansas city missouri
    • female frontal nudity
    • breasts
    • scantily clad female
    • 107 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Kansas City, 1934. Anything could happen here. One night it did.
    • Genres
      • Crime
      • Drama
      • Music
      • Thriller
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated R for language, and for some violence and drug use
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Robert Altman gathered together some of the greatest living jazz musicians, put them on a set representing the Hey Hey Club and asked them to play period material in the style of the Kansas City jazz giants like Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. He filmed this separately after he had done the fictional plotline, and then intercut it with the narrative.
    • Goofs
      When Governor Guy Park is telephoned about the kidnapping, he suggests notifying the state police. Missouri has no state police (only Highway Patrol).
    • Quotes

      Blondie O'Hara: Can I have my husband back now?

      Seldom Seen: How do you want him, in a box or a sack?

    • Connections
      Featured in Robert Altman: Giggle and Give In (1996)
    • Soundtracks
      Hosts of Freedom
      Written by Karl King (as Karl L. King)

      Published by C.L. Barnhouse (SESAC)

      Performed by The Lincoln College Preparatory College Band

    User reviews50

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Belafonte Fine, Music Even Better--But Central Miscasting Dooms It!
    Like the films of Orson Welles, Federico Fellini or Woody Allen, there's almost always a reason to watch, even if the completed whole doesn't quite add up to the sum of it's parts. Kansas City fits that bill for me.

    Altman weaves his usual rich tapestry of lives affected by history in a city alive with jazz and political chicanery, and Kansas City is worth watching for the unexpectedly mesmerizing performance by Harry Belafonte as "Seldom Seen," mobster boss.

    The jazz on display is equally dazzling, but just when your mind is settling into some rich, heady music, the film cuts back to the deadly, mannered, whiny performance turned in by Jennifer Jason Leigh; when most film fans recall the disaster that became Godfather III, the director's indulgence of the lackluster performance turned in by Sofia Coppola comes to mind; Leigh's performance similarly affects the tone of Kansas City, and since she is the protagonist, the film's interest flags with her director-free indulgence in some kind of method acting that fails to evoke much but self-indulgence.

    In short, Kansas City is well worth a look for superb mise-en-scene,for the music and atmosphere, but is deeply frustrating for it's central performance.
    helpful•7
    3
    • museumofdave
    • Mar 14, 2013

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 16, 1996 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • France
    • Official site
      • Fine Line
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • 坎薩斯情仇
    • Filming locations
      • Kansas City, Kansas, USA
    • Production companies
      • CiBy 2000
      • Sandcastle 5 Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $19,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,356,329
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,356,828
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 56 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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