Thinner (1996)

An obese attorney is cursed by a gypsy to rapidly and uncontrollably lose weight.

Director:

Tom Holland

Writers:

Stephen King (novel), Michael McDowell (screenplay)

Stars:

Robert John Burke, Joe Mantegna, Lucinda Jenney

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert John Burke	...	Billy Halleck
Lucinda Jenney	...	Heidi Halleck
Bethany Joy Lenz	...	Linda Halleck (as Joy Lenz)
Time Winters	...	Prosecutor
Howard Erskine	...	Judge Phillips
Joe Mantegna	...	Richie Ginelli
Terrence Garmey	...	Bailiff
Randy Jurgensen	...	Court Clerk
Jeff Ware	...	Max Duggenfield
Antonette Schwartzberg	...	Mama Ginelli
Terence Kava	...	Gabe Lempke (as Terrence Kava)
Kari Wuhrer	...	Gina Lempke
Adriana Delphine	...	Gypsy Woman
Ruth Miller	...	Billy's Secretary
Walter Bobbie	...	Kirk Penschley

Storyline

A fat Lawyer finds himself growing "Thinner" when an old gypsy man places a hex on him. Now the lawyer must call upon his friends in organized crime to help him persuade the gypsy to lift the curse. Time is running out for the desperate lawyer as he draws closer to his own death, and grows ever thinner.

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Plot Keywords:

female stockinged legs | pantyhose | psychological thriller | gypsy | lawyer | 

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Taglines:

Be careful what you wish for.

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for horror violence and gore, language and sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 October 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Thinner

Filming Locations:

Appleton, Maine, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,679,046, 27 October 1996

Gross USA:

$15,315,484

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$15,315,484

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Spelling Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Joe Mantegna studied Stephen King's source novel to get into the head of his character.

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Goofs

The position of the Gypsy after she is hit by the car.

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Quotes

Gina Lempke: [angrily yelling] Shame... on momma! I say, you killed my own momma!
Gina Lempke: I say, you are a demon, and we should kill YOU!
Billy Halleck: That is what I am to you? A demon?
Billy Halleck: [pulls up his shirt and shows his belly] Look at me.
Gina Lempke: [spitting between fingers] Gachumilalah!
[walks away]
Tadzu Lempke: [gently pushes Gina and walks forward to Billy] Sey call you de white man from town. You have no business with us, white man from town. And we have no business with you. Go away!
Gina Lempke: Tusom gaza, pappa.
Billy Halleck: I am not through with you... Your daughter... ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Mr. Deeds (2002)

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Soundtracks

Piano Bar
Written by Thomas Chase (as Thomas Jones-Chase), Steve Rucker, Maureen Davis,
Ezra Kliger
Performed by Thomas Chase (as Thomas Jones-Chase) & Steve Rucker
Courtesy of C.R.P., Inc.

User Reviews

A Macbre Weight-loss Film

If you're a big fan of Stephen King and want to see a film that stays true to the book, then this one will please. Thinner is the story of an obese lawyer, Billy Halleck, who kills a gypsy woman with his car. When the local judge and sheriff cover up the accident and let Billy off the hook, a gypsy curse is put on all of them.

One of the big things about this film that gave it it's publicity (besides Stephen King's name) was in the costume work done on Billy Halleck's weight-loss transformation. I think, given how daunting a task this was, that a good job was done. I did notice they forgot to augment his fingers to compensate with his body mass.

"Thinner" is delivered with what might be described as (forgive me) a second or third-string acting class - actors who deliver good roles but aren't chart toppers or as well known (Joe Mantegna, Kari Wuhrer, etc.). King's story teeters a bit when Billy and the gypsies begin playing a game of tit for tat. And the ending, although poetic with its Edgar Allan Poe touch, comes off as "oh brother!" 5/10