Hurlyburly (1998)

Hollywood movers and shakers dissect their own personal lives when everything seems to clash together.

Director:

Anthony Drazan

Writers:

David Rabe (play), David Rabe (screenplay)

Stars:

Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey, Chazz Palminteri

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Penn	...	Eddie
Kevin Spacey	...	Mickey
Robin Wright	...	Darlene (as Robin Wright Penn)
Chazz Palminteri	...	Phil
Garry Shandling	...	Artie
Anna Paquin	...	Donna
Meg Ryan	...	Bonnie
Gianna Palminteri	...	Susie (as Gianna Renaudo)
David Fabrizio	...	Store Manager
Kenny Vance	...	Singer
Michaline Babich	...	Receptionist
Elaine Corral Kendall	...	TV Anchor (as Elaine Corral)
Sharon Tay	...	TV Reporter
Frank Somerville	...	TV Anchor
Bob Jimenez	...	Newscaster

Storyline

Hurly-burly is an adaptation of David Rabe's well known play about the intersecting lives of several Hollywood players and wannabes whose personal lives threaten to veer into a catastrophe more interesting than anything they're peddling to the studios.

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Plot Keywords:

one word title | based on play | group of friends | male female relationship | teenage girl | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for constant drug use, pervasive strong language and sexual material

Details

Official Sites:

Fine Line Features

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ano kato

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$164,826, 27 December 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,796,328, 4 April 1999

Company Credits

Production Co:

FilmColony,Storm Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Though the play was first performed around 1985, some characters names are coincidental to ones used as main characters in "The Larry Sanders Show" (1992)_, which stars Garry Shandling in the lead role. Here, Shandling plays a character named Artie, which is a nickname for Arthur - played by Rip Torn's character in the series; and the film also contains characters named Phil and Darlene, also regular figures in the series.

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Goofs

When Eddie lies under the glass table while Mickey and Artie talk to him, the location (and amount) of cocaine changes between shots.

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Quotes

Artie: [Holding a baby girl] Damn.
Phil: What happened?
Artie: Well, she's a... She's a broad already, Phil. She's done everything that every other broad done. She had a dump on me.

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Connections

Features Mario Kart 64 (1996)

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Soundtracks

Aldritch Sauce
(music video)
Written & Performed by Red Aunts

User Reviews

Brilliant writing, marvelous and memorable performances round out the craftsmanship of this film

For many movie fans who truly love the art of film, a good screenplay is the jeweled movement on which marvelous films turn and pivot. They remain with you as memorable experiences, be they like Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove, Gandhi, or The Maltese Falcon. The genre hardly matters; good screen play is an essential in even the action movie. Too bad so much mediocre screen writing abounds when good talent seems so obtainable.

'Hurlyburly' was adapted from the play for the screen by the author. In a word, it is brilliant. The acting is superb in every character, and the casting was perfect. Once again, Sean Penn gives a performance that is indicative of his paramount position as one of the very best actors of his generation — a superlative star given any generation.

I can just imagine that this film has made some pretty bad friends in some quarters — and in both genders. There is no hiding the fact that this sort of world exists to some extent anywhere a group of hedonistic, single males (or men who think that they are still single) gather to hang out, relax or party. But a viewer will be missing the point if she/he thinks that 's all there is — gratuitous, reckless living.

Marshall McLuan's theory of amputation kept occurring to me after watching the film — the idea that with each additional machine in our culture we are being cut off from our humanity. This is a psychodrama that does not resort to the unspoken, latent trauma that lurks in the past to trouble our characters. Something in Eddie is more truncated than broken, and although he doesn't know what it is, he is intensely aware that it is causing him despair, loneliness and pain. The drugs maybe both cause and effect. Beyond the pain itself, he is completely unsure about what he thinks he is supposed to feel. Some considerable irony floats around this issue, and to the director's credit it is revealed with cunning grace.

This film demonstrates that amidst all the lowest common denominating crud, American mainstream cinema is occasionally distributing intriguing works of art. This may not be the film to purposely chose on a sad evening of angst and regret, but if you were to catch it at such a moment, the performances might sweep you up, and the film that was a play could beguile you.

I gave it an unequivocal 10 for the same reasons your movie guide gives 5's for the films that I would love to have in my tape and disk library.