The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997)

Wallace Ritchie (Bill Murray) is mistaken for a spy and must stop a plot to assassinate international leaders at a banquet.

Director:

Jon Amiel

Writers:

Robert Farrar (novel), Robert Farrar (screenplay)

Stars:

Bill Murray, Joanne Whalley, Peter Gallagher

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Murray	...	Wallace Ritchie
Peter Gallagher	...	James Ritchie
Joanne Whalley	...	Lori
Alfred Molina	...	Boris 'The Butcher' Blavasky
Richard Wilson	...	Sir Roger Daggenhurst
John Standing	...	Gilbert Embleton
Simon Chandler	...	Hawkins
Geraldine James	...	Dr. Ludmilla Kropotkin
Anna Chancellor	...	Barbara Ritchie
Nicholas Woodeson	...	Sergei
Cliff Parisi	...	Uri
John Thomson	...	Dimitri
Janet Henfrey	...	Ms. Goldstein
Terry O'Neill	...	Spenser
Isabel Hernández	...	Consuela (as Isabel Hernandez)

Storyline

American Wallace Ritchie (Bill Murray) gets a ticket for an audience participation game in London, England, then gets involved in a case of mistaken identity. As an international plot unravels around him, he thinks it's all part of the act.

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Plot Keywords:

mistaken identity | animated title sequence | spy spoof | hitman | american in the uk | 

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Taglines:

He's on a mission so secret, even he doesn't know about it.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language, innuendo, comic violence and sensuality

Details

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 November 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Watch That Man

Filming Locations:

Piccadilly Circus, Piccadilly, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,604,819, 16 November 1997, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$13,801,755, 23 January 1998

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Regency Enterprises, Polar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the first feature film to be made at Elstree Studios after the local council bought it from Brent Walker under a Compulsory Purchase Order.

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Goofs

When Wally points the revolver at Lori, you can see light through the chambers in the cylinder, indicating that there are no rounds - live or otherwise - in the gun.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Wallace: Is this working? Are you liking it?

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Connections

Referenced in James & Mike Mondays: Super Monkey Ball 2 (2014)

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Soundtracks

Serenade In G Major: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525: II. Romance: Andante
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

User Reviews

The Good & Bad Of 'The Man Who Knew Too Little'

HE GOOD - This was better than I expected, especially after reading some negative reviews on it. Bill Murray is perfect for his role. There are several scenes I just laughed out loud. He had some funny lines. The film moves well and the comedy is generally good. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer is usually nice to watch

THE BAD - The only weak part, unfortunately, was the last 20 minutes. Also, this is basically a one-joke movie and that joke can begin to tire after about 40 minutes. I didn't care for Peter Gallagher's role.

OVERALL - Like "Groundhog Day," a good vehicle for Murray's humor makes it an entertaining film, but I'd rent it before buying it.