Small Time Crooks (2000)

A loser of a crook and his wife strike it rich when a botched bank job's cover business becomes a spectacular success.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen

Stars:

Woody Allen, Tracey Ullman, Hugh Grant

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Woody Allen	...	Ray
Carolyn Saxon	...	Candy Salesperson
Tracey Ullman	...	Frenchy
Michael Rapaport	...	Denny
Tony Darrow	...	Tommy
Sam Josepher	...	Real Estate Agent
Jon Lovitz	...	Benny
Lawrence Howard Levy	...	Dynamite Dealer (as Lawrence Levy)
Diane Bradley	...	Cookie Store Customer
Crystal Field	...	Cookie Store Customer
Cindy Carver	...	Cookie Store Customer
Ray Garvey	...	Cookie Store Customer
Bill Gerber	...	Cookie Store Customer
Olivia Hayman	...	Cookie Store Customer
Laurine Towler	...	Cookie Store Customer

Storyline

Dishwasher and small-fry criminal Ray hits on a plan with his partners in crime to re-open a local pizza place and dig through to the bank down the street. As his wife can't cook pizza but does great cookies, that's what they sell. While the no-hope tunnellers get lost underground, the cookie operation really takes off and the team find themselves rich business people. But the other local money isn't quite ready to accept them.

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Plot Keywords:

criminal | planning a robbery | neo screwball comedy | heist | new york city | 

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Taglines:

They took a bite out of crime.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 May 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Woody Allen Spring Project 1999

Filming Locations:

Doyers Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,880,723, 21 May 2000, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$17,071,230, 6 August 2000

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks, Sweetland Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

DTS (Mono) Dolby Digital (Mono)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the beginning of the film, Allen's character Ray wants to rent a storefront next to the bank, only to learn that someone by the name of "Nettie Goldberg" has already leased it- Nettie was Allen's real life mother's name.

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Goofs

Denny is manipulating the box of dynamite as to allow the bottom to fall out.

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Quotes

Frenchy: All right, all right, hold your water.

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Connections

References Larceny, Inc. (1942)

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Soundtracks

This Could Be the Start of Something Big
Written by Steve Allen
Performed by Lester Lanin
Courtesy of Epic Records by arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

Ullman Matches Allen

I doubt if many people share this sentiment, but this is my favorite Woody Allen movie simply because it does what Allen usually sets out to do: makes me laugh. I'm not a big fan of Allen's films but he and Tracey Ullman make a great pair in this 95-minute farce. Ullman has to be one of the most talented ladies to never achieve real movie stardom. She matches Allen laugh-for-laugh in here and, in some respects, even steals the show.

Other than Allen's penchant for using the Lord's name in vain, this has a real classic-film feel to it, one of those old bickering spouse films but with more modern-day humor. Allen and Ullman trade some very funny insults, and there are many of these quality gags. Ullman is just plain hilarious as the bimbo-like "Frenchy."

Add a gigolo (Hugh Grant), a couple of inept crooks, a couple of old-time Elaine favorites, Strich and May, and a pretty funny premise and you have some good entertainment and an underrated Allen film.