Pinocchio (2002)

Despite guidance from the Blue Fairy and the love of his father, a wooden puppet's curious spirit leads him into one wild adventure after another.

Director:

Roberto Benigni

Writers:

Roberto Benigni (screenplay), Roberto Benigni (story by)

Stars:

Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Carlo Giuffrè

5 wins & 24 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roberto Benigni	...	Pinocchio
Nicoletta Braschi	...	Blue Fairy
Mino Bellei	...	Medoro
Carlo Giuffrè	...	Geppetto
Peppe Barra	...	The Talking Cricket
Franco Javarone	...	Mangiafuoco
Max Cavallari	...	The Cat
Bruno Arena	...	The Fox
Corrado Pani	...	Giudice
Kim Rossi Stuart	...	Lucignolo
Luis Molteni	...	Omino di burro
Alessandro Bergonzoni	...	Ringmaster
Alfredo Cavazzoni	...	Carabiniere 1
Vincenzo Bonanno	...	Carabiniere 2
Marco Tullio Cau	...	Carabiniere 3

Storyline

Despite guidance from the Blue Fairy and the love of his father, a wooden puppet's curious spirit leads him into one wild adventure after another.

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Plot Keywords:

fairy | cricket the insect | local blockbuster | stars married in real life | wood | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Miramax Official site

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

25 December 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Roberto Benigni's Pinocchio

Filming Locations:

Alberese, Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

€40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

€7,021,421 (Italy), 13 October 2002, Wide Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,151,463, 29 December 2002, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$3,684,305

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$41,323,171

Company Credits

Production Co:

Melampo Cinematografica, Cecchi Gori Group Fin.Ma.Vi.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the first film in a non-English language to be nominated for Worst Picture at the Razzie Awards.

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Connections

Referenced in Brows Held High: The Brown Bunny (2011)

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Soundtracks

La Canzone di Pinocchio
Written by Roberto Benigni , Vincenzo Cerami and Nicola Piovani
Sung by Roberto Benigni

User Reviews

A great film * IF * you have the right expectations

I'm an Italian-born longtime US resident, so I think I'm well-positioned to explain this film to the US public :) First and foremost, this isn't just "a film" -- it's a "Roberto Benigni" film. By that, I mean something analogous to a "Woody Allen" film, i.e. a film where the actor/director's imprint is so POWERFUL that you can't separate the two.

Imagine considering a "Woody Allen" film without taking into account the "Woody Allen" part! Well, Roberto Benigni is essentially an Italian Woody Allen -- though, IMHO, less neurotic. LOL My advice: watch other Benigni films BEFORE "Pinocchio". I highly recommend the much acclaimed "Life is Beautiful", and the much-lighter "The Monster." If you love his other films -- as I do -- you'll do just fine with "Pinocchio." Also try to understand the "Pinocchio" story before watching this movie. I grew up with it -- its popularity in Italy is like that of "The Wizard of Oz" in the US… "Pinocchio" is a very old-fashioned story, with quaint charm in its heavy-handed moralistic approach. In short, a boy (or a puppet wishing to be a boy) who disregards adult advice will get into all sorts of dire situations. Skip school and get transformed into a jackass! The real charmer is the lively personality of the puppet, and the other endearing characters, both human and magical.

Benigni is PERFECT for the role of the boy-puppet. It doesn't matter one iota how old he is; it's not just an "actor" -- it's Benigni.

Once again, Benigni is THE film in a Benigni film, just like Woody is THE film in his films.

Playing a rambunctious puppet is second nature to Benigni!! He's a total natural for that.

Foolishly, I was discouraged from watching this fine film by the negative reviews. Don't do my same mistake! BTW, rent the "Italian version": it gives you A CHOICE between Italian, English and French spoken languages. I speak all 3, and listened to all 3! I recommend the original, unless you really hate subtitles.