Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)

An adaptation of the cult memoir of game show impresario Chuck Barris, in which he purports to have been a CIA hitman.

Director:

George Clooney

Writers:

Chuck Barris (book), Charlie Kaufman (screenplay)

Stars:

Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, George Clooney

7 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dick Clark	...	Himself
Sam Rockwell	...	Chuck Barris
Michelle Sweeney	...	J. Sweeney
Drew Barrymore	...	Penny
Chelsea Ceci	...	Tuvia, Age 8
Michael Cera	...	Chuck Age 8 and 11 (as Michael Céra)
Aimee Rose Ambroziak	...	Chuck's Date #1
Isabelle Blais	...	Chuck's Date #2
Melissa Carter	...	Chuck's Date #3
Jennifer Hall	...	Georgia
Ilona Elkin	...	Georgia's Girlfriend
Sean Tucker	...	Barfly
Jaye P. Morgan	...	Herself
Maggie Gyllenhaal	...	Debbie
David Julian Hirsh	...	Freddie Cannon (as David Hirsh)

Storyline

Television made him famous, but his biggest hits happened off screen. "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" is the story of a legendary showman's double life - television producer by day, CIA assassin by night. At the height of his TV career, Chuck Barris was recruited by the CIA and trained to become a covert operative. Or so Barris said.

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Plot Keywords:

secret agent | hitman | broken nose | playboy mansion | kgb | 

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Taglines:

Some things are better left top secret

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sexual content and violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA Germany Canada

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

24 January 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Confesiones de una mente peligrosa

Filming Locations:

White Stallion Ranch, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$29,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$87,199, 5 January 2003, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$16,003,576, 31 August 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax,Mad Chance,Section Eight

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was originally set to star Mike Myers in the lead with P.J. Hogan directing.

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Goofs

Many inaccuracies and anachronisms are probably deliberate, in keeping with the absurd, tongue-in-cheek nature of the storyline.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dick Clark: I wouldn't want to live his life because he hasn't been happy all of his life. All I think is if you can find work, stay healthy, find somebody to share it with, you're the ultimate success. He's had some of the pieces of the puzzle, but not all of them.

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Connections

References The Steve Allen Plymouth Show (1956)

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Soundtracks

Dandy Club

User Reviews

Clooney Plays a Weird Story Straight Up

What if the creator and host of two of the 1970s biggest and lamest television game shows was also a part-time CIA hitman? That he used The Dating Game and The Gong Show as a cover to stage assassinations in the netherworld of Cold War espionage. Ridiculous you'd say. But that's what exactly what Chuck Barris claims in his autobiography, and Charlie Kaufman accepts carte blanche as the premise for his screenplay. The film plays it straight up as if Barris were telling the truth.

Can Charlie Kaufman, the screenwriter, and George Clooney, the director pull it off? Mostly. It is competently acted by Sam Rockwell as Barris, Julia Roberts as a fellow spy, Drew Barrymore as his love interest, and director George Clooney as his CIA recruiter and handler. The bizarre landscape, a marriage of television and espionage, is presented without a smirk or wink. If Barris is telling the truth, this is what it must have been like. It's an interesting idea, and Clooney and Kaufman have taken it and crafted an enjoyable film.