Born Yesterday (1993)
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23% of critics liked it
(22 reviews) -
28% of users liked it
(5,917 ratings)
This 1993 remake of the 1950 film Born Yesterday (based on the 1946 Garson Kanin stage play) was retooled as a star vehicle for then-marrieds Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson. Roughneck self-made millionaire Harry Brock (John Goodman) wants to become a powerful Washington lobbyist. Brock's… More This 1993 remake of the 1950 film Born Yesterday (based on the 1946 Garson Kanin stage play) was retooled as a star vehicle for then-marrieds Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson. Roughneck self-made millionaire Harry Brock (John Goodman) wants to become a powerful Washington lobbyist. Brock's efforts to hobnob with DC uppercrust are compromised by his brash, embarrassingly vulgar mistress Billie Dawn (Melanie Griffith). He'd like to unload the ex-chorus girl, but he thinks he's in love: besides, she knows too much about his crooked dealings to be running around loose. Thus, Brock hires bookish Paul Verrall (Don Johnson) to educate Billie. Verrall does his job amazingly well, awakening Billie to her responsibilities as a loyal, honest American: along the way, the two fall in love. Featured in the cast are Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee and his star reporter (and wife) Sally Quinn, cast as DC power brokers. Also appearing in a small role is 1960s starlet Celeste Yarnell. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Luis Mandoki
- Genres
- Comedy, Romance
PG,
- In Theaters
- Mar 26, 1993 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Leonard Klady, Variety
The verdict on the makeover is not all good news.
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Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
The gin rummy game with Griffith and Goodman instead of Holliday and Crawford is enough to ruin a night out.
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Wally Hammond, Time Out
Where Holliday was always too sophisticated a butterfly right from the off, Griffith's copycat performance starts dumb -- but then never takes wing.
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Vincent Canby, New York Times
There is a fatal disconnection between place and characters who, conceived in one era, are crazily transported into another in which they don't quite fit.
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Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
To the growing list of unnecessary movies, add this remake of the Garson Kanin comedy.
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Cast
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Melanie Griffith
as Billie Dawn
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John Goodman
as Harry Brock
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Don Johnson
as Paul Verrall
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Edward Herrmann
as Ed Devery
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Max Perlich
as J.J.
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Fred Dalton Thompson
as Senator Hedges
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Nora Dunn
as Cynthia Schreiber
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Michael Ensign
as Phillipe
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Benjamin C. Bradlee
as Secretary Duffee
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John Achorn
as Senator Banks
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Selma Archerd
as Lois
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Matthew Faison
as Congressman Hulse
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William Forward
as Senator Duker
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William Frankfather
as Senator Kelley
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Terri Hanauer
as Mrs. Dorn
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Ann Hearn
as Mrs. Banks
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Kate McGregor-Stewart
as Mrs.Hulse
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Mary Gordon Murray
as Bindy Duker
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Tony Palladino
as Barber
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Sally Quinn
as Beatrice Duffee
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Theodore Raimi
as Cynthia's Assistant
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Rondi Reed
as Victor Penny
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Gordon Reinhart
as Jewelry Store Owner
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Drew Snyder
as Senator Dorn
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Fritz Sperberg
as Jose Perical
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Meg Wittner
as Mrs. Kelley
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Celeste Yarnall
as Mrs. Hedges
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John Wesley
as Senator Welch
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Andi Chapman
as Mrs. Welch
- Cathy Sandrich
- Amanda Mackey-Johnson
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Arthur Leeds
as Man at Party
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Marisol Massey
as Waitress
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Aaron Michael Lacey
as College Freshman
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Freda Foh Shen
as Maid
