City Of Hope (1991)
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94% of critics liked it
(16 reviews) -
78% of users liked it
(1,067 ratings)
A city pulses with racial problems, political corruption, and small-time crime in this ambitious microcosm of urban life, written and directed by John Sayles. Nick Rinaldi (Vincent Spano), a lost soul usually high on drink and drugs, has spent his life in one New Jersey city, getting free rides from… More A city pulses with racial problems, political corruption, and small-time crime in this ambitious microcosm of urban life, written and directed by John Sayles. Nick Rinaldi (Vincent Spano), a lost soul usually high on drink and drugs, has spent his life in one New Jersey city, getting free rides from his connected father (Tony LoBianco) and hearing the locals talk of his brother's death in Vietnam. Searching for more control, Nick quits the cushy contractor's job provided by his Dad, feeling that major events are about to happen to him. That feeling proves accurate -- by film's end his life will change, as will the lives of many others. Nick is only the center of the movie's sprawling collection of people and plotlines; Sayles takes full advantage of this expansive landscape, as he often begins shooting one conversation, only to pull back and eavesdrop on another, in one smooth, intriguing shot. By listening in, we slowly learn about the citizens and their dilemmas, as the city's woes bubble to a narrative climax. Many of Sayles' regular players are on-screen (the movie features 52 roles), including Joe Morton as a frustrated councilman and David Strathairn as a disturbed street person. ~ Norm Schrager, Rovi
- Directed By
- John Sayles
- Genres
- Drama
R,
- In Theaters
- Oct 11, 1991 Wide
- Studio
- Samuel Goldwyn Company
Critic Reviews
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Adam Lippe, Examiner.com
Sayles' strategy is unique and sneaky without being self-serving... An epic-scale examination of how the bad guy never knows he's the bad guy.
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Though flawed, Sayles' most ambitious film to date confronts modern America as it is beset with explosive racial and class tensions, escalating crime, political corruption, and police brutality.
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Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
A rare Sayles misstep that lets the message overrule the material.
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Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A powerful and profound film about what is wrong with our cities and what it will take to save them.
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Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
A closed circle of aspiration and compromise, simple hopes impossibly complicated by the stark realities of life in a kind of wartime.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
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Cast
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Vincent Spano
as Nick Rinaldi
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Joe Morton
as Wynn
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Tony Lo Bianco
as Joe Rinaldi
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Anthony John Denison
as Rizzo
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Barbara Williams
as Angela
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John Sayles
as Carl
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Bill Raymond
as Les
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Angela Bassett
as Reesha
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Chris Cooper
as Riggs
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Gloria Foster
as Jeanette
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Josh Mostel
as Mad Anthony
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Jace Alexander
as Bobby
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Ray Aranha
as Errol
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Bernard Canepari
as Stroczyk
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Dale Carman
as Roger
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Jude Ciccolella
as Paddy
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Miriam Colon
as Mrs. Ramirez
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Tony Davis
as Kyle
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Jon De Vries
as Dean Milford
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Darryl Edwards
as Franklin
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Frankie Faison
as Levonne
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Gina Gershon
as Laurie
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Todd Graff
as Zip
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Rose Gregorio
as Pina
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John Griesemer
as Thomas
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Joe Grifasi
as Pauly
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Serafin Jovet
as Ramirez
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Maeve Kinkead
as Christine
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S.J. Lang
as Bauer
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Marianne Leone
as Joann
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Eileen Lynch
as Dawn
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Michael Mantell
as Zimmer
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Randle Mell
as Simms
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Stephen Mendillo
as Yoyo
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Olga Merediz
as Nidia
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Bob North
as District Attorney
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Steve Randazzo
as Gus
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Blair Shannon
as Security Guard
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Jojo Smollett
as Desmond
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David Strathairn
as Asteroid
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Lawrence Tierney
as Kerrigan
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Kevin Tighe
as O'Brien
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Scott Tiler
as Vinnie
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Jaime Tirelli
as Fuentes
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Edward Jay Townsend Jr.
as Tito
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Ginny Yang
as Suzanne
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Charlie Yanko
as Stavros
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Louis Zorich
as Mayor Baci
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Mason K. Daring
as Peter
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John Farris
as Kevin
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Maggie Renzi
as Connie
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Tom Wright
as Malik
- Barbara Hewson Shapiro
