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John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo

Hailed by many critics as one of the best films of 1995, this finely tuned black comedy sparked a renewed interest in movies based on books by prolific crime novelist Elmore Leonard, whose trademark c...( read more  read more... )ombination of tight plotting and sharp humor is perfectly captured here. After the success of Pulp Fiction, John Travolta continued his meteoric comeback as Chili Palmer, a Mob "mechanic" whose latest assignment takes him to Los Angeles, where his fascination with the movie business turns into a new career as a would-be movie producer. He pitches ideas with a sleazy producer (Gene Hackman) and a major star (Danny DeVito), and also finds time to deal with a vengeful Mobster (Dennis Farina) and assorted Hollywood types (including Renee Russo and Delroy Lindo) who all want their piece of a tempting show-biz pie. The plot unfolds with enticing precision, but it's really Elmore's snappy dialogue--and the performances that bring it to life--that make this one of the best comedies of the 1990s. --Jeff Shannon

Flixster Users

63% liked it

54,623 ratings

Critics

85% liked it

47 critics

R, 1 hr. 45 min.

Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld

Release Date: October 20, 1995

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DVD Release Date: August 27, 1997

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Stats: 1,570 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,570)

  • SirPant
    September 24, 2009
    SirPant
    A film so far up its own arse that it can't even smell its own crap!
  • allan913
    August 16, 2008
    allan913
    A laugh-out-loud and terifficly entertaining comedy. Smart and cool. John Travolta gives one of his best, an insightful and most subtle performances. He has never been cooler than he has here. A smart, hip, enjoyable and great movie. It's wickedly funny anmd finely tuned with ple...( read more)nty of great performances to go around.
  • DrZeek
    June 3, 2008
    DrZeek
    Chili Palmer: Rough business, this movie business. I'm gonna have to go back to loan-sharking just to take a rest.

    A Hollywood/crime comedy about a mobster trying to get into the movie business after growing tired of his crime lifestyle.

    John Travolta stars as Chili Palmer, a...( read more) bored mobster who goes on a job to LA, only to fall love with the Hollywood scene. He befriends a number of characters involved in the film business and makes an effort to use his knowledge in loan sharking to make life in Hollywood work for him.

    Travolta is the coolest that he has ever been in this movie. He was mainly just stoned in Pulp Fiction, so that doesn't count. Here he is a gangster, with a Brooklyn accent, and he's a film buff.

    Chili Palmer: Now I've been shot at three times before. Twice on purpose and once by accident. And I'm still here. And I'm gonna be here for as long as I want to be.

    Based on the book from Elmore Leonard who also wrote the original story of Jackie Brown (Rum Punch) and Out of Sight, which was also adapted by screenwriter Scott Frank, this movie is about the way these people use their dialog and how cool they all play it.

    Chili Palmer: Harry, look at me. You're trying to tell me you fucked up without sounding stupid, and that's hard to do.

    A great cast rounds out this film as well, including Gene Hackman as a B-movie producer, Rene Russo as an actress who hates her roles, Delroy Lindo and James Gandolfini as some LA tough guys, Dennis Farina as a mobster pissed off at Travolta throughout, and Danny DeVito as a big shot actor.

    Bo Catlett: It says here you're getting Martin Weir for the part of Lovejoy?
    Chili Palmer: That's right, we're getting Martin.
    Bo Catlett: Come on, how you gonna do that?
    Chili Palmer: I'm gonna take a gun, I'm gonna put it to his head, and say, "sign the fucking papers, Martin, or you're dead." That's it.
    Bo Catlett: I wonder, would that work?

    Although there is a lot of plot to follow, the movie moves along easy enough to be understandable to anyone, especially after repeated viewings, which doesn't matter too much because this is a fun movie to watch.

    Bo Catlett: I'd like to introduce my associate, The Bear. Movie stuntman, champion bodybuilder. Throws out things I don't want.
    Bear: I think you ought to turn around and head back to Miami.
    Chili Palmer: So you're a stuntman, huh?
    Bear: Yeah.
    Chili Palmer: You any good?
    Bear: Am I any good?
    [He turns to Bo, laughing. Chili grabs him by the balls, then throws him down the stairs]
    Chili Palmer: That's not bad for a guy his size.

    A very funny movie, good performances, great dialog, and a cool soundtrack.

    Ray "Bones" Barboni: Let me explain something to you. Momo is dead. Which means that everything he had now belongs to Jimmy Cap, including you. Which also means, that when I speak, I speak for Jimmy. E.g., from now on, you start showing me the proper fucking respect.
    Chili Palmer: "E.g." means "for example". What I think you want to say is "I.e.".
    Ray "Bones" Barboni: Bullshit! That's short for "ergo".
    Chili Palmer: Ask your man.
    Bodyguard: To the best of my knowledge, "e.g." means "for example".
    Ray "Bones" Barboni: E.g., i.e., fuck you! The point is this: is that, When I say "jump", you say "OK", okay?
  • sanjurosamurai
    March 25, 2008
    sanjurosamurai
    pretty good flick with a great cast
  • QueenCityFilms
    March 6, 2008
    QueenCityFilms
    Not as clever as the movie thinks it is
  • rickrudge
    October 8, 2009
    rickrudge
    Get Shorty (1995)

    John Travolta plays Chili Palmer, a discouraged mob guy who loves movies. Well, we can all relate to him already, right? While he was trying to collect a debt from a guy in Vegas, he's sent down to L.A. to collect from a movie producer/director, Harry Zimm (G...( read more)ene Hackman), who's also mixed up with some small-time hoods led by Bo Catlett (Delroy Lindo).

    Chili has an idea for a movie and uses his street smarts and connections with Karen Flores (Rene Russo) to get things done. Everything is all intertwined together and complicated, and Chili is trying to get through it without getting wacked.

    This comedy is well written and put together with a great cast. It's a fantastic movie for movie-lovers too, where Chili is just as star-struck as we are. I especially loved Ray 'Bones' Barboni (Dennis Farina) who comes into town to kick butt.
  • CocoCoopah
    September 27, 2009
    CocoCoopah
    Made me LOL in parts. I love seeing Travolta play the 'Chilli Palmer' type of character.
  • ElCochran90
    September 17, 2009
    ElCochran90
    A smart and stylish cool little film, with a very fine cast and a fairly original story. Sonnenfeld's best.

    57/100
  • josie1000
    August 2, 2009
    josie1000
    never had the zeal to watch it
  • cherrystyle4u2003
    July 28, 2009
    cherrystyle4u2003
    WAS GOOD, TOO COOL WAS BETTER THOUGH.

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Critic Reviews

May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

The result is one of the best movies of the year and by far the most entertaining. full review

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

One of the pleasures of Get Shorty is watching the way the plot moves effortlessly from crime to the movies - not a long distance, since both industries are based on fear, greed, creativity and intimi... full review

View more Get Shorty reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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  • Which actor has starred in all of the following:- - Saturday Night Fever - Get Shorty - The Thin Red Line - Swordfish - Basic  Answer »
  • What movie does the hero, played by a x T-Bird, begin to think about being a movie producer after he is through with his loan shark business.   Answer »
  • What is the name of the sequal to Get Shorty?  Answer »
  • Be Cool is the sequel to which film?  Answer »
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