Ashley Johnson, Beverly D'Angelo, Dominic Chianese

Those in search of happy endings and maudlin moments may walk away disappointed from the extremely enjoyable King of the Corner, a modest, often touching film fully equipped with some very big ...( read more  read more... )laughs. Aging salesman Leo Spivak (Peter Reigert) is coming to terms with his incredibly messy life; his career is dimming, his elderly father (Eli Wallach) is quickly fading, and his personal life is in shambles. Is Leo falling apart at the seams, or will this be his golden opportunity to take stock and turn it all around? Visiting universal themes like adultery, parenthood, and death, King of the Corner jumps smoothly between sad and funny to incredibly uncomfortable as Leo faces life's daily ups and downs in the only way that he knows how--very awkwardly. The plot isn't so much about resolutions and answers as is it about the journey and finding a laugh here and there along the way.

You might know actor Peter Reigert from quirky sleepers like Local Hero and Crossing Delancey, his excellent turn in the intense Traffic, or his hilarious Donald "Boon" Schoenstein in Animal House. Many, however, may be surprised to find that his 2001-directed short By Courier was nominated for an Academy Award and that with this, his first full-length feature film, he delivers a breezy, well-packaged crowd pleaser. Reigert's efficient directing style keeps the story moving comfortably along while his sardonic screen presence and a terrific cast including Beverly D'Angelo (Coal Miner's Daughter), Isabella Rossellini (Blue Velvet), and Rita Moreno (West Side Story) all bring something to the table in roles large and small. Like reality, King of the Corner portrays life as it is: lots of lose ends, no easy answers, and every once in a while, very funny. --Matt Wold

Flixster Users

22% liked it

354 ratings

Critics

70% liked it

40 critics

R, 95 min.

Directed by: Peter Riegert

Release Date: January 1, 2005

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DVD Release Date: October 25, 2005

Stats: 19 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (19)


  • August 27, 2009
    good & funny about life's ups & downs...

Critic Reviews


September 16, 2005
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

This is perilously close to a vanity film, but since the star has always seemed like one of the least vain guys in the business, maybe he deserves to go on a bender. full review

June 17, 2005
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

A movie like this depends on the close observation of behavior. It is not so much about what the characters do as who they are, who they fear they are, and who they want to be. full review

June 10, 2005
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

What carries the movie is Riegert. He has an appealing, ironic style, but he's not locked into it. He's emotionally present and subtle. full review

View more King of the Corner reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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King of the Corner Trivia


  • in the movie a bugs life, a poster for disneys ___ can be seen in the upper right hand corner of the screen when flick walks through the city traffic in bug city. which movie is this?  Answer »

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