Living in Oblivion (1995)

88% of critics liked it
(25 reviews)
84% of users liked it
(7,115 ratings)

Following up his debut, Johnny Suede, director Tom DiCillo presented this filmmaking comedy that allegedly draws much from DiCillo's experiences on the set of the 1991 Brad Pitt vehicle. Steve Buscemi stars as Nick Reve, the long-suffering director of a no-budget independent film. If he's not… More Following up his debut, Johnny Suede, director Tom DiCillo presented this filmmaking comedy that allegedly draws much from DiCillo's experiences on the set of the 1991 Brad Pitt vehicle. Steve Buscemi stars as Nick Reve, the long-suffering director of a no-budget independent film. If he's not dealing with his heartbroken director of photography Wolf (Dermot Mulroney), Reve is trying to keep his leading lady Nicole (DiCillo mainstay Catherine Keener) happy or ignore the pseudo-auteur suggestions of Pitt-inspired name-actor Chad Palomino (James LeGros). All the while, the audience can't ever be sure if the scene they're watching is a dream or reality. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Tom DiCillo
Written By: Tom DiCillo
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Jul 14, 1995 Wide
On DVD: Feb 11, 2003
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
Probably the best and funniest of the mid-'90s crop of movies about making movies.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
A valentine to the independent film world, DiCillo's version of Truffaut's Night for Day offers a smart, amusing look at the perils of low-budget filmmaking; the ensemble acting is superb.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Really clever little comedy about low-budget filmmaking with Buscemi at his best.
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks
Sluggish, dumbly overpraised farce about an indie movie I would never see, but I still might pick over this one.
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
Meaty and witty, the sort of product that rewards a closer examination even as it buggers intimacy.
Mark Robison, Reno Gazette-Journal
Desperately funny.

Read all 6 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Bob S

Meta. I just wanted to say meta.
Ken S

A must see for ANYONE who has ever worked on a low budget indie.
Curtis L

Proof that Steve Buscemi needs to be a leading role in more movies. Gotta say, I wasn't taken in at first, but being too lazy to change the movie, it ended up being a pretty awesome film. Even from just directing movies for fun I understand how much it can drive you crazy and… More
Proof that Steve Buscemi needs to be a leading role in more movies. Gotta say, I wasn't taken in at first, but being too lazy to change the movie, it ended up being a pretty awesome film. Even from just directing movies for fun I understand how much it can drive you crazy and how nothing ever goes right.
Coxxie M

Catherine Keener is the hottest old rag in the world.
xGary X

Witty satire of indie films and the movie making process starring Steve Buscemi. Clever rather than laugh out loud funny, and the film within a film (within a film?) format sometimes seems in danger of drowning in it's own post-modernism, but it's an interesting curiosity… More
Witty satire of indie films and the movie making process starring Steve Buscemi. Clever rather than laugh out loud funny, and the film within a film (within a film?) format sometimes seems in danger of drowning in it's own post-modernism, but it's an interesting curiosity nonetheless.
Stephen E

Steve Buscemi is, without a doubt, my favorite actor. He is always so flawless and charismatic with his performances. It is such a treat to watch him act. In Living In Oblivion, he shines. The rest of the cast is great, too, but he really takes the cake. Another character I liked… More
Steve Buscemi is, without a doubt, my favorite actor. He is always so flawless and charismatic with his performances. It is such a treat to watch him act. In Living In Oblivion, he shines. The rest of the cast is great, too, but he really takes the cake. Another character I liked was Wolf, played be Dermot Mulroney. He was so funny in his role. Every word out of his mouth made me laugh. And Tom DiCillo is fantastic as well. This is the first film of his that I've watched and I look forward to watching more from him in the future. He is a very talented director and even more talented writer. Overall, Living In Oblivion is a great film. Not in the Academy Award sense of the word, but in the sense that you will remember it for being enjoyable and funny. This is the kind of film that you don't expect to be great and go into it already reviewing; you sit back and "roll with it".
Stephen E

The film's director, Tom DiCillo, won the well-deserved Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance Festival in '95. And that's the best part about "Living in Oblivion". The writing is fantastic. It's wickedly funny and original. Each character is given a… More
The film's director, Tom DiCillo, won the well-deserved Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance Festival in '95. And that's the best part about "Living in Oblivion". The writing is fantastic. It's wickedly funny and original. Each character is given a decent amount of depth and DiCillo manages to poke fun at just the right places.
Linda K

What a nightmare it can be to make film!!!
Wu C

Wonderful indie film. Very funny. If you've ever worked on a movie set, this movie is for you.