Married to the Mob (1988)

91% of critics liked it
(33 reviews)
42% of users liked it
(7,588 ratings)

Michelle Pfeiffer is Married to the Mob in this comedy. The wife of Mafia hitman Alec Baldwin, Pfeiffer regularly chastizes her husband for his underhanded line of work. Baldwin refuses to entertain any thoughts of quitting the mob-and besides, he's got a good thing going with Nancy Travis, the… More Michelle Pfeiffer is Married to the Mob in this comedy. The wife of Mafia hitman Alec Baldwin, Pfeiffer regularly chastizes her husband for his underhanded line of work. Baldwin refuses to entertain any thoughts of quitting the mob-and besides, he's got a good thing going with Nancy Travis, the promiscuous girl friend of gang boss Dean Stockwell. When Stockwell catches on to Travis' peccadilloes, he murders both his mistress and the unlucky Baldwin. At Baldwin's funeral, Stockwell is overwhelmed by Pfeiffer's beauty, and immediately begins plying her with expensive gifts. But Pfeiffer is through with this sort of thing, and with her young son in tow, she leaves town, hoping to start life anew. Upon making the acquaintance of bumbling, seemingly sincere Matthew Modine, Pfeiffer is convinced that Modine is just another mob flunkey. But it's even worse: Modine is an FBI agent, ordered to get to Stockwell by using Pfeiffer as bait. Reluctantly (he's grown quite fond of her himself), Modine blackmails Pfeiffer into setting up a rendezvous with Stockwell. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 42 min.
Directed By: Jonathan Demme
Written By: Barry Strugatz, Mark R. Burns
Genres: Drama, Romance, Comedy

In Theaters: Aug 19, 1988 Wide
On DVD: Jun 13, 2000
Studio: Orion Home Video

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Pfeiffer is at her best, and there's plenty of action, although you may feel that some of the gags involving a scorned and vengeful wife (Mercedes Ruehl) are a bit shopworn.
Variety Staff, Variety
The enormous cast is a total delight, starting with Pfeiffer, with hair dyed dark, a New York accent and a continuously nervous edge.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
Miss Pfeiffer, who looks utterly ravishing in outfits that set the teeth on edge, turns Angela's plight into something funny, but she seems eminently sane even when the movie does not.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
Demme keeps his characters (scripted by Barry Strugatz and Mark R. Burns) from wandering into the Buffoon Zone.
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
A mix of goofy ethnicity, romance and self-discovery, "Married to the Mob" is an offer you can't refuse.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
A gangster film with a twist and the idiosyncratic Demme touch.
, Film4
A fluffy but entertaining comedy.
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy
A lot of fun to watch, thanks to a darn sturdy cast and a director with a sublime ability to make fluff seem deeper than it really is.
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Irresistible
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
Everything in it is wonderfully right.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Unconventional romantic comedy with a slap and a tickle.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Amazingly, for all its hip anarchy, it's finally an oddly old-fashioned slice of entertainment. Preston Sturges might have approved.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
Pfeiffer is superb in a delightful farce
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Pfeiffer is outstanding.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A light-hearted comedy about one woman's dream to remake her life

Read all 15 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lenny M

Quirky Romano.
xGary X

Another disastrous mob "comedy" featuring Michelle Pfeiffer doing her best "Working Girl" impersonation and lots of gratuitous violence. Which is always funny.
Dean M

Not bad of comedy Mafia film, but Mercedes Ruehl's hilarious as a revengeful wife of a mob boss.
Deb S

Angela de Marco: God, you people work just like the mob! There's no difference. Regional Director Franklin: Oh, there's a big difference, Mrs. de Marco. The mob is run by murdering, thieving, lying, cheating psychopaths. We work for the President of the United States of… More
Angela de Marco: God, you people work just like the mob! There's no difference. Regional Director Franklin: Oh, there's a big difference, Mrs. de Marco. The mob is run by murdering, thieving, lying, cheating psychopaths. We work for the President of the United States of America. Angela De Marco (Michelle Pfeiffer) wants out of her marriage to Frankie "The Cucumber" DeMarco (Alec Baldwin) because she longs for a life without all the worries that come with being part of the Mafia. But he gets knocked permanently out of the picture by Mob Boss Tony Russo when he slips up and has an affair with waitress Karen Lutnick, who also happens fooling around with Tony. Angela uses the opportunity to cut ties with her past in the hope of starting a new, honest life for herself and her young son. It isn't going to be as easy as she had hoped, since she is being spied upon by FBI agent Mike Downey, who poses as her neighbor to get closer to her. He later falls in love with her after he realizes that she is innocent pawn. Mercedes Ruehl steals the show as the paranoid and jealous wife of the Mafia boss, Dean Stockwell who plays her philandering husband Tony. Hilarious scene at the end which will have you cracking up between hubbie and the spurned wife lol! "Kiss it good bye"
Sunil J

It's fine but simple.
Sarah P

A cheesy-in-a-good-way 80's movie. It was enjoyable, but I probably wouldn't watch it again.
Barry L

Stupid but watchable.

Read all 7 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Michelle Pfeiffer as Angela Demarco

            Matthew Modine as Mike Downey

            Dean Stockwell as Tony "The Tiger" Russo

            Mercedes Ruehl as Connie Russo

            Alec Baldwin as Frank "The Cucumber" DeMarco

            Joan Cusack as Rose Boyle

            Trey Wilson as Franklin FBI Field Director

            Oliver Platt as Ed Benitez

            Paul Lazar as Tommy Boyle

            Sister Carol East as Rita Harcourt

            Ellen Foley as Theresa

            Chris Isaak as Arrowhead "The Clown"

            O-Lan Jones as Phyllis

            Charles Napier as Ray Angela's Hairdresser

            Anthony J. Nici as Joey DeMarco

            Nancy Travis as Karen Lutnick

            David Johansen as Priest

            Al Lewis as Uncle Joe Russo

            Frank Ferrara as Vinnie the Slug

            Frank Gio as Nick "The Snake"

            Gary Howard Klar as Al "The Worm"

            Obba Babatundé as Face of Justice

            Roy Blount Jr. as Humane Reporter

            Gene Borkan as Goodwill Executive

            Billy Carter as Ambassador

            Ellie Cornell as Pushy Reporter

            Daniel Dassin as Matire D'

            Angela de Marco
            
            Tony Fitzpatrick as Sourpuss Immigration Man

            Alison Gordy as Chicken Lickin' Feminist

            Captain Haggerty as Fat Man

            Buzz Kilman as Ruthless Sniper

            Roma Maffia as Angie's First Customer

            Colin Quinn as Homicide Detective

            Joe Spinell as Leonard "Tiptoes" Mazzilli

            Tracey Walter as Chicken' Lickin' Mgr.

            Marlene Willoughby as Mrs. "Fat Man"

            Jonathan Demme
            
            Gary Goetzman as Guy at the Piano

            Warren Miller as Johnny "King's Roost" King

            Todd Solondz as Zany Reporter

            Kenneth Utt as Sourpuss F.B.I. Man

            Frank Acquilino as Conductor

            Jason Allen as Tony Russo Jr.

            Ralph Corsel as Jimmy "Fisheggs" Roe

            Dodie Demme as Pigs Knuckles Shopper

            Wilma Dore as Uptown Saleslady

            Tara Duckworth as Tara

            Luis Alberto García as Honeymoon Suite Bellboy

            Carlos Giovanni as Carlo Whispers

            Janet Howard as Abused Stewardess

            Lezli Jae as Chicken Lickin' Server

            Joseph L. "Mr. Spoons" Jones as Mr. Spoons

            Maria Karnilova as Frank's Mom

            Stanton D. Miranda as Gal at the Piano

            Tim O'Connell as Abused Ticket Agent

            Carlos Anthony Ocasio as Joey's New Pal

            Pe De Boi as Samba Band

            James Reno Pelliccio as Butch

            Patrick Phipps as Goodwill Hunk

            Suzanne Puccerella as Three-card Monte Victim

            George "Red" Schwartz as Shotgun Marshal

            Steve Vignari as Stevarino

            Arthur Haggerty
            
See full cast