Plot
An ultraconservative police officer (DeNiro) suffers a debilitating stroke and is assigned to a rehabilitative program that includes singing lessons - with the drag queen next door.
Release Year: 1999
Rating: 6.2/10 (8,978 voted)
Critic's Score: 50/100
Director:
Joel Schumacher
Stars: Robert De Niro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Miller
Storyline Walt Koontz, a homophobic guy, ends up with paralyzed vocal cords because of an unfortunate stroke. His therapy includes receiving singing lessons from a neighbor who is not only openly flamboyant but also a pre-op transgenderist. Both of them are equally prejudiced; Koontz against homosexuals and the neighbor against close-minded straight people.
Cast: Robert De Niro
-
Walt Koontz
Philip Seymour Hoffman
-
Rusty
Barry Miller
-
Leonard Wilcox
Chris Bauer
-
Jacko
Skipp Sudduth
-
Tommy
Wilson Jermaine Heredia
-
Cha-Cha
Nashom Benjamin
-
Amazing Grace
Scott Allen Cooper
-
Ivana
Rory Cochrane
-
Pogo
Daphne Rubin-Vega
-
Tia
Vincent Laresca
-
Raymond Camacho
Karina Arroyave
-
Amber
John Enos III
-
Sonny
(as John Enos)
Jude Ciccolella
-
Detective Noonan
Mina Bern
-
Mrs. Spivak
Taglines:
They couldn't like each other less or need each other more.
Filming Locations: 211 Avenue A, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $15,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $1,590,155
(USA)
(28 November 1999)
(478 Screens)
Gross: $4,485,485
(USA)
(5 March 2000)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
Rusty's line, "It costs a lot to look this cheap," is also a personal quote attributed to Dolly Parton.
Goofs:
Factual errors:
A hemiplegic patient has a paralysis of one side and paralysis of the face on the other side which is not the case in this movie.
Quotes: Rusty Zimmerman:
I'm his sister. Walt Koontz:
He's my sister.
User Review
Awesome Acting 101
Rating:
I am sorry to say that I saw this movie for the first time today. You know
they say hind sight is 20/20. I remember when the previews for the movie
were out and I thought that looks like a really great movie. It was an
incredible movie.
De Niro is exceptional as the homophobic former hero cop with a speech
impediment due to a stroke. Hoffman is wonderful as the singing drag queen.
The chemistry between the characters is true to life and heartfelt. When
they come together, we see that their dissimilar lives are not so dissimilar
at all. They are both overcoming some of the same trials and tribulations
just over different things. They develop an amazing bond that will help
them through the tough times.
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