Plot
After putting together another Broadway flop, down-on-his-luck producer Max Bialystock teams up with timid accountant Leo Bloom in a get-rich-quick scheme to put on the world's worst show.
Release Year: 2005
Rating: 6.4/10 (22,658 voted)
Critic's Score: 52/100
Director:
Susan Stroman
Stars: Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman
Storyline New York, 1959. Max Bialystock was once the king of Broadway, but now all his shows close on opening night. Things turn around when he's visited by the neurotic accountant Leo Bloom, who proposes a scheme tailor-made for producers who can only make flops: raise far more money than you need, then make sure the show is despised. No one will be interested in it, so you can pocket the surplus. To this end, they produce a musical called Springtime for Hitler written by escaped Nazi Franz Liebken. Then they get the insanely flamboyant Roger De Bris to direct. Finally, they hire as a lead actress the loopy Swedish bombshell Ulla (whose last name has over 15 syllables). As opening night draws near, what can go wrong? Well, there's no accounting for taste...
Writers: Mel Brooks, Thomas Meehan
Cast: Nathan Lane
-
Max Bialystock
Matthew Broderick
-
Leo Bloom
Uma Thurman
-
Ulla
Will Ferrell
-
Franz Liebkind
Gary Beach
-
Roger DeBris
Roger Bart
-
Carmen Ghia
Eileen Essell
-
Hold Me-Touch Me
Michael McKean
-
Prison Trustee
David Huddleston
-
Judge
Debra Monk
-
Lick Me-Bite Me
Andrea Martin
-
Kiss Me-Feel Me
Jon Lovitz
-
Mr. Marks
Bryn Dowling
-
Usherette
/
Girl With Pearls
/
Little Old Lady
/
Bavarian Peasant
Meg Gillentine
-
Usherette
/
Girl With Pearls
/
Little Old Lady
/
Tapping Brown Shirt
Kevin Ligon
-
Workman
/
Little Old Lady
Filming Locations: 116th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, New York City, New York, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $45,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $154,590
(USA)
(18 December 2005)
(6 Screens)
Gross: $19,377,727
(USA)
(19 February 2006)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
The costumes for the Girls in Pearls weighed 20 pounds. The largest of the pearls are plastic grapes painted white; they were chosen not to reduce the weight but to make it more comfortable for the dancers when they had to roll on the floor.
Goofs:
Continuity:
After Ulla has painted the office white, when Max opens the safe, the inside of the safe has also been painted, which means Ulla would need to know the combination.
Quotes: Leo Bloom:
We might have a position for you. Max Bialystock:
As a matter of fact, we might have several positions for you.
User Review
Felt like being on Broadway
Rating: 10/10
What an Excellent film! I went to an advance screening and left with my
jaw aching from all the laughing and grinning.
At first, it felt the film was just the play in front of the camera,
but the style eventually worked, turning the movie audience into a
Broadway audience. At times, the director took the actors outside
almost as a fun way of saying "see? with a camera, we can now move
around!" Nonetheless, by the time we get to the most famous musical
number, the audience was applauding and cheering after each song.
During the credits, it felt like a curtain call with applauds for each
actor.
So much fun and very deserving of the name Mel Brooks this film is
great for the holidays (with the more adult jokes being concealed in
song, and only minor swearing) older children and teenagers should get
a kick out of this fast paced, fun, and very memorable film.
Also, just a bit of advice: stay until the end of the credits.
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