Bullets over Broadway Movie Review 1994

Mediocre playwright David Shayne (Cusack, in the Allen role) talks up the virtues of artistic integrity to his pretentious hothouse contemporaries, then sells out to a gangster who agrees to finance his latest play provided his no-talent, brassy moll (Tilly) gets a part. And it's her hit-man bodyguard's (Palminteri) unexpected artistic touches that redeem Shayne's otherwise lousy work. Wiest as the eccentric diva, Ullman as the aging ingenue, Reiner as the Greenwich Village sage, and Broadbent as the increasingly plump matinee idol lead a collection of delicious, over-the-top performances in this smart and howlingly funny tribute to Jazz Age New York City that showcases Woody at his self-conscious best.

Distribution

Miramax Film Corp., 8439 W Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069-1921, Phone: (323)650-2937, URL: http://www.miramax.com

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 106 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Organized Crime, Period Piece: 1920s, Showbiz Comedies, Behind the Scenes, New York, New York, Stagestruck

Screenplay

Woody Allen, Douglas McGrath

Cast

Dianne Wiest, John Cusack, Jennifer Tilly, Rob Reiner, Chazz Palminteri, Tracey Ullman, Mary-Louise Parker, Joe (Johnny) Viterelli, Jack Warden, Jim Broadbent, Harvey Fierstein, Annie-Joe Edwards

Cinematography

Carlo Di Palma

Director

Woody Allen

Producer

Robert Greenhut, Helen Robin, Jean Doumanian, Jack Rollins, Charles H. Joffe, Letty Aronson, Sweetland Films AB, Miramax Films

Awards

Oscars 1994: Support. Actress (Wiest); Golden Globes 1995: Support. Actress (Wiest); Ind. Spirit 1995: Support. Actor (Palminteri), Support. Actress (Wiest); L.A. Film Critics 1994: Support. Actress (Wiest); N.Y. Film Critics 1994: Support. Actress (Wiest); Natl. Soc. Film Critics 1994: Support. Actress (Wiest); Screen Actors Guild 1994: Support. Actress (Wiest).