Get Shorty
Short description
Chili Palmer is a Miami loan shark and enforcer who adores movies. When he is sent to Los Angeles to collect a debt from Harry Zimm, a producer of low-budget horror pictures, Chili finds himself drawn into the film business. He pitches his own life as material for a screenplay, becomes involved with Karen Flores, a B-movie actress, and discovers that the way he works and the way producers work have a great deal in common. Complications arrive in the form of other criminals and a drug-related scheme.
Barry Sonnenfeld directed the film, which came after The Addams Family, its sequel and For Love or Money. Scott Frank wrote the screenplay, adapting Elmore Leonard's novel, and Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher produced. John Travolta plays Chili, with Gene Hackman as Zimm, Rene Russo as Karen, DeVito as Martin Weir, Dennis Farina as Ray Barboni and Delroy Lindo as Bo Catlett. Around forty actors and fifty crew members are credited on the production.
The film cost about thirty million dollars and took roughly 115 million at the worldwide box office, a strong return on its budget. Its critics' rating stands at eight out of ten from 57 reviews, well above the audience scores of 6.9 on IMDb and 6.5 on TMDB. It runs 105 minutes.
What's left behind the scenes
- Initially, John Travolta refused the role in the film, and was only persuaded by Quentin Tarantino.
- According to writer and screenwriter Elmore Leonard (1925-2013), the character of Danny DeVito was based on Leonard’s memories of meetings with Dustin Hoffman.
- Gene Hackman does not usually appear in comedies, and initially refused the role in this film. Director Barry Sonnenfeld told the actor that this is exactly what was needed from him on set – simply to act, without trying to be funny.
- When Rene Russo first met Barry Sonnenfeld and Danny DeVito at a restaurant to discuss her potential involvement in the film, it turned out that sesame seeds had been added to one of the dishes, triggering an allergic reaction in the actress. Russo had to interrupt the meeting and go to the nearest hospital. She decided she wouldn't get the role, but Sonnenfeld still cast Russo in the film.
- In one scene, Danny DeVito was allowed to swap his lines around. Barry Sonnenfeld simply sat on his folding chair and watched as the actors played the same scene over and over again, with slight changes.
- On the covers of almost all the magazines at the Chili Palmer airport kiosk is Martin Weir, as played by Danny DeVito. The cover of Playboy features a large inscription stating that this issue contains an interview with Martin Weir.
- Elmore Leonard called the film "Get Shorty" the best adaptation of his work.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
