The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writers (WGA):

Michael Cristofer (screenplay)
Tom Wolfe (novel)

Release Date:

21 December 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Take one Wall Street tycoon, his Fifth Avenue mistress, a reporter hungry for fame, and make the wrong turn in The Bronx...then sit back and watch the sparks fly.

Plot:

Financial "Master of the Universe" Sherman McCoy sees his life unravel when his mistress Maria Ruskin hits a black boy with his car...

Plot Keywords:

Tabloid | Journalist | Mistress | Accident | Elevator

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Tom Hanks	...	Sherman McCoy
Bruce Willis	...	Peter Fallow
Melanie Griffith	...	Maria Ruskin
Kim Cattrall	...	Judy McCoy
Saul Rubinek	...	Jed Kramer
Morgan Freeman	...	Judge Leonard White
John Hancock	...	Reverend Bacon
Kevin Dunn	...	Tom Killian
Clifton James	...	Albert Fox
Louis Giambalvo	...	Ray Andruitti
Barton Heyman	...	Det. Martin
Norman Parker	...	Det. Goldberg
Donald Moffat	...	Mr. McCoy
Alan King	...	Arthur Ruskin
Beth Broderick	...	Caroline Heftshank

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Sweden:11 (video rating) | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

346 E 59th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

"Reverend" Reginald Bacon was modeled after Al Sharpton.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When McCoy gets off the subway, we see he is riding the number 1 train and he gets off at 77th Street station. First of all, the number 1 train runs on the west side of Manhattan, no where near his Park Avenue residence on the east side, and second, there are no 77th Street stops on the number 1 line.

Quotes:

Judy McCoy: I'm leaving you!
[pause]
Judy McCoy: After the party... and now, if you will excuse me, we have guests.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Making of 'Carlito's Way' (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Let Jesus Fix It For You

This movie surely offended people but, forgetting PCness, is excellent and very funny.

This is a funny film that digs at people who do take advantage of race to further their own agenda. It is not PC at all. Frankly, it is every bit as good as the book. See it with honest friends of more than one race and they will all be laughing out loud and naming one or more persons who might be portrayed. The acting is generally outstanding and the cast is first rate.

JHC