Lenny (film)
| Lenny | |
|---|---|
 Original film poster | |
| Directed by | Bob Fosse |
| Screenplay by | Julian Barry |
| Based on | Lenny 1971 play by Julian Barry |
| Produced by | Marvin Worth |
| Starring | Dustin Hoffman Valerie Perrine |
| Cinematography | Bruce Surtees |
| Edited by | Alan Heim |
| Music by | Ralph Burns |
Production companies | Marvin Worth Productions Tribe Entertainment Group |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date |
|
Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2,700,000[1] |
| Box office | $11,622,000 (rentals)[2] |
Lenny is a 1974 American biographical drama film about the comedian Lenny Bruce, starring Dustin Hoffman and directed by Bob Fosse. The screenplay by Julian Barry is based on his play of the same name.
Plot
[edit]The film jumps between various sections of Bruce's life, including scenes of when he was in his prime, and the burned-out, strung-out performer who, in the twilight of his life, used his nightclub act to pour out his personal frustrations. We watch as up-and-coming Bruce courts his "Shiksa goddess", a stripper named Honey. With family responsibilities, Lenny is encouraged to do a "safe" act, but he cannot do it. Constantly in trouble for flouting obscenity laws, Lenny develops a near-messianic complex that fuels both his comedy genius and his talent for self-destruction. Worn out by a lifetime of tilting at establishment windmills, Lenny Bruce dies of a morphine overdose in 1966.
Cast
[edit]- Dustin Hoffman as Lenny Bruce
- Valerie Perrine as Honey Bruce
- Jan Miner as Sally Marr
- Stanley Beck as Artie Silver
- Rashel Novikoff as Aunt Mema
- Gary Morton as Sherman Hart
- Guy Rennie as Jack Goldman
- Aldo Demeo as Bailiff
Release
[edit]Lenny opened at Cinema I in New York City on November 10, 1974, and grossed a house record $14,981 in its first day.[3]
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 88% based on 32 reviews. The critical consensus reads: "Dustin Hoffman inhabits Lenny Bruce with nervy energy in Bob Fosse's richly stylized telling of the pioneering comedian's career and downfall."[4] On Metacritic, it has a score of 61 out of 100, based on 9 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[5]
One of the less enthusiastic reviews came from Roger Ebert, stating, "Unless we go in convinced that Lenny Bruce was an important performer, the movie doesn't convince us."[6]
In 2012, British film critic Mark Kermode put Hoffman's performance as Lenny Bruce at number eight in a top-ten video of Hoffman's best performances.[7]
Accolades
[edit]
Home media
[edit]Lenny was released on DVD by MGM Home Video April 1, 2003, in a Region 1 widescreen format, and by Twilight Time (under license from MGM and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) as a Region 1 widescreen Blu-ray February 10, 2015.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Film Heritage". 1974.
- ^ Top 20 Films of 1974 by Domestic Revenue. Box Office Report via Internet Archive. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
- ^ "'Prince' Gives N.Y. Tall 215G; 'Lenny' First Day of $14,981; 'Pelham' 65G, 'Amarcord' 31G". Variety. November 13, 1974. p. 10.
- ^ "Lenny Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
- ^ "Lenny". Metacritic. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
- ^ Ebert, Roger. "Lenny movie review & film summary (1974)". Chicago Sun-Times.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: kermodeandmayo (2012-12-04). Kermode Uncut: Hoffman Top Ten. Retrieved 2017-10-25 – via YouTube.
- ^ "The 47th Academy Awards (1975) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on September 1, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
- ^ "BAFTA Awards: Film in 1976". BAFTA. 1975. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: Lenny". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
- ^ "27th DGA Awards". Directors Guild of America Awards. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "Lenny – Golden Globes". HFPA. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "1974 Award Winners". National Board of Review. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "1974 New York Film Critics Circle Awards". New York Film Critics Circle. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "Awards Winners". wga.org. Writers Guild of America. Archived from the original on 2012-12-05. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
External links
[edit]- Lenny at IMDb
- Lenny at AllMovie
- Lenny at the TCM Movie Database
- Lenny at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Lenny at Rotten Tomatoes
- 1974 films
- 1970s American films
- 1970s English-language films
- 1970s biographical drama films
- 1974 drama films
- 1974 LGBTQ-related films
- American biographical drama films
- American black-and-white films
- American films based on plays
- American LGBTQ-related films
- Biographical films about entertainers
- Cultural depictions of Lenny Bruce
- English-language biographical drama films
- Films about censorship
- Films about comedians
- Films about freedom of expression
- Films directed by Bob Fosse
- Films scored by Ralph Burns
- Films set in the 1950s
- Films set in the 1960s
- United Artists films