A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Charles Crichton

Writers:

John Cleese (story) and
Charles Crichton (story) ...

Release Date:

15 July 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

A tale of murder, lust, greed, revenge, and seafood.

Plot:

In London, four very different people team up to commit armed robbery, then try to doublecross each other for the loot.

Plot Keywords:

Barrister | Stuttering | Lawyer | Gun | Robber

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 7 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

John Cleese	...	Archie Leach
Jamie Lee Curtis	...	Wanda Gershwitz
Kevin Kline	...	Otto
Michael Palin	...	Ken Pile
Maria Aitken	...	Wendy
Tom Georgeson	...	Georges Thomason
Patricia Hayes	...	Mrs. Coady
Geoffrey Palmer	...	Judge
Cynthia Cleese	...	Portia (as Cynthia Caylor)
Mark Elwes	...	Customer in Jeweler's Shop
Neville Phillips	...	Manager of Jeweler's Shop
Peter Jonfield	...	Inspector Marvin
Ken Campbell	...	Bartlett
Al Ashton	...	Warder
Roger Hume	...	Locksmith

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | Italian | Russian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:PG | Spain:T | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:18A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-14 | Ireland:15 | Norway:15 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Clerkenwell Green, Clerkenwell, London, England, UK

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

When Otto (Kevin Kline), suggests possible snitchers to George, he suggests Kevin Delaney, which are Kline's first and middle names.

Goofs:

Continuity: Otto forces Archie into a barrel of sludge at the airport, waist deep. When Archie escapes the barrel, his clothes are dry.

Quotes:

Archie: I Wendy- I Wanda- I wonder...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Doogie Howser, M.D.: A Stitch Called Wanda (#1.3)" (1989)

something's fishy (in a good way)

Portraying a heist gone awry, "A Fish Called Wanda" goes all out in every way possible. Maybe the whole thing is little more than an excuse for a bunch of silly situations, but they have some great ones here. Whether it's John Cleese's dance, Kevin Kline's rips at England, Michael Palin's stuttering, or Jamie Lee Curtis's deadpan performance, they know how to do everything here. I can't describe how funny the movie is; you just have to see it. And you may very well die laughing - or if nothing else, you'll want to take a trip to England. Kevin Kline definitely deserved his Oscar. And of course, the cast teamed up again for the equally funny (maybe even better) "Fierce Creatures". This is a comedy classic in every way.

Oh, and in case Kevin Kline is reading this: Happy birthday! You're my favorite actor!