Hudson Hawk (1991)

Director:

Michael Lehmann

Writers (WGA):

Bruce Willis (story) &
Robert Kraft (story) ...

Release Date:

24 May 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy

Tagline:

Catch the excitement. Catch the laughter. Catch the Hawk.

Plot:

A cat burglar is forced to steal Da Vinci works of art for a world domination plot.

Plot Keywords:

Blackmail | Burglar | Cat Burglar | Prison | Leonardo Da Vinci

Awards:

3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Bruce Willis	...	Hudson Hawk
Danny Aiello	...	Tommy 'Five-Tone' Messina
Andie MacDowell	...	Anna Baragli
James Coburn	...	George Kaplan
Richard E. Grant	...	Darwin Mayflower
Sandra Bernhard	...	Minerva Mayflower
Donald Burton	...	Alfred
Don Harvey	...	Snickers
David Caruso	...	Kit Kat
Andrew Bryniarski	...	Butterfinger
Lorraine Toussaint	...	Almond Joy
Burtt Harris	...	Gates
Frank Stallone	...	Cesar Mario
Carmine Zozzora	...	Antony Mario (as Carmine Zozorra)
Stefano Molinari	...	Leonardo da Vinci (as Stephano Molinari)

Also Known As:

The Adventures of Hudson Hawk (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

CDS (digital 35 mm prints) | Dolby SR (analog 35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (no. 31162) | New Zealand:R | Canada:AA

Filming Locations:

American Falls, Niagara Falls, New York, USA

Company:

TriStar Pictures

Trivia:

Isabella Rossellini was originally cast as Anna Baragli, but when the movie was delayed because of scheduling issues, the part was re-cast with Maruschka Detmers. However, due to back problems, she had to leave after a few days of shooting, and was finally replaced with Andie MacDowell.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Hudson Hawk is given a brick of gold and a brick of lead while blindfolded, to demonstrate that they are indistinguishable by weight. Gold is 70% denser than lead, and the weight difference would be easily noticed. The gold brick would weigh about 30 pounds, but they handle it as if it weighs a couple of pounds. They also mention that gold and lead differ by one proton on the periodic table of elements. The difference is actually 3 protons and 7 neutrons.

Quotes:

Narrator: Long ago, the Duke of Milan commissioned a little known artist to erect a Mammoth statue of a horse. The time was 1481. The artist was Leonardo da Vinci. The guy on the donkey's just a guy on a donkey.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gilmore Girls: Richard in Stars Hollow (#2.12)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

THE HOKEY POKEY

A comedy classic? Maybe. It's still really good.

When I was in High School, I was working at a movie theater. One day at work, the theater was giving away movie promotional extras left over from years past to the employees. One of the items was a promotional T-Shirt for Hudson Hawk. Being a fan of Bruce Willis and a fan of t-shirts, I picked it up. I also decided that if I was going to wear the shirt, I might as well see the movie.

I had heard the rumors: bad bad Bruce Willis vanity project, not worth a damn, much less a rental. Well, that sounded like a challenge to me! So, I rented it, popped it into my VCR and prepared to be in agony. I was very disappointed.

I was stunned at not only how madcap it was, but how well written it was. Sure, it felt like an excuse to rattle off witty one-liners amongst a non-sensical plot, but it did it so WELL. Some of my favorite lines from any movie are in this film.

"How long (were in you prison)?" "Let's just say I never saw E.T."

Some of the references are very early-mid 90s, as to be expected. Still, there's some great, wacky characters, and it's just a good stupid caper movie. Don't listen to the critics - this one is definitely a great film to watch with a group of friends.