- A comedy about a psychiatrist whose number-one patient is an insecure mob boss.
- Living in the shadow of his famous psychiatrist father, with multiple issues to deal with while getting ready to remarry, New York City psychologist Dr Ben Sobel, has one more problem to take care of after a fender bender with powerful mob boss Paul Vitti. Secretly suffering from intense anxiety attacks that render him incapable of doing what he is best at, the notorious gangster decides to pay the good doctor a visit, hell-bent on resolving his deep-seated issues before the annual meeting of Big Apple's Mafia Dons. Now Ben has a pressing two-week deadline to come up with an effective solution, as his conflicted but dangerous patient takes no for an answer. Can Ben analyze this?—Nick Riganas
- The basic premise of this film is: what if one of gangland's Dons suddenly started having anxiety attacks because of past problems. When he decides to see a shrink, what can he tell him without giving away the gang's secrets and reveal too much about his own situations? Add to the fact that this type of individual is used to everyone catering to his whims and he expects the psychiatrist to do the same, neglecting his regular practice and his attempts to get married.—John Sacksteder <jsackste@bellsouth.net>
- Who ever heard of a tough Mafia boss having an emotional breakdown... and crying, to boot. Well, that's the premise of this zany comedy about just such a happening, and the consequences for the poor analyst who is picked to work with him are devastating. Especially since this psychiatrist is about to be married... a fact that doesn't seem to enter into the Mafia guy's consideration, for whenever he feels a need to talk, that's when the analyst must be yanked away... one time, straight from the altar. But there's more, for during this time the Mafia is doing a lot of jockeying to come up with a new Don, which makes the need to 'cure' the emotionally-distressed boss all the more urgent and definitely secretive.—BOB STEBBINS <stebinsbob@aol.com>
- When mobster Paul Vitti (Robert De Niro) suffers a crisis of confidence, threatening his ability to lead his criminal empire, he turns to professional help in the way of Dr. Ben Sobel (Billy Crystal) a psychiatrist who accidentally became acquainted with two of Vitti's henchmen. Dr. Sobel and his finance, (Lisa Kudrow) soon have their world turned upside down by Vitti's increasing demands for Sobels services which displace any semblance of order for the good doctor's heretofore mundane existence. Meanwhile, the growing importance of "the shrink" to the operation of the Vitti organization has not gone unnoticed in the law enforcement community, and the FBI approaches Sobel with an offer he cant refuse: betray Vitti by wearing a wire or spend a long time in a federal prison.
Complications escalate, and Ben finds himself dodging bullets, federal agents and rival gang members, but still wanting to fulfill his professional obligation to help the conflicted mob boss. It all comes to a climax when Sobel must act as Vitti's consigliore at a sit-down of the major crime syndicates to represent the famiglia and confront rival gang chieftain, Primo Sidone (Chazz Palminteri).
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