The Rat Pack (1998) (TV)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Rob Cohen

Writer (WGA):

Kario Salem (written by)

Release Date:

22 August 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

It was their world. We just lived in it.

Plot:

A look at the famous "Rat Pack" of the '60s, and how their glamorous alliances and carefree sophistication created a mythical lifestyle.

Plot Keywords:

Race Relations | Poignant | Actor | Performer | Atmospheric

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 5 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Ray Liotta	...	Frank Sinatra
Joe Mantegna	...	Dean Martin
Don Cheadle	...	Sammy Davis Jr.
Angus Macfadyen	...	Peter Lawford
William Petersen	...	John F. Kennedy
Zeljko Ivanek	...	Bobby Kennedy
Bobby Slayton	...	Joey Bishop
Megan Dodds	...	May Britt
Deborah Kara Unger	...	Ava Gardner
Veronica Cartwright	...	Rocky Cooper
Dan O'Herlihy	...	Joe Kennedy
Robert Miranda	...	Momo Giancana
Barbara Niven	...	Marilyn Monroe
Michelle Grace	...	Judy Campbell
Tyrees Allen	...	George Jacobs

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality and strong language.

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:R (video rating) | USA:TV-MA | Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Germany:12 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Home Box Office (HBO)

Trivia:

'Tommy Davidson' auditioned for the role of Sammy Davis Jr.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the "Ocean's 11" filming scene, "Sinatra" can be seen wearing a two-button gray jacket. In reality, the original jacket was a three-button and was given by Frank to his son Frank, Jr., after the filming.

Quotes:

Peter Lawford: I'm an actor, Frank! All I want to do is act in movies, and cheat on my wife. Is that too much to ask?

Movie Connections:

References The Young Lions (1958)

Soundtrack:

Candy's Song

Surprisingly entertaining, a couple flawless performances, history slightly askew...

THE RAT PACK is surprisingly entertaining. The performances are all excellent, with Joe Mantegna (Dean Martin), Don Cheadle (Sammy Davis, Jr.), Bobby Slayton (Joey Bishop) and Angus Macfadyn (Peter Lawford) delivering completely flawless work. The music is great. The settings and cinematography are just fabulous. The story has punch, covering a stretch of American history that is shrouded in the Camelot illusion while delivering a couple of very involving personal stories.

And that's the big problem with THE RAT PACK -- the title suggests that it's an ensemble film, but really only three of the Rat Pack members live dramatically interesting lives and become the focus of the film. The Joey Bishop character is sadly ignored, despite the excellent work of Bobby Slayton. Dean Martin is a man without conflict -- although flawlessly played by Joe Mantegna, Dean was a man without any great ambition, having reached the top of the heap and looking at his "success" with an ironic and jaded eye. He's left to wander the scenes making wry comments, but his character goes nowhere.

THE RAT PACK boils down to the story of Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis, Jr. (more so) and (most of all) Frank Sinatra. Their stories are very involving. But it's just not enough to make the film complete.

Ray Liotta, as Sinatra, has most of the screen time. Unfortunately, he's the weakest member of the cast. His work is serviceable, but never reaches the pitch of his co-stars. He captures Sinatra's fascination and thirst for power, but never actually convinces you that he is anyone other than Ray Liotta.

Certain of the scenes lack the production values and staging of a feature film, descending momentarily to movie-of-the-week quality.

William Peterson is excellent as JFK, and Zelko Ivanek is good as RFK. Unfortunately, the film presents them (especially late in the story) as being just as party-happy as the Rat Packers, which diminishes their characters. The JFK and RFK of THE RAT PACK would never have had either the guts or the brains to face down Kruschev in the Cuban Missile Crisis. The ice cream scene late in the film is ridiculous.

But, overall, THE RAT PACK is very entertaining.