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Movies / On DVD / Bonfire of the Vanities
Bonfire of the Vanities

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Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)

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24 %
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Reviews Counted:29

Fresh:7

Rotten:22

Average Rating:3.8/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 6 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Brian De Palma (SCARFACE) directed this lavish adaptation of Tom Wolfe's best-selling satirical novel, featuring Tom Hanks, Melanie Griffith, and Bruce Willis. Hanks stars as Sherman McCoy, a... Brian De Palma (SCARFACE) directed this lavish adaptation of Tom Wolfe's best-selling satirical novel, featuring Tom Hanks, Melanie Griffith, and Bruce Willis. Hanks stars as Sherman McCoy, a distinctly 1980s brand of wealthy Wall Street wizard who takes a mighty fall from his glitzy lifestyle after he and his mistress (Griffith) put a Bronx youth into a coma via a hit-and-run accident. Alcoholic reporter Peter Fallow (Willis) sees the crime as an opportunity for big headlines, and soon Sherman is the target of every political and media group in the city, including an Al Sharpton-style black leader named Rev. Bacon (John Hancock) and a sleazy D.A. (F. Murray Abraham). SEX IN THE CITY babe Kim Catrall costars as Sherman's long-suffering wife, and Morgan Freeman is the judge who tries to reign in this three-ring media circus of a case. Like the decade it parodies, this film is proudly over the top in its lavishness. It's also filled to overflowing with inspired casting, wildly inventive comedy, and the sort of artistically ambitious tracking shots for which its director is renowned. [More]

Starring: Tom Hanks, Melanie Griffith, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman

Starring: Tom Hanks, Melanie Griffith, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, F. Murray Abraham, Kim Cattrall, Saul Rubinek, Clifton James, Kevin Dunn, Louis Giambalvo, Kirsten Dunst, Barton Heyman, Donald Moffat, Alan King, Kurt Fuller, Adam LeFevre, Marjorie Monaghan, Emmanuel Xuereb

Director: Brian De Palma

Director: Brian De Palma
Composer: Dave Grusin
Story: Tom Wolfe
Producer: Brian De Palma

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Nov 16, 1999

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Bonfire of the Vanities

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
splat
C

Dennis Schwartz

Has more embarrassing moments than good ones.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 08 2009 03:55 AM

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 26 2009 03:15 AM

Variety

splat
1/5

Cole Smithey

Ugh, what a dog.

comment Comment | Sep., 04 2008 06:38 PM

ColeSmithey.com

tomato
3.5/4

Paul Schrodt

De Palma's characterizations may not have the subtle tongue-in-cheek wit of Tom Wolfe, but his version of the story is both more comic and angrier for it.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 10 2006 05:39 PM

Slant Magazine

N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 09 2006 03:16 AM

Time Out

tomato
2.5/4

Chuck O'Leary

An interesting failure that's not as bad as its reputation. Speaks a lot of truth, but the tone is too broad.

comment Comment | Jan., 24 2006 09:54 PM

Fantastica Daily

splat
1/5

Emanuel Levy

No review available.

comment Comment | Jun., 30 2005 04:30 PM

EmanuelLevy.Com

splat
2/5

Nell Minow

No review available.

comment Comment | Jan., 14 2005 12:39 AM

Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

splat
2/5

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Michael Cristofer's screenplay eviscerates Tom Wolfe's forceful work of social criticism of its moral meaning.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 30 2004 07:03 PM

Spirituality and Practice

splat
0/5

Daniel M. Kimmel

No review available.

comment Comment | May., 10 2004 03:55 AM

Worcester Telegram & Gazette

splat
1/5

Carol Cling

No review available.

comment Comment | Apr., 16 2004 02:21 PM

Las Vegas Review-Journal

splat
2/5

Oz

No review available.

comment Comment | Mar., 08 2004 01:00 PM

Hollywood Bitchslap

tomato
3/5

Ken Hanke

It's botched, but it's more interesting than assumed.

comment Comment | Nov., 20 2003 09:24 AM

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

splat
1/5

Jurgen Fauth

No review available.

comment Comment | Oct., 15 2003 04:41 PM

About.com

splat
2/5

Rebecca Murray

No review available.

comment Comment | Oct., 04 2003 03:12 PM

About.com

splat
1/5

Jules Brenner

No review available.

comment Comment | Jul., 26 2003 02:32 PM

Cinema Signals

tomato
3/5

Fred Topel

Not as bad as originally thought upon reflection. Somewhat compelling story of media manipulation. Nothing huge, but better than remembered.

comment Comment | Jul., 14 2003 01:52 AM

About.com

tomato
3/5

Alex Sandell

I thought it was an alright movie. The people that hated it hated it because they loved the book.

comment Comment | May., 30 2003 01:28 AM

Juicy Cerebellum

N/R

Vincent Canby

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 20 2003 05:06 PM

New York Times

splat
2/5

Nicolas Lacroix

No review available.

comment Comment | Mar., 24 2003 11:54 AM

Showbizz.net

 
 
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