The Singing Detective (film)
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| The Singing Detective | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Keith Gordon |
| Produced by | Mel Gibson |
| Written by | Dennis Potter |
| Starring | Robert Downey Jr. Robin Wright Penn Mel Gibson Jeremy Northam Katie Holmes Adrien Brody |
| Music by | Dennis Potter |
| Cinematography | Tom Richmond |
| Distributed by | Paramount Classics |
| Release date(s) | October 24, 2003 |
| Running time | 109 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $8 million |
| Gross revenue | $337,174 |
| Preceded by | The Singing Detective |
| IMDb profile | |
The Singing Detective is a 2003 film based on the BBC miniseries of the same name, a work by Dennis Potter. It stars Robert Downey Jr. and Mel Gibson.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Suffering from the skin disease psoriasis and a crippling arthritis, detective novelist Dan Dark is in such pain in a hospital that he begins to delve into fantasy, resulting in several story-lines told simultaneously:
- A film noir based on Dark's novel, The Singing Detective, in which a nightclub singer/private eye, hired by Mark Binney, takes on a strange case involving prostitutes and two mysterious men. Nothing is ever solved from this, only a vague plot. Notably, all of the people in the film noir are played by people who are real people in Dark's life; for example, Dark's nurse plays a singer.
- The present reality, in which Dark is tormented by incredible pain. Dark interacts with the various people around him, as the doctors and nurses attempt to help, but are dismissed by Dark's anger and bitterness towards everyone. The reality, however, also collapses into hallucinations, as the people randomly sing choreographed musical numbers, such as "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?"
- Dark's traumatic childhood in the past, which explains Dark's repulsion toward sexuality (Dark had watched his mother have sex with another man), and his anger.
[edit] Cast
- Robert Downey Jr. as Dan Dark
- Robin Wright Penn as Nicola / Nina / Blonde
- Mel Gibson as Dr. Gibbon
- Jeremy Northam as Mark Binney
- Katie Holmes as Nurse Mills
- Adrien Brody as First Hood
- Jon Polito as Second Hood
- Carla Gugino as Betty Dark / Hooker
- Saul Rubinek as Skin Specialist
- Alfre Woodard as Chief of Staff
- David Dorfman as Young Dan Dark
- Clyde Kusatsu as Visiting Japanese Doctor
[edit] Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- While Dan Dark is in Binney's office, he picks up a statue of a Maltese Falcon.
- The opening song was chosen by director Keith Gordon because he liked it so much in Christine, which he also starred in.
- At one point, David Cronenberg was in line to direct the film, with Al Pacino in the lead.
- Keith Gordon and Robert Downey Jr. previously worked together in the 1986 movie Back to School. At the time, Keith Gordon was acting not directing.
- During the end credits, we see Robert Downey Jr. perform the song "In My Dreams".
[edit] Goofs
- Anachronisms: When the First Hood and Second Hood are driving away in their vintage car in the 1940s, there is the reflection of a lit, modern, Los Angeles skyscraper in the window of the backseat.
[edit] History
The screenplay by Potter had been circulating in Hollywood for many years, even before Dennis Potter's death, as Potter was enthusiastic about a film version. It was discovered, however, by Keith Gordon, who loved it and decided to direct it. The screenplay had also been imagined as a movie directed by horror veteran David Cronenberg and starring Al Pacino as the title character.[1]
[edit] Differences between the film and the miniseries
The film is mostly faithful to the series, with exceptions such as the setting (the United States instead of England), the musical numbers (1950s pop songs instead of 1940s jazz standards), the protagonist's name (changed from "Philip Marlow" to "Dan Dark"), the omission of some of the more detailed events of his childhood, and a more upbeat ending.
[edit] Reaction
The score on Rotten Tomatoes was only 40%, or a "Rotten". While some critics, such as Roger Ebert, genuinely liked the film, others, like Joe Baltake at the Sacramento Bee considered it an "interesting failure".[2]
