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Last week's Movie Quiz winners

Not since Larry David's feature film Sour Grapes have so many quiz winners made a point of mentioning their dislike for the movie in question, in this case Family Business (1989), directed by Sidney Lumet. The ultimate throw-down was from regular winner and master Googler Mark Gisleson: "I remember that it really, really sucked." That's funny-- I remember it being an enjoyable double star-turn for its two leads, Sean Connery and Dustin Hoffman. And since this is my blog, my memories win.

Connery and Hoffman are father and son (their total lack of mutual resemblance is blamed on an Italian mother), brought together for a heist by Hoffman's son, who wants to be a crook like Granddad. (The kid is played by Matthew Broderick, and he's completely out of his league.) The two stars work well together, and I'm not sure that the animosity between them was all acting. Connery seems to genuinely enjoy irking Hoffman in some scenes. My favorite is when he sits on Hoffman's lap, croons "It's Almost Like Being in Love," and then reaches into Hoffman's jacket and cops a feel.

I've always liked Lumet's crime-oriented films, maybe because they always concentrate on the private lives of the crooks. I'm also a fan of Vincent Patrick, the screenwriter and author of the original novel, and whose first book, The Pope of Greenwich Village, is an under-appreciated crime gem. (The movie with Eric Roberts and Mickey Rourke is, too.) Major drawback: Cy Coleman's rancid big-band soundtrack.

For a movie nobody else much likes, Family Business set a Movie Quiz record for correct replies. So congratulations to this fine group of astute film buffs: Wayne Palmer, Mark "Wege" Gisleson, Doug Duwenhoegger, Ryan Backman, Vincent Tuss, E. Yarber, Bill Hearne, Hank Parmer, Bob McEvoy, Corey Anderson, Marcus Leab, Tim McDonough, Rick Cummings, and Nick Caster. Wow! If the winners circle gets any bigger, I'm going to have to learn how to type!

Posted by Steve Monaco at January 24, 2006 2:01 AM

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