The Rat Pack(film)
The Rat Pack | |
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![]() DVD cover | |
Written by | Kario Salem |
Directed by | Rob Cohen |
Starring | Ray Liotta Joe Mantegna Don Cheadle Angus Macfadyen William L. Petersen Željko Ivanek Bobby Slayton Dan O'Herlihy |
Music by | Mark Adler |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Producer | Neal H. Mortiz |
Cinematography | Shane Hurlbut |
Running time | 120 min. |
Production companies | Original Film HBO Pictures |
Original release | |
Release | August 22, 1998 |
The Rat Packis a 1998 AmericanHBOmade-for-televisiondrama filmabout theRat Pack.The movie starsRay LiottaasFrank Sinatra,Joe MantegnaasDean Martin,Don CheadleasSammy Davis, Jr.,andAngus MacfadyenasPeter Lawford.Despite his membership in the Pack,Joey Bishop(played byBobby Slayton) is given minimal screen time, whileJohn F. Kennedy(played byWilliam L. Petersen), depicted as an on-and-off friend of Sinatra's, is given a more central role.
Also featured in supporting roles areŽeljko IvanekasBobby Kennedy,Veronica CartwrightasRocky Cooper(wife ofGary Cooper),Deborah Kara UngerasAva Gardner,Megan DoddsasMay Britt,Dan O'HerlihyasJoseph Kennedy,Robert Miranda asSam Giancana,John DiehlasJoe DiMaggioandBarbara NivenasMarilyn Monroe.
Don Cheadle won aGolden Globefor his performance as Sammy Davis Jr.The Rat Packwon threeEmmyawards and earned several more nominations, including acting ones for Cheadle and Mantegna.
Plot
[edit]The main iconFrank Sinatradiscusses the movie's main narrative beginning during high points in the solo careers of the Rat Pack:Dean Martinwas doing well without the help of the Rat Pack posyJerry Lewis;Sinatra's career never dwindled and was actually doing better than ever during this moment;Sammy Davis Jr.,is recovering not only his career, but his health after a car crash in which he lost an eyeball, and standup comicJoey Bishopis attempting to get his foot in the door by doing opening comedy acts. The Pack merges into one whole unit with actorPeter Lawford,who has been ostracized since being caught in the public eye with Sinatra's ex-wife,Ava Gardner.
Lawford has marriedPatricia Kennedy.Abandoning a notion to seduce Pat for his own amusement, Sinatra becomes more interested in her brotherJohn F. Kennedy's political goals. He sincerely believes Jack Kennedy would be a great president, but he also feels having a close connection in the White House could majorly benefit his own public image. Sinatra arranges for the entire Pack to perform at a JFK campaign fund-raiser. Sinatra also knows Kennedy's infatuation with the opposite sex and introduces him toMarilyn Monroe,who begins seeing Kennedy behind the back of her husband, baseball starJoe DiMaggio.
Kennedy's pompous father,Joseph P. Kennedy,feels Sinatra's mob ties might hurt Jack's chances of defeatingRichard Nixonin the election. He insists that Sinatra help the campaign from behind the scenes only; hypocritically, he also asks Sinatra to use those same mob ties to pursueWest Virginiaunions' support Kennedy's way. They go on to combine their stage acts for joint performances. They even parlay their friendship into a movie collaboration,Ocean's 11,working and playing together at the same time.
Davis is sometimes secretly hurt by the racist jokes of their stage act, especially after his girlfriend, actressMay Britt,insinuates that the rest of the Pack is laughing at him, not with him. Davis has a more serious brush with racism when he and Britt announce their engagement, which results in a mixed-marriage protest in front of Davis's hotel. Davis day-dreams about scaring the protesters away with a song and dance routine in which he wields a gun. But he concedes the possible political repercussions of an interracial marriage. He postpones the wedding to avoid hurting Sinatra, who had agreed to serve as best man. In the White House, President Kennedy seeks to renew his friendship with Sinatra. The two go sailing and plan for Kennedy to stay at Sinatra'sPalm Springsresidence during an upcoming West Coast presidential trip. Thrilled by the idea, Sinatra returns home and arranges for a guest compound to be built for Kennedy and his entourage.
However, the FBI finds a potential mafia link to the White House through a woman,Judy Campbell,who shared phone calls, and possibly affairs, with both Kennedy and mob bossSam "Momo" Giancanaafter being introduced by Sinatra to each. Kennedy's brother, attorney generalRobert F. Kennedy,insists that the President cancel his stay at Sinatra's house and cut off all ties to the entertainer. This enrages Sinatra, who had sunk a lot of money and time into the renovation and had been at least partially responsible for Kennedy's being elected president. Sinatra takes out his wrath on Lawford, who as Kennedy's brother-in-law was Sinatra's direct link to the White House. Lawford finds himself repeatedly serving as a messenger between Sinatra and the Kennedys, including JFK's secret dalliances with Monroe, and he is sick of it. Lawford dreads delivering the news of Kennedy's decision to cancel his visit to Sinatra's house and stay instead withBing Crosby,a Republican. A furious Sinatra physically throws Lawford out of his home and vows never to forgive him. The movie depicts this incident as the beginning of the end of the Rat Pack's influence in both politics and entertainment.
Cast
[edit]- Ray LiottaasFrank Sinatra
- Michael Dees as his singing voice
- Joe MantegnaasDean Martin
- Warren Wiebeas his singing voice
- Don CheadleasSammy Davis Jr.
- Gunnar Madsenas his singing voice
- Angus MacfadyenasPeter Lawford
- Bobby SlaytonasJoey Bishop
- William L. PetersenasJohn F. Kennedy
- Željko IvanekasRobert F. Kennedy
- Dan O'HerlihyasJoseph Kennedy
- Deborah Kara UngerasAva Gardner
- John DiehlasJoe DiMaggio
- Megan DoddsasMay Britt
- Veronica CartwrightasRocky Cooper
- Barbara NivenasMarilyn Monroe
- Michelle Grace asJudy Campbell
- Craig Richard NelsonasLewis Milestone
Reception
[edit]OnRotten Tomatoes,the film holds an approval rating of 57% based on 30 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "While it evokes its time period with a keen sense of swagger,The Rat Packis troubled by uneven lead performances and fairly routine biopic trappings. "[1]
Awards and nominations
[edit]See also
[edit]- Cultural depictions of John F. Kennedy
- Robert F. Kennedy in media
- Sinatra(miniseries),another biopic, starsPhilip Casnoffas Frank Sinatra, withOlympia Dukakis,Joe Santos,Gina Gershon,Marcia Gay Harden,Rod Steiger,andJames F. Kellyas John F. Kennedy. David Raynr,Danny Gans,Joris Stuyck, and Shelly Lipkin also make appearances as Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop respectively. It aired on theCBStelevision network on November 8, 1992.
Notes
[edit]- ^Tied withGregory PeckforMoby Dick.
References
[edit]- ^"The Rat Pack".Rotten Tomatoes. 3 May 2005.Retrieved2022-03-21.
- ^"Nominees/Winners".IMDb.RetrievedApril 3,2019.
- ^"The ASC Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-08-02.
- ^"3rd Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards".Archived fromthe originalon March 26, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 18,2017.
- ^"1999 Artios Awards".www.castingsociety.com.September 22, 1999.RetrievedJuly 7,2023.
- ^"Cinema Audio Society's Sound Awards".Deadline Hollywood.January 6, 2011.RetrievedMay 9,2019.
- ^"51st DGA Awards".Directors Guild of America Awards.RetrievedJuly 7,2021.
- ^"The Rat Pack – Golden Globes".Golden Globe Awards.RetrievedJuly 7,2023.
- ^"3rd Annual TV Awards (1998-99)".Online Film & Television Association.RetrievedJuly 7,2023.
- ^"The Rat Pack".Emmys.com.Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.RetrievedJuly 6,2023.
- ^"The 5th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards".Screen Actors Guild Awards.RetrievedJuly 7,2023.
External links
[edit]- 1998 television films
- 1998 films
- Films about Frank Sinatra
- Films directed by Rob Cohen
- Films set in California
- HBO Films films
- Original Film films
- Cultural depictions of John F. Kennedy
- Cultural depictions of Robert F. Kennedy
- Cultural depictions of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.
- Cultural depictions of Frank Sinatra
- Cultural depictions of Marilyn Monroe
- Cultural depictions of Joe DiMaggio
- Cultural depictions of Sammy Davis Jr.
- Cultural depictions of Sam Giancana
- Films set in the 1960s
- 1990s English-language films
- Rat Pack