Hoffa

"He Did What He Had to Do."

1992 2h 20m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 382

CrimeHistoryDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A portrait of union leader James R. Hoffa, as seen through the eyes of his friend, Bobby Ciaro. The film follows Hoffa through his countless battles with the RTA and President Roosevelt.

“He Did What He Had to Do.”

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Cast

Jack Nicholson
James R. 'Jimmy' Hoffa
Danny DeVito
Bobby Ciaro
Armand Assante
Carol D'Allesandro
J.T. Walsh
Frank Fitzsimmons
John C. Reilly
Pete Connelly
Natalija Nogulich
Jo Hoffa
Kevin Crowley
Reporter
Robert Prosky
Billy Flynn

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Danny DeVito
Writers: David Mamet
Languages: Italian, Latin, English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

34 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Italian, Latin, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Danny DeVito, shot by Stephen H. Burum. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by David Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Lynzee Klingman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jack Nicholson and Danny DeVito and Armand Assante carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He Did What He Had to Do.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0104427 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Danny DeVito directs. Stephen H. Burum behind the camera. David Newman scores. Lynzee Klingman cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in Italian, Latin, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

134 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Italian, Latin, English.
3Directed by Danny DeVito, shot by Stephen H. Burum. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by David Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Lynzee Klingman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Jack Nicholson and Danny DeVito and Armand Assante carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "He Did What He Had to Do.".
8IMDB entry: tt0104427 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 13 themes, including "gangster", "1970s", "trade union", "disappearance".

The technical file

Cinematography: Stephen H. Burum
Original score: David Newman
Editing: Lynzee Klingman
Production design: Ida Random
Costume design: Deborah L. Scott
Makeup / hair: Yolanda Toussieng
Runtime: 140 min · 2h 20m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $35,000,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Hoffa (1992)

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Danny DeVito

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-08-26
★ 7/10
This is quite an interesting postulation about the internecine politics of the USA in the 1960s. Centring on the rise of the hugely charismatic Teamster's Union leader Jimmy Hoffa (Jack Nicholson) whom, aided by sidekick "Ciaro" (Danny DeVito), is determined to build his union into a formidable political force using whatever means necessary. To that end he hooks up with the mob (Armand Assante) before coming up against an equally focussed Bobby Kennedy (Kevin Anderson) bent on sending him to jail. The extent to which much of the detail in this interpretation of their lives is true is anyone's guess, but this depiction is a compelling one with two strong leading performances and a well paced feel to it. It also tracks the political scenario quite well too. We get a sense that, initially at any rate, Hoffa did want to improve the lot of his 1.8 million members before a degree of invincible megalomania set in. Director Danny DeVito offers us a potential conclusion too - as yet, nobody knows what actually happened to this powerhouse of a man, and though it is a bit too long, this is still a good watch.

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