The Man Who Knew Too Little

"He’s on a mission so secret, even he doesn’t know about it."

1997 1h 34m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 606

ComedyCrimeAction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An American gets a ticket for an audience participation game in London, then gets involved in a case of mistaken identity. As an international plot unravels around him, he thinks it's all part of the act.

“He’s on a mission so secret, even he doesn’t know about it.”

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Cast

Bill Murray
Wallace Ritchie
Peter Gallagher
James Ritchie
Joanne Whalley
Lori
Alfred Molina
Boris
Richard Wilson
Daggenhurst
John Standing
Embleton
Simon Chandler
Hawkins
Geraldine James
Ludmilla Kropotkin

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jon Amiel
Writers: Robert Farrar, Howard Franklin
Languages: 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

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 69% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jon Amiel, shot by Robert M. Stevens. 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 Christopher Young. 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 Pamela Power 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

Bill Murray and Peter Gallagher and Joanne Whalley carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He’s on a mission so secret, even he doesn’t know about it.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0120483 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jon Amiel directs. Robert M. Stevens behind the camera. Christopher Young scores. Pamela Power cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 69% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
229 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Jon Amiel, shot by Robert M. Stevens. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Christopher Young. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Pamela Power shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Bill Murray and Peter Gallagher and Joanne Whalley carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "He’s on a mission so secret, even he doesn’t know about it.".
8IMDB entry: tt0120483 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 27 themes, including "london, england", "helicopter", "sibling relationship", "based on novel or book".
10Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Robert M. Stevens
Original score: Christopher Young
Editing: Pamela Power
Production design: Jim Clay
Costume design: Janty Yates
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $20,000,000
Box office: $13,801,755
Return: 69% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997)

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Jon Amiel

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Community reviews

What people are saying

JPV8522021-05-09
★ 7/10
Seen this a few times over the years and I needed some light-hearted entertainment. Movie pretty much relies all on Bill Murray. Not top shelf for him at all but I did find it pretty funny (plus Joanne Whalley was cute). 3.25/5

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