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.
Acting
Nicholson disappears the Jack-ness; it's unsettling.
Direction
DeVito's framing worships Hoffa even as it buries him.
Production
Period detail so dreary you can smell the cigarettes.
Director
Danny DeVito
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
Kevin Anderson
Robert F. Kennedy
Frank Whaley
Young Trucker in Diner
John Judd
Senate Policeman
John P. Ryan
Red Bennett
Nicholas Pryor
Hoffa's Attorney
Paul Guilfoyle
Ted Harmon
Karen Young
Young Woman at RTA
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
DeVito spent years trying to make this, originally planning to play Hoffa himself before realizing he was born to be the doomed sidekick.
Released the same year as Unforgiven, this was part of a brief Hollywood moment reconsidering American masculine mythology — except nobody saw this one.
US
