The story of acerbic 1960s comic Lenny Bruce, whose groundbreaking, no-holds-barred style and social commentary was often deemed by the establishment as too obscene for the public.
Acting
Hoffman disappears so completely you'll forget it's him.
Direction
Fosse's fractured timeline mirrors Lenny's unraveling mind.
Editing
Interview fragments that feel ripped from documentary truth.
Director
Bob Fosse
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Valerie Perrine based her performance on actual recordings of Honey Bruce, then spent weeks with her to capture the precise vocal fry and wounded defiance.
The real Lenny Bruce was posthumously pardoned in 2003 by New York Governor George Pataki—the first such pardon in state history, making this film's tragedy even more bittersweet.
US
