

An aging comic icon, Jackie Burke, has seen better days. Despite his efforts to reinvent himself and his comic genius, the audience only wants to know him as the former television character he once played. Already a strain on his younger brother and his wife, Jackie is forced to serve out a sentence doing community service for accosting an audience member. While there, he meets Harmony, the daughter of a sleazy Florida real estate mogul, and the two find inspiration in one another, resulting in surprising consequences.
Acting
De Niro's volcanic stand-up rage feels uncomfortably lived-in.
Writing
Insults so vicious they deserve their own writing credit.

Director
Taylor Hackford
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
De Niro shadowed real NYC comics for months and performed unannounced sets at the Comedy Cellar to nail the timing.
The film bombed partly because audiences expected a laugh-fest and got a melancholic character study about creative irrelevance — basically the movie's own theme.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters