Gigli
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
Gigli (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell) is a 2003 American comedy film written and directed by Martin Brest and starring Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bartha, Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and Lainie Kazan.
Popular media gave attention and interest to the film during production, primarily because Affleck and Lopez, the film's stars, were romantically involved at the time. After release, however, critical reaction was universally negative, and in the years since its release Gigli has been considered one of the worst films of all time. The film was also one of the most expensive box office bombs in history, grossing $7.2 million against a $75.6 million budget. As of 2020, it is the last film Brest has directed, making it his longest hiatus between projects.
Plot
Larry Gigli is a low-ranking Los Angeles mobster who is not nearly as tough as he likes to act. Louis, a higher-ranking member of Gigli's organization, commands Gigli to kidnap the mentally challenged younger brother of a powerful federal prosecutor to use as a bargaining chip to save New York-based mob boss Starkman from prison. Gigli successfully convinces the young man, Brian, to go off with him by promising to take him "to the Baywatch", apparently a reference to the television show of that name, which seems to be Brian's singular obsession. Louis does not trust Gigli to get the job done right, so he hires a woman calling herself Ricki to take charge.
Gigli is attracted to Ricki, but he resents both Louis' lack of faith in him and having to take orders from a woman. He is also frustrated by Brian's insistence on going to "the Baywatch" and by the fact that Ricki is a lesbian. A suspicious detective comes to the apartment to question Gigli in reference to Brian's disappearance. Gigli is further annoyed when his mother takes an immediate liking to Ricki and when the two women team up to needle him.
The events take a darker turn when Gigli and Ricki receive orders to cut off Brian's thumb, something that neither wants to do. Worse, Ricki's ex-girlfriend, Robin, shows up at Gigli's apartment, accusing Ricki of changing sexual orientation. She attempts suicide by slitting her wrists and is rushed to the hospital, where she thankfully survives. While there, Gigli sneaks into the morgue and cuts off a corpse's thumb, which he sends to the prosecutor as Brian's thumb. Gigli and Ricki go back to Gigli's apartment, where Gigli confesses his love and the two sleep together.
They are summoned to meet with the mob's boss. Starkman reveals that he did not approve of the plan to kidnap a federal prosecutor's brother or the order to cut off Brian's thumb. He nevertheless rages at them because the thumb they sent didn't match Brian's fingerprint, and therefore not only failed to increase pressure on the prosecutor but even undermined the organization's credibility.
Starkman then kills Louis, presumably in retaliation for the kidnapping and associated scrutiny by law enforcement. Starkman is about to kill Ricki and Gigli as well, but Ricki talks him out of it by pointing out that only they know where Brian is and only they can silence Brian and prevent him from revealing the involvement of Starkman's organization in the kidnapping or even accusing Starkman of having been personally involved.
They leave Starkman's, decide to leave the mob, and discuss taking Brian back to where they found him. On the way, they discover Baywatch (or a similarly themed show or film) shooting an episode on the beach. Brian begs to be let off there and finally they consent. Gigli convinces Ricki to take his car to escape to parts unknown; but at the last minute, Ricki returns to pick up Gigli, and they leave town together.
Cast
- Ben Affleck as Larry Gigli
- Jennifer Lopez as Ricki/Rochelle
- Justin Bartha as Brian
- Lainie Kazan as Mrs. Gigli
- Al Pacino as Starkman
- Lenny Venito as Louis
- Christopher Walken as Detective Stanley Jacobellis
- Missy Crider as Robin
- Terrence Camilleri as Man in Dryer
