1990 US comedy film by Roger Donaldson
Cadillac Man is a 1990 American black comedy film directed by Roger Donaldson, starring Robin Williams and Tim Robbins.
The plot of the film centers on car salesman Joey O'Brien (Williams) whose life is consumed by turmoil, which all comes to a head when his dealership is taken hostage by Larry (Robbins), a crazed motorcyclist.
The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $27.6 million against its $15 million budget.[2][3]
Plot
Queens car salesman Joey O'Brien must deal with the ever-increasing pressures in his life: he has an ex-wife demanding alimony, a daughter who is missing, a married mistress and a single mistress who are both desperately in love with him, and a two-day deadline to either sell twelve cars or lose his job. In addition, he has an outstanding loan to a Mafia don which he must either quickly repay, or lose his life.
On the day of the big dealership car sale (and the final day of O'Brien's deadline), the car dealership is taken hostage by Larry, an AK-47-toting motorcyclist who believes his wife is cheating on him. Joey manages to talk Larry out of doing any harm by claiming he is the one sleeping with Larry's wife. As police surround the dealership, Joey and Larry begin to bond, and Joey convinces Larry to give himself up. Without realizing Larry's gun is not loaded, the police wound him after most of the hostages have already been released. Joey promises to remain with him while he recovers, and confesses that he'd never actually slept with Larry's wife. The crisis solves all of Joey's problems: his mistresses learn of each other and dump him, his daughter returns, his job is secure, the Mafia don (whose son was among the hostages) forgives his debt, and he begins to reconcile with his ex-wife.
Production
To prepare for his role in the film Williams spent time in car dealerships in Queens, New York.[4]
Release
The film opened in the number 2 spot on May 18, 1990, behind Bird on a Wire.[3] Its total worldwide gross was $27,627,31.[5]
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 58% based on 12 reviews.[6] Metacritic gives it a score of 50 out of 100 based on 21 critic reviews.[7] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B−" on scale of A to F.[8]
Critic Roger Ebert had mixed feelings about the film, giving it a two out of four stars, stating, "My problems with Cadillac Man were probably inspired more by false expectations than by anything on the screen, and maybe if Robbins had come crashing in through the window in the first scene I would have liked it more."[9] Variety thought it had "the distinction of being the loudest film of 1990 and one of the worst."[10]
