I saw an interview with Danny Devito talking about, among other things, Get Shorty. He said the movie was about confidence.
That made me want to check it out.
Devito's character in the movie was not very impressive. Maybe that was the point. Travolta, now, he was great. His character was riveting.
I don't know if it was because the acting was so great. I can't really think of a particularly dramatic moment for him.
It's just he was so active, he did so many amazing things. Chili Palmer, nobody got in his way. He got the stuff done.
Confidence. Well maybe. Is that what it takes to get things done? Interesting that Devito, a movie star, would choose that aspect to focus in on.
I think it might be something else.
In the movie itself, Palmer says that he would not go about business the way Zimm did. He wouldn't go through his shrink's other client, who happens to be the personal trainer of the great movie star.
He says he would just go ask him.
Of course, for Palmer, little barriers like walls and locked doors are trivial.
I don't know how attuned he was to psychological barriers. Not so much, I would think. But he never had to encounter any in the movie. Weir, the coveted star, just faded before his direct approach.
The movie put the film industry and organized crime in the same category. Position, territory, it seemed like it was all the same things but different titles.
Article comments
1 - Ben
I hate Get Shorty for its message. The message isn't entirely about confidence. It's mainly about self worth. Devito is showing you that people get to live the Hollywood lifestyle by being clever. If you accept that then you should accept that Devito is clever. The entire movie is a giant "Wish You Were Here" postcard from the film industry, like we needed any reminders.
We already have too many songs about music, books about novels, and movies about Hollywood. Get Shorty is one too many.
2 - Jim Carruthers
The really important thing about "Get Shorty" the movie, is it was one of the first, and most successful to translate Elmore Leonard's book to the screen. In addition it is the closest to following the book's plot and dialogue (an inside joke is where Zimm refers to casting Morgan Freeman, in the book the line is Gene Hackman).
The success of "Get Shorty" made it possible for other movies to be more faithful to Leonard's books (though he has written a few which have elements which are obviously intended to be in movies, eg "Maximum Bob" describing the title character as looking like Harry Dean Stanton, who, ironically wasn't cast in the teevee mini-series) such as "Out of Sight".
"Jackie Brown", directed by Quentin Tarrantino, changed almost everything about the book "Rum Punch" but the style, characters and dialogue are closest to Elmore Leonard's books.
If you liked "Get Shorty", check "Out of Sight" and "Jackie Brown", and start reading Elmore Leonard's books, though the sequel to "Get Shorty", "Be Cool" where Chili Palmer gets involved in the record biz is disappointing. One of the great things about Leonard's books is how they share characters and incidents who move in and out of the background.
3 - Cal Ulmann
I thought Get Shorty was great. I thought the whole part of the plot between the connection between gangsters and low-budget movies was very accurate.
4 - Ben
Out of Sight was great. Much better than Get Shorty.