X
- 1990
- R
- Warner Bros.
- 2 h 5 m
- 1990
- R
- Warner Bros.
- 2 h 5 m
Summary After his mistress runs over a young teen, a Wall Street hotshot sees his life unravel in the spotlight and attracting the interest of a down and out reporter.
Directed By: Brian De Palma
Written By: Michael Cristofer, Tom Wolfe
- 1990
- R
- Warner Bros.
- 2 h 5 m
- 1990
- R
- Warner Bros.
- 2 h 5 m
The Bonfire of the Vanities
27
3.9
Where to Watch
Summary After his mistress runs over a young teen, a Wall Street hotshot sees his life unravel in the spotlight and attracting the interest of a down and out reporter.
Directed By: Brian De Palma
Written By: Michael Cristofer, Tom Wolfe
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 27 Critic Reviews
27
11% Positive
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
26% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
63% Negative
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 27 Critic Reviews
27
11% Positive
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
26% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
63% Negative
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
For all its polish, Bonfire of the Vanities neither sustains the feverish, revolutionary energy nor reaches the visceral peak of Hi, Mom! But as major Hollywood pictures go, it can become stunningly hot-tempered, a quality most journalists are too quick to ignore.
What's off about this latest De Palma work is that the movie can't be taken seriously. The characters are straight out of a comic strip and proceed through some cartoon-like situations. And so, viewed in this way, it becomes an enjoyable romp. [17 Dec 1990]
This is comic-book coverage. If the strength of the novel was the interplay between Wolfe's dry-white reportage and the sensational, tabloid-tacky humorous events he wrote about, "Vanities"-the-movie just goes for the tacky jugular.
De Palma plays both sides against the middle, and eventually the thing collapses. Instead of simply pursuing what seems to be his vision of the story, about a flawed but decent man getting martyred to a corrupt system, he tries not to offend and ends up making empty and confusing gestures. When at the end of this remarkably cynical movie, Morgan Freeman, as a principled trial judge, stands up and makes a speech about decency -- ''Decency is what your grandmother taught you'' -- it's hard not to laugh out loud. [21 Dec 1990, p.E1]
Director Brian De Palma’s $45 million film version of the book is superficial, shopworn and cartoonish. On film, Bonfire achieves a consistency of ineptitude rare even in this era of over-inflated cinematic air bags.
Up in smoke, down in flames, reduced to ashes - choose your disaster metaphor for Bonfire of the Vanities. As filmed by Brian De Palma, it's "Misfire of the Vanities," the most wrongly conceived of the many popular novels brought to the screen this year. [21 Dec 1990, p.49]
User Score
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 7 User Ratings
3.9
0% Positive
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
71% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
29% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 7 User Ratings
3.9
0% Positive
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
71% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
29% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Production Company
Warner Bros.
Release Date Dec 21, 1990
Duration 2 h 5 m
Rating R
Tagline Take one Wall Street tycoon, his Fifth Avenue mistress, a reporter hungry for fame, and make the wrong turn in The Bronx...then sit back and watch the sparks fly.
Awards
Razzie Awards
• 5 Nominations
The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
