A Fine Mess

1986
PG
1h 30m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

An actor and a chef fathom a plot to fix a horse race and attempt at capitalizing it, while striving to tackle two of the hitmen responsible for the scheme.An actor and a chef fathom a plot to fix a horse race and attempt at capitalizing it, while striving to tackle two of the hitmen responsible for the scheme.An actor and a chef fathom a plot to fix a horse race and attempt at capitalizing it, while striving to tackle two of the hitmen responsible for the scheme.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

4.7/10

1.7K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
Location manager Ron [Ronald M. Quigley] scoured Los Angeles for the right kind of drive-in, only to find that nowhere in the megalopolis was one to be found. The solution was to locate a suitable parking lot and build the eatery to the specifications of the script. On a Brentwood corner lot, production designer Rodger Maus and his art and construction departments built a working drive-in dressed both inside and out with neon and jukeboxes, counter and kitchen. As soon as the building took shape, the local office personnel and residential neighbors began dropping by asking when it would open. They were very disappointed to learn that it wouldn't.

Goofs
When the thugs chase Spence and Dennis away from the racetrack in their car, they wind up crashing into a vending table full of stuffed toys with the collision seen in an interior shot. In the exterior shot that follows, the camera can be seen in the car's back seat.

Quotes
Dennis Powell: We're gonna die, Spence! We're gonna die!
Spence Holden: No we're not...
Dennis Powell: I still have orders!

Connections
Featured in The Temptations: A Fine Mess (1986)

Soundtracks
A Fine Mess
Written by Henry Mancini and Dennis Lambert
Produced by Peter Bunetta and Rick Chudacoff for Ripe Productions
Performed by The Temptations

User reviews20

Review

Featured review

A Mess, Yes....But Fine As Well!

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at the number of viewers whose comments generally trashed this picture, but I must admit that I'm astonished at the snobbery of some people when it comes to comedy.

Not every movie has to have an intricate plot, Oscar caliber performances, and a perfect script to be a noteworthy movie. We have movies like Citizen Kane, The Killing Fields, A Dry White Season, Rain Man ect... for that. The most important aspect of a comedy is whether or not it is genuinely funny, and there's no way one can say that this flick is not.

Just about every scene in the film is funny, physical as well as dialogue. Howie Mandel cracked me up constantly with the strange voices he used. It's vulgar in parts, and sure, the plot is weak. So what. It does it's job. Blake Edwards is a master at comedy. He never leaves me disappointed.

If you're looking for a movie that will leave you with a sore ribcage at the end, this one will do the trick. As comedies go, I'd give it an 8/10.