Mickey Blue Eyes

{{Infobox film

| name = Mickey Blue Eyes

| image = Mickey blue eyes poster.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Kelly Makin

| producer = {{ubl|Elizabeth Hurley|Charles Mulvehill}}

| writer = {{ubl|Adam Scheinman|Robert Kuhn}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

| music = Basil Poledouris

| cinematography = Donald E. Thorin

| editing = David Freeman

| studio = {{ubl|Castle Rock Entertainment|Simian Films{{cite news|title= Hugh Grant is feeling 'Blue'|publisher= CNN|url= http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9908/18/hugh.grant/|accessdate=2010-12-13}}

}}

| distributor = {{ubl|Warner Bros.
(select territories)|Universal Pictures International
(international)

}}

| released = {{Film date|1999|08|20}}

| runtime = 102 minutes{{cite web|title=MICKEY BLUE EYES (15)|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/mickey-blue-eyes-1999|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130706033543/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/mickey-blue-eyes-1999|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 6, 2013|work=British Board of Film Classification|date=1999-07-30|accessdate=2013-07-05}}

| country = United Kingdom
United States

| language = English

| budget = $36 million

| gross = $54.3 million{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mickeyblueeyes.htm |title=Mickey Blue Eyes |work=Box Office Mojo |accessdate=October 15, 2010}}

}}

Mickey Blue Eyes is a 1999 romantic comedy crime film directed by Kelly Makin. Hugh Grant stars as Michael Felgate, an English auctioneer living in New York City who becomes entangled in his soon-to-be father-in-law's Mafia connections. Several of the minor roles are played by actors later featured in The Sopranos.

The film's title comes from Michael being forced to impersonate a gangster, who is spontaneously named "Kansas City Little Big Mickey Blue Eyes"; coincidentally, it is also a play on "Jimmy Blue Eyes," nickname of real-life mobster Vincent Alo.

The film was released on August 20, 1999. It received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $54.3 million against its $36 million budget.

Plot

Michael Felgate is an English auctioneer living in New York City where he manages the Cromwell auction house. He proposes marriage to his girlfriend Gina Vitale, but is disheartened to be turned down. Gina tearfully explains that her father Frank and most of her cousins and uncles are gangsters deeply involved in a Mafia crime family, and she is concerned that Michael will be forced into their world. Michael assures her that he will not let this happen, but barely is their engagement party over before he is unwittingly involved in a money laundering scam, and soon the FBI takes an interest in him.

When one of the money laundering scams at Michael's auction house goes wrong, Gina's cousin Johnny confronts and attacks Michael. Gina takes his gun and fires a warning shot into the ceiling, which ricochets and accidentally kills Johnny. Johnny's father Vito finds out, and he tells Frank he will kill Gina unless Frank kills Michael during his wedding speech. Having grown fond of Michael, Frank confesses what Vito has ordered him to do to Michael and the two of them turn to the FBI in return for protection. The FBI set up an elaborate operation in which Michael's execution will be faked at the wedding reception. Michael is given a hidden recording device and is tasked with trying to record Vito into admitting his criminal activity on tape before he is "executed".

Michael's plan fails, and when Vito realises that his execution is a set-up, he orders Vinnie to kill Michael. Vinnie shoots Gina in what appears to be an accident. Vito is arrested for ordering Michael's execution. As Frank and Michael mourn Gina's apparent death in the back of her ambulance, it is revealed that her death was faked as well, and that Vinnie and Gina were also involved with the FBI as a back-up plan.

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Hugh Grant as Michael Felgate
James Caan as Frank Vitale
Jeanne Tripplehorn as Gina Vitale
Burt Young as Vito Graziosi
James Fox as Philip Cromwell
Joe Viterelli as Vinnie D'Agostino
Gerry Becker as FBI Agent Bob Connell
Maddie Corman as Carol
Tony Darrow as Angelo
Paul Lazar as Ritchie Vitale
Vincent Pastore as Al
Frank Pellegrino as Sante
Scott Thompson as FBI Agent Lewis
John Ventimiglia as Johnny Graziosi
Tony Sirico as First Risolli Man
Margaret Devine as Helen
Beatrice Winde as Mrs. Horton
Aida Turturro as Italian Waitress
Joseph R. Gannascoli as Jimmy, Gina's Doorman

}}

Production

On November 4, 1997, Hugh Grant was announced as a cast member of the film,{{Cite web|last=Cox|first=Dan|date=1997-11-05|title=Grant slips 'Mickey' onto sked|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/grant-slips-mickey-onto-sked-111660974/|access-date=2022-01-09|website=Variety|language=en-US}} with production taking place in New York City in 1998 including in Manhattan, in Central Park and at Silvercup Studios.{{Cite web |title=Hugh Grant's "most exhausting year' |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1999/08/27/hugh-grant-s-most-exhausting-year/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Hugh Grant prepares for his next role |url=https://ew.com/article/1999/06/30/hugh-grant-prepares-his-next-role/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=EW.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Silvercup Studios East {{!}} ProductionHUB |url=https://www.productionhub.com/profile/silvercup-studios-east |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=ProductionHUB.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=1998-03-31 |title=Actor Hugh Grant, Jeanne Tripplehorn and actor James Caan filming... |url=https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/actor-hugh-grant-jeanne-tripplehorn-and-actor-james-caan-news-photo/111346235 |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Getty Images |language=en-us}}https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19991023-1.2.104.5.7 Producer Elizabeth Hurley was Hugh Grant's girlfriend at the time.{{Cite news |last=Hoban |first=Phoebe |date=1998-04-19 |title=THE NIGHT; Celebrities In a Cloud Of Scent |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/19/style/the-night-celebrities-in-a-cloud-of-scent.html |access-date=2025-03-07 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

The film was originally set to be released internationally by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, through a financing agreement with one of the film's producers Castle Rock Entertainment,{{Cite web|last=Cox|first=Dan|date=1997-12-08|title=WB, Polygram to co-fund Castle Rock|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/wb-polygram-to-co-fund-castle-rock-1116679438/|access-date=2022-01-09|website=Variety|language=en-US}} but it ended up being released by Universal Pictures International instead. This is one of a handful of films, and among the last, until 2007, to be self-released by Universal internationally, and shortly afterwards, the theatrical distribution arm was merged into United International Pictures.{{Cite web|last=Groves|first=Don|date=1999-10-08|title='Eyes' to close UPI slate|url=https://variety.com/1999/film/news/eyes-to-close-upi-slate-1117756456/|access-date=2022-01-09|website=Variety|language=en-US}}

Reception

= Box office =

The film earned $10.2 million in its opening weekend. It went on to gross $33.9 million in the United States and a total of $54.3 million worldwide.{{cite news|title= Weekend Box Office|work= Los Angeles Times|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-sep-21-ca-12696-story.html|access-date=2012-06-03}} According to the Los Angeles Times the film was a "marginal money loser".{{cite news|title= Company Town Film Profit Report|work= Los Angeles Times|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-aug-24-fi-3153-story.html|date= August 24, 1999 |access-date= June 3, 2012}}

= Critical response =

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 45% based on 78 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10. The site's critics consensus states: "High-brow humorists doing low-brow humor never hit their stride."{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mickey_blue_eyes/ |title=Mickey Blue Eyes (1999) |work=Rotten Tomatoes |accessdate=January 30, 2021}} At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 49 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/mickey-blue-eyes/|title=Mickey Blue Eyes Reviews|website=Metacritic|publisher=CBS Interactive|access-date=December 22, 2023}} Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com|title=Find CinemaScore|format=Type "Mickey Blue" in the search box|publisher=CinemaScore|access-date=April 28, 2021}}

Links to ''The Sopranos''

The film is notable for the number of actors who would go on to appear in the HBO television series, The Sopranos, including:

Tony Sirico - Paulie Gualtieri
John Ventimiglia - Artie Bucco
Vincent Pastore - Sal "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero
Aida Turturro - Janice Soprano
Frank Pellegrino - Bureau Chief Frank Cubitoso
Joseph R. Gannascoli - Vito Spatafore
Burt Young - Robert "Bobby" Baccalieri, Sr.
Tony Darrow - Lawrence "Larry Boy" Barese
Melissa Marsala - Kelly Aprile

The film is mentioned in the season 2 Sopranos episode "D-Girl", when Amy Safir explains to Christopher Moltisanti that there isn't a demand for mob-related scripts because of this film.