Prizzi's Honor

{{about|the film|the novel for which the film is based on|Prizzi's Honor (novel)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}{{Infobox film

| image = Prizzis_honor.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = John Huston

| producer = John Foreman

| screenplay = {{Plainlist|

Richard Condon
Janet Roach

}}

| based_on = {{basedon|Prizzi's Honor|Richard Condon}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| music = Alex North

| cinematography = Andrzej Bartkowiak

| editing = {{Plainlist|

}}

| studio = ABC Motion Pictures

| distributor = 20th Century Fox

| released = {{film date|1985|6|14}}

| runtime = 129 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $16 million{{cite book|first=Aubrey |last=Solomon |title=Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History |publisher=Scarecrow Press |year=1988 |page=260 |isbn= 978-0810842441}}

| gross = $26.6 million{{Cite web |title=Prizzi's Honor (1985) |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=prizzishonor.htm |access-date=5 November 2011 |website=Box Office Mojo |archive-date=March 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330010934/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=prizzishonor.htm |url-status=live }}

}}

Prizzi's Honor is a 1985 American black comedy crime film directed by John Huston, starring Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner as two highly skilled mob assassins who, after falling in love, are hired to kill each other. The screenplay co-written by Richard Condon is based on his 1982 novel of the same name. The film's supporting cast includes Anjelica Huston, Robert Loggia, John Randolph, CCH Pounder, Lawrence Tierney, and William Hickey. Stanley Tucci appears in a minor role in his film debut. It was the last of John Huston's films to be released during his lifetime.

Prizzi's Honor was theatrically released on June 14, 1985, by 20th Century Fox. It received critical acclaim, with praise for the performances of its cast (most notably Huston). It grossed $26 million against its $16 million budget.

The film received eight nominations at the 58th Academy Awards (including for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay) with Huston winning for Best Supporting Actress. The film also won four Golden Globe Awards, including Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for Nicholson and Turner, respectively.

Plot

Charley Partanna is a hitman for a New York Mafia family headed by the elderly Don Corrado Prizzi, whose business is generally handled by his sons Dominic and Eduardo and by his longtime right-hand man, Angelo, who is Charley's father.

At a family wedding, Charley is quickly infatuated with a beautiful non-Italian woman he doesn't recognize. He asks Maerose Prizzi, estranged daughter of Dominic, if she recognizes the woman, oblivious to the fact that Maerose still has feelings for Charley, having once been his lover. Maerose is in disfavor with her father for running off with another man before the end of her romance with Charley.

Charley flies to California to carry out a contract to kill a man named Marxie Heller for robbing a Nevada casino. He is surprised to learn that Marxie is the estranged husband of Irene Walker, the woman from the wedding. She repays some of the money Marxie stole as Charley naively (or willfully) believes that Irene was not involved with the casino scam. By this point they have fallen in love and eventually travel to Mexico to marry. A jealous Maerose travels west on her own to establish for a fact that Irene has double-crossed the organization. The information restores Maerose to good graces somewhat with her father and the don. Charley's father later reveals that Irene (who had claimed to be a tax consultant) is a "contractor" who, like Charley, performs assassinations for the mob.

Dominic, acting on his own, wants Charley out of the way and hires someone to do the hit, not knowing that he has just given the job to Charley's own wife. Angelo sides with his son, and Eduardo is so appalled by his brother's actions that he helps set up Dominic's permanent removal from the family.

Irene and Charley team up on a kidnapping that will enrich the family, but she shoots a police captain's wife in the process, endangering the organization's business relationship with the cops. The don is also still demanding a large sum of money from Irene for her unauthorized activities in Nevada, which she doesn't want to pay. In time, the don tells Charley that his wife's "gotta go".

Matters come to a head in California when, acting as if everything were alright, Charley comes home to his wife. Each pulls a weapon simultaneously in the bedroom. Irene ends up dead, and Charley ends up back in New York, missing her, but consoled by Maerose.

Cast

{{cast listing|

Jack Nicholson as Charley Partanna
Kathleen Turner as Irene Walkervisks / Irene Walker / Mrs. Heller
Anjelica Huston as Maerose Prizzi
Robert Loggia as Eduardo Prizzi
John Randolph as Angelo "Pop" Partanna
William Hickey as Don Corrado Prizzi
Lee Richardson as Dominic Prizzi
Michael Lombard as Rosario Filangi / Robert Finlay
CCH Pounder as "Peaches" Altamont
George Santopietro as Plumber
Ann Selepegno as Amalia Prizzi
Lawrence Tierney as Lieutenant Davey Hanley
Vic Polizos as Phil Vittimizzare
Dick O'Neil as Bluestone
Sully Boyar as Casco Vasorne
Raymond Heller as Sal Bocca
Joseph Ruskin as Marxie Heller
Seth Allen as Alvin Gomsky
Dominic Barto as Presto Cigilone
Raymond Serra as Bocca
Stanley Tucci as Soldier

}}

Production

As well as working with his actress daughter, John Huston hired Meta Carpenter Wilde, the script supervisor who worked with him on The Maltese Falcon (1941) and Rudi Fehr, his film editor from Key Largo (1948).{{cite web|url= https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58300-PRIZZIS-HONOR?sid=ef8c86b6-feb1-4fca-aa7a-82ff2edfbc2e&sr=10.217389&cp=1&pos=0 |title=AFI Catalog - Prizzi's Honor (1985) |website=American Film Institute|accessdate=September 5, 2022}}

Anjelica Huston was paid the SAG-AFTRA scale rate of $14,000 for her role in Prizzi's Honor. When her agent called up the movie's producer to request if she could be paid more, she was told "Go to hell. Be my guest—ask for more money. We don't even want her in this movie." Huston, who was not only John Huston's daughter but also Jack Nicholson's girlfriend at the time, wrote in her 2014 memoir Watch Me that she later overheard a production worker saying, "Her father is the director, her boyfriend's the star, and she has no talent."{{Cite news |last=Goldman |first=Andrew |date=2019-04-29 |title=Anjelica Huston, In Conversation |work=Vulture |url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/05/anjelica-huston-in-conversation.html |access-date=2019-05-02 |archive-date=September 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240919124402/https://www.vulture.com/2019/05/anjelica-huston-in-conversation.html |url-status=live }} She would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.

A 25-year-old Stanley Tucci made his film debut in Prizzi's Honor, playing the minor role of a mafia goon.

Reception

=Critical response=

On Rotten Tomatoes, Prizzi's Honor holds an approval rating of 85% based on 41 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The site's critics consensus states: "Disturbing and sardonic, Prizzi's Honor excels at black comedy because director John Huston and his game ensemble take the farce deadly seriously."{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/prizzis_honor/|title = Prizzi's Honor|website = Rotten Tomatoes}} {{Metacritic film prose|84|16|ref=y|access-date=September 4, 2022}}

Pauline Kael wrote: "This John Huston picture has a ripe and daring comic tone. It revels voluptuously in the murderous finagling of the members of a Brooklyn Mafia family, and rejoices in their scams. It's like The Godfather acted out by The Munsters. Jack Nicholson's average-guyness as Charley, the clan's enforcer, is the film's touchstone: this is a baroque comedy about people who behave in ordinary ways in grotesque circumstances, and it has the juice of everyday family craziness in it."{{Cite magazine |last=Kael |first=Pauline |title=Prizzi's Honor |magazine=The New Yorker|date=July 1, 1985 |url= https://scrapsfromtheloft.com/movies/prizzis-honor-pauline-kael/ |via=Scraps from the Loft |access-date=May 20, 2023}} Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote: "This is the most bizarre comedy in many a month, a movie so dark, so cynical and so funny that perhaps only Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner could have kept straight faces during the love scenes."{{Cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=June 11, 1985 |title=Prizzi's Honor movie review & film summary (1985) |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/prizzis-honor-1985 |website=RogerEbert.com |access-date=August 1, 2020 |archive-date=July 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730140450/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/prizzis-honor-1985 |url-status=live }}

The February 2020 issue of New York Magazine lists Prizzi's Honor as among "The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars."{{cite news|title=The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-oscar-best-picture-losers.html|magazine=New York Magazine|access-date=March 17, 2025}}

= Awards and nominations =

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
Award ! Category ! Nominee(s) ! Result ! Ref.
rowspan="8"\| Academy Awards \| Best Picture \| John Foreman \| {{nom}} \| align="center" rowspan="8"\| {{cite web \|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1986 \|title=The 58th Academy Awards (1986) Nominees and Winners \|publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences \|access-date=October 16, 2011 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111080628/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1986 \|archive-date=November 11, 2014}}
Best Director \| John Huston \| {{nom}}
Best Actor \| Jack Nicholson \| {{nom}}
Best Supporting Actor \| William Hickey \| {{nom}}
Best Supporting Actress \| Anjelica Huston \| {{won}}
Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium \| Richard Condon and Janet Roach \| {{nom}}
Best Costume Design \| Donfeld \| {{nom}}
Best Film Editing \| Rudi Fehr and Kaja Fehr \| {{nom}}
Artios Awards \| Outstanding Achievement in Feature Film Casting – Comedy \| Alixe Gordin \| {{won}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web \|url=https://www.castingsociety.com/awards/artios/1986 \|title=1986 Artios Awards \|publisher=Casting Society of America \|access-date=May 20, 2023 \|archive-date=July 15, 2024 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715060425/https://www.castingsociety.com/awards/artios/1986 \|url-status=dead }}
rowspan="4"\| Boston Society of Film Critics Awards \| colspan="2"\| Best English-Language Film \| {{won}} \| align="center" rowspan="4"\| {{cite web \|url=https://bostonfilmcritics.org/past-winners-1980s/ \|title=BSFC Winners: 1980s \|date=July 27, 2018 \|publisher=Boston Society of Film Critics \|access-date=July 10, 2024 \|archive-date=September 25, 2018 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925220026/https://bostonfilmcritics.org/past-winners-1980s/ \|url-status=live }}
Best Actor \| Jack Nicholson \| {{won}}
Best Supporting Actress \| Anjelica Huston \| {{won}}
Best Director \| John Huston \| {{won}}
rowspan="2"\| British Academy Film Awards \| Best Actress in a Supporting Role \| Anjelica Huston \| {{nom}} \| align="center" rowspan="2"\| {{cite web \|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1986/film \|title=BAFTA Awards: Film in 1986 \|publisher=British Academy Film Awards \|access-date=May 20, 2023 \|archive-date=May 2, 2013 \|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130502233936/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1986/film \|url-status=live }}
Best Adapted Screenplay \| Richard Condon and Janet Roach \| {{won}}
rowspan="4"\| David di Donatello Awards \| Best Foreign Producer \| John Foreman \| {{nom}} \| align="center" rowspan="4"\|
Best Foreign Director \| John Huston \| {{nom}}
Best Foreign Actor \| Jack Nicholson \| {{nom}}
Best Foreign Screenplay \| Richard Condon and Janet Roach \| {{nom}}
Directors Guild of America Awards \| Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures \| John Huston \| {{nom}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web \|url=https://www.dga.org/Awards/History/1980s/1985.aspx?value=1982 \|title=38th Annual DGA Awards \|publisher=Directors Guild of America Awards \|access-date=July 10, 2024}}
rowspan="6"\| Golden Globe Awards \| colspan="2"\| Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy \| {{won}} \| align="center" rowspan="6"\| {{cite web \|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/prizzis-honor/ \|title=Prizzi's Honor \|publisher=Golden Globe Awards \|access-date=July 10, 2024 \|archive-date=July 10, 2024 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240710235919/https://goldenglobes.com/film/prizzis-honor/ \|url-status=live }}
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy \| Jack Nicholson \| {{won}}
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy \| Kathleen Turner \| {{won}}
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture \| Anjelica Huston \| {{nom}}
Best Director – Motion Picture \| John Huston \| {{won}}
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture \| Richard Condon and Janet Roach \| {{nom}}
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards \| Best Supporting Actress \| Anjelica Huston \| {{won}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web \|url=https://kcfcc.org/kcfcc-award-winners-1980-89/ \|title=KCFCC Award Winners – 1980-89 \|date=December 14, 2013 \|publisher=Kansas City Film Critics Circle \|access-date=July 10, 2024 \|archive-date=December 1, 2020 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201105239/https://kcfcc.org/kcfcc-award-winners-1980-89/ \|url-status=live }}
rowspan="4"\| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards \| Best Actor \| Jack Nicholson \| {{nom}} \| align="center" rowspan="4"\| {{cite web \|url=http://www.lafca.net/Years/1985.php \|title=The 11th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards \|publisher=Los Angeles Film Critics Association \|access-date=July 10, 2024 \|archive-date=September 25, 2022 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925082347/http://www.lafca.net/Years/1985.php \|url-status=live }} {{cite web \|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-12-16-ca-892-story.html \|title=Critics Choose 'Brazil' as Best Picture of 1985 \|last=Mathews \|first=Jack \|work=Los Angeles Times \|date=December 16, 1985 \|access-date=May 20, 2023}}
Best Supporting Actor \| William Hickey \| {{nom}}
Best Supporting Actress \| Anjelica Huston \| {{won}}
Best Screenplay \| Richard Condon and Janet Roach \| {{nom}}
rowspan="2"\| Nastro d'Argento \| Best Foreign Actor \| Jack Nicholson \| {{nom}} \| align="center" rowspan="2"\|
Best Foreign Director \| John Huston \| {{nom}}
rowspan="2"\| National Board of Review Awards \| colspan="2"\| Top Ten Films \| {{draw\|6th Place}} \| align="center" rowspan="2"\| {{cite web \|url=https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1985/ \|title=1985 Award Winners \|publisher=National Board of Review \|access-date=May 20, 2023 \|archive-date=November 30, 2020 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130050309/https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1985/ \|url-status=live }}
Best Supporting Actress \| Anjelica Huston \| {{won}}
rowspan="6"\| National Society of Film Critics Awards \| colspan="2"\| Best Film \| {{draw\|2nd Place}} \| align="center" rowspan="6"\| {{cite web \|url=https://nationalsocietyoffilmcritics.com/about-2/ \|title=Past Awards \|date=December 19, 2009 \|publisher=National Society of Film Critics \|access-date=July 10, 2024 \|archive-date=July 29, 2017 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729100021/https://nationalsocietyoffilmcritics.com/about-2/ \|url-status=live }} {{cite web \|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-01-06-ca-2724-story.html \|title=National Society of Critics: 'Blue Velvet' wins 4 of 9 Film Awards \|last=Benson \|first=Sheila \|work=Los Angeles Times \|access-date=May 20, 2023 \|date=January 6, 1987}}
Best Director \| John Huston \| {{won}}
Best Actor \| Jack Nicholson \| {{won}}
Best Supporting Actor \| William Hickey \| {{draw\|2nd Place}}
Best Supporting Actress \| Anjelica Huston \| {{won}}
Best Screenplay \| Richard Condon and Janet Roach \| {{draw\|4th Place}}
rowspan="4"\| New York Film Critics Circle Awards \| colspan="2"\| Best Film \| {{won}} \| align="center" rowspan="4"\| {{cite web \|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/19/movies/critic-s-vote-prizzi-s-honor-best-film.html \|title=Critic's Vote 'Prizzi's Honor' Best Film \|work=The New York Times \|date=December 19, 1985 \|access-date=May 20, 2023 \|archive-date=September 7, 2022 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907124527/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/19/movies/critic-s-vote-prizzi-s-honor-best-film.html \|url-status=live }}
Best Director \| John Huston \| {{won}}
Best Actor \| Jack Nicholson \| {{won}}
Best Supporting Actress \| Anjelica Huston \| {{won}}
Sant Jordi Awards \| Best Foreign Actress \| rowspan="2"\| Kathleen Turner \| {{won}} \| align="center"\|
ShoWest Convention \| Female Star of the Year \| {{won}} \| align="center"\|
rowspan="2"\| Venice Film Festival \| Golden Lion \| rowspan="2"\| John Huston \| {{nom}} \| align="center" rowspan="2"\|
Special Lion for the Overall Work \| {{won}}
Writers Guild of America Awards \| Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium \| Richard Condon and Janet Roach \| {{won}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web \|url=http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551 \|title=Awards Winners \|publisher=Writers Guild of America Awards \|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205095022/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551 \|archive-date=December 5, 2012 \|access-date=May 20, 2023 \|url-status=live}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

Award

! Category

! Nominee(s)

! Result

! Ref.

rowspan="8"| Academy Awards

| Best Picture

| John Foreman

| {{nom}}

| align="center" rowspan="8"| {{cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1986 |title=The 58th Academy Awards (1986) Nominees and Winners |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |access-date=October 16, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111080628/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1986 |archive-date=November 11, 2014}}

| {{nom}}

| {{nom}}

Best Supporting Actor

| William Hickey

| {{nom}}

Best Supporting Actress

| Anjelica Huston

| {{won}}

Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium

| Richard Condon and Janet Roach

| {{nom}}

Best Costume Design

| Donfeld

| {{nom}}

Best Film Editing

| Rudi Fehr and Kaja Fehr

| {{nom}}

Artios Awards

| Outstanding Achievement in Feature Film Casting – Comedy

| Alixe Gordin

| {{won}}

| align="center"| {{cite web |url=https://www.castingsociety.com/awards/artios/1986 |title=1986 Artios Awards |publisher=Casting Society of America |access-date=May 20, 2023 |archive-date=July 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715060425/https://www.castingsociety.com/awards/artios/1986 |url-status=dead }}

rowspan="4"| Boston Society of Film Critics Awards

| colspan="2"| Best English-Language Film

| {{won}}

| align="center" rowspan="4"| {{cite web |url=https://bostonfilmcritics.org/past-winners-1980s/ |title=BSFC Winners: 1980s |date=July 27, 2018 |publisher=Boston Society of Film Critics |access-date=July 10, 2024 |archive-date=September 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925220026/https://bostonfilmcritics.org/past-winners-1980s/ |url-status=live }}

Best Actor

| Jack Nicholson

| {{won}}

Best Supporting Actress

| Anjelica Huston

| {{won}}

Best Director

| John Huston

| {{won}}

rowspan="2"| British Academy Film Awards

| Best Actress in a Supporting Role

| Anjelica Huston

| {{nom}}

| align="center" rowspan="2"| {{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1986/film |title=BAFTA Awards: Film in 1986 |publisher=British Academy Film Awards |access-date=May 20, 2023 |archive-date=May 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130502233936/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1986/film |url-status=live }}

Best Adapted Screenplay

| Richard Condon and Janet Roach

| {{won}}

rowspan="4"| David di Donatello Awards

| Best Foreign Producer

| John Foreman

| {{nom}}

| align="center" rowspan="4"|

Best Foreign Director

| John Huston

| {{nom}}

Best Foreign Actor

| Jack Nicholson

| {{nom}}

Best Foreign Screenplay

| Richard Condon and Janet Roach

| {{nom}}

Directors Guild of America Awards

| Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures

| John Huston

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite web |url=https://www.dga.org/Awards/History/1980s/1985.aspx?value=1982 |title=38th Annual DGA Awards |publisher=Directors Guild of America Awards |access-date=July 10, 2024}}

rowspan="6"| Golden Globe Awards

| colspan="2"| Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

| {{won}}

| align="center" rowspan="6"| {{cite web |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/prizzis-honor/ |title=Prizzi's Honor |publisher=Golden Globe Awards |access-date=July 10, 2024 |archive-date=July 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240710235919/https://goldenglobes.com/film/prizzis-honor/ |url-status=live }}

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

| Jack Nicholson

| {{won}}

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

| Kathleen Turner

| {{won}}

Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture

| Anjelica Huston

| {{nom}}

Best Director – Motion Picture

| John Huston

| {{won}}

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

| Richard Condon and Janet Roach

| {{nom}}

Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards

| Best Supporting Actress

| Anjelica Huston

| {{won}}

| align="center"| {{cite web |url=https://kcfcc.org/kcfcc-award-winners-1980-89/ |title=KCFCC Award Winners – 1980-89 |date=December 14, 2013 |publisher=Kansas City Film Critics Circle |access-date=July 10, 2024 |archive-date=December 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201105239/https://kcfcc.org/kcfcc-award-winners-1980-89/ |url-status=live }}

rowspan="4"| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

| Best Actor

| Jack Nicholson

| {{nom}}

| align="center" rowspan="4"| {{cite web |url=http://www.lafca.net/Years/1985.php |title=The 11th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards |publisher=Los Angeles Film Critics Association |access-date=July 10, 2024 |archive-date=September 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925082347/http://www.lafca.net/Years/1985.php |url-status=live }}
{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-12-16-ca-892-story.html |title=Critics Choose 'Brazil' as Best Picture of 1985 |last=Mathews |first=Jack |work=Los Angeles Times |date=December 16, 1985 |access-date=May 20, 2023}}

Best Supporting Actor

| William Hickey

| {{nom}}

Best Supporting Actress

| Anjelica Huston

| {{won}}

Best Screenplay

| Richard Condon and Janet Roach

| {{nom}}

rowspan="2"| Nastro d'Argento

| Best Foreign Actor

| Jack Nicholson

| {{nom}}

| align="center" rowspan="2"|

Best Foreign Director

| John Huston

| {{nom}}

rowspan="2"| National Board of Review Awards

| colspan="2"| Top Ten Films

| {{draw|6th Place}}

| align="center" rowspan="2"| {{cite web |url=https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1985/ |title=1985 Award Winners |publisher=National Board of Review |access-date=May 20, 2023 |archive-date=November 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130050309/https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1985/ |url-status=live }}

Best Supporting Actress

| Anjelica Huston

| {{won}}

rowspan="6"| National Society of Film Critics Awards

| colspan="2"| Best Film

| {{draw|2nd Place}}

| align="center" rowspan="6"| {{cite web |url=https://nationalsocietyoffilmcritics.com/about-2/ |title=Past Awards |date=December 19, 2009 |publisher=National Society of Film Critics |access-date=July 10, 2024 |archive-date=July 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729100021/https://nationalsocietyoffilmcritics.com/about-2/ |url-status=live }}
{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-01-06-ca-2724-story.html |title=National Society of Critics: 'Blue Velvet' wins 4 of 9 Film Awards |last=Benson |first=Sheila |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=May 20, 2023 |date=January 6, 1987}}

Best Director

| John Huston

| {{won}}

Best Actor

| Jack Nicholson

| {{won}}

Best Supporting Actor

| William Hickey

| {{draw|2nd Place}}

Best Supporting Actress

| Anjelica Huston

| {{won}}

Best Screenplay

| Richard Condon and Janet Roach

| {{draw|4th Place}}

rowspan="4"| New York Film Critics Circle Awards

| colspan="2"| Best Film

| {{won}}

| align="center" rowspan="4"| {{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/19/movies/critic-s-vote-prizzi-s-honor-best-film.html |title=Critic's Vote 'Prizzi's Honor' Best Film |work=The New York Times |date=December 19, 1985 |access-date=May 20, 2023 |archive-date=September 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907124527/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/19/movies/critic-s-vote-prizzi-s-honor-best-film.html |url-status=live }}

Best Director

| John Huston

| {{won}}

Best Actor

| Jack Nicholson

| {{won}}

Best Supporting Actress

| Anjelica Huston

| {{won}}

Sant Jordi Awards

| Best Foreign Actress

| rowspan="2"| Kathleen Turner

| {{won}}

| align="center"|

ShoWest Convention

| Female Star of the Year

| {{won}}

| align="center"|

rowspan="2"| Venice Film Festival

| Golden Lion

| rowspan="2"| John Huston

| {{nom}}

| align="center" rowspan="2"|

Special Lion for the Overall Work

| {{won}}

Writers Guild of America Awards

| Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium

| Richard Condon and Janet Roach

| {{won}}

| align="center"| {{cite web |url=http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551 |title=Awards Winners |publisher=Writers Guild of America Awards |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205095022/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551 |archive-date=December 5, 2012 |access-date=May 20, 2023 |url-status=live}}

=American Film Institute=

AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs – Nominated{{Cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years…100 Laughs Nominees |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/laughs500.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313150538/https://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/laughs500.pdf |archive-date=13 March 2011 |website=AFI}}
AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions – Nominated{{Cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years…100 Passions Nominees |url=https://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/passions400.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313150610/https://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/passions400.pdf |archive-date=March 13, 2011 |website=AFI}}
AFI's 10 Top 10 – Nominated (Gangster Film){{Cite web |title=AFI's Top 10 Ballot |url=http://www.afi.com/drop/ballot.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911161721/http://www.afi.com/drop/ballot.pdf |archive-date=September 11, 2011}}

Follow-up

In June 1990, it was announced Sidney Lumet had signed on to direct an adaptation of Prizzi's Family from a script written by William Richert.{{cite news|work=Los Angeles Times|date=June 17, 1990|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-06-17-ca-114-story.html|title=James Coburn, Danny Aiello, Sandra Bernhard and...|access-date=July 8, 2023|archive-date=July 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708204034/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-06-17-ca-114-story.html|url-status=live}} However, the film was never made.