Breaking In (1989)
- Cody Iden
- Oct 25, 2021
- 2 min read
Release Date - October 13, 1989
Synopsis:
When Mike. a young guy, and Ernie, a seasoned safe-cracker, break into the same house, Ernie soon takes a liking to Mike and begins to teach him his craft.
Directed by - Bill Forsyth
Written by - John Sayles
Produced by - Harry Gittes
Music by - Michael Gibbs
Distribution Company - The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Cast:
Burt Reynolds - Ernie Mullins
Casey Siemaszko - Mike Lafebb
Sheila Kelley - Carrie/Fontaine
Lorraine Toussaint - Delphine
Harry Carey - Shoes
Albert Salmi - Johnny Scot
Maury Chaykin - Vincent Tucci
Steve Tobolowsky - District Attorney
Run Time - 1 hr. 34 min. Rated - R
Budget - $5.5 million Gross - $1.8 million
Review:
Breaking In is a very low-key crime comedy with Burt Reynolds starring as an aging safe-cracker who meets a young guy played by Casey Siemaszko who he decides to take under his wing and teach him the ins and outs of his trade. Reynolds is enjoyable as always in his role as Ernie Mullins, he is decidedly less goofy than in films like Smokey and the Bandit (1977) ans The Cannonball Run (1981) as this film came out at a time when Reynolds had moved away from straight-up comedies. Siemaszko is likable as Mike, the Firestone Kid, and whenever he and Reynolds are on screen together is when the film works best. The film is a little disjointed, having no real story to drive things along, rather the film simply follows the day-to-day activities of these two cons as they scout out possible scores, go on heists together and hook up with ladies of the night. The rest of the cast is little used with only Sheila Kelley as Mike's hooker girlfriend really appearing in multiple scenes and she's not particularly memorable. Overall director Bill Forsyth delivers a very tame and ultimately forgettable film that is suitable for a one-time watch or for Reynolds' completionists but don't expect to revisit this one often.
My Score: 63
Plot - 6 Cinematography - 6
Attraction - 6 Editing & Special Effects - 6
Theme - 6 Sound & Music - 6
Acting - 7 Directing - 7
Dialogue - 7 Enjoyability – 6
Trivia:
Director Bill Forsyth originally wanted actor John Mahoney for the lead role but the studio wanted a bigger name to star. Both Paul Newman and Jack Nicholson declined the role before Burt Reynolds took the part.
The movie was filmed entirely in Portland, Oregon including scenes at Oaks Amusement Park.
Burt Reynolds worked for Screen Actor's Guild scale on the film as he was an admirer of the script and had also wanted to work with director Bill Forsyth.
This was the final film appearance of Albert Salmi who made a few appearances on TV series in late 1989 after the release of Breaking In. Later in April of 1990 he fatally shot his wife before taking his own life all because of their separation and his wife's filing for divorce.
Availability:
Watched in September, 2021
Comments