Touchstone and Beyond: "Gone Fishin’"
Marquee Attraction: Gone Fishin’
Release Date: May 30, 1997
Budget: $53 million
Domestic Box Office Gross: $5,784,123
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $19,745,922
Plot Synopsis
Joe and Gus love to fish. Since they were kids, they spend their free time fishing. After planning a trip to Florida, the two hapless bumpkins get their car stolen by a vicious killer named Dekker Massey.
When the guys get their car back, they meet Rita, who is tracking Dekker in hopes of getting her mother’s money back after Massey swindled it out of her. What follows is constant mayhem and chaos as the two friends somehow manage to avert disaster for themselves while apprehending Massey, and making it home on time from their trip, as per their wives’ orders.
Standing Ovation
Seeing kids hanging out of the back window of the classic old station wagon calling Joe and Gus dorks as they pushed their boat down the road is brilliant. The fact that they made a car like that was simply incredible.
The scene where Pesci and Glover fight an alligator is so stupid that it is quite funny.
Time for the Hook
Joe Pesci smoking a cigar throughout the film is ridiculous.
The number of times that Pesci and Glover say each other’s character’s first name is annoying. One could have a deadly drinking game in this movie based on every time they say each character’s name. In fact, Gus says Joe’s name almost 188 times. Joe says Gus’ name almost 227 times.
When Glover’s Gus starts sleepwalking, it’s anything but funny.
The personality that Pesci and Glover bring to their Joe and Gus characters is idiotic. They are not likeable characters, in fact, they should be committed to an institution for their own safety.
Joe and Gus act like a couple of grown man children that never matured past the age of eight.
Bit Part Player
Maury Chaykin as the waiter at the restaurant. I always enjoy seeing Maury Chaykin on screen, even if the movie is bad.
Did You Know?
- Danny Glover has openly admitted what anyone who has seen the film suspects, that he made the movie for the money and not the quality of the script. Apparently, so did Rossana Arquette.
- Joe Pesci was nominated for a Stinker Award for his work in the movie.
- John Candy and Rick Moranis were originally attached to the movie for the roles of Gus and Joe. After Candy died and Moranis retired from acting John Travolta became attached to the movie, but ultimately Glover and Pesci took the roles.
- The movie had an accident during filming which took the life of stuntwoman Janet Wilder. The same boat accident scene injured her husband Scott and his father Glenn.
- John G. Avildsen was the original director of the film. He was fired after two weeks and was paid his full $2 million dollar salary.
- Rosanna Arquette also shot the 1996 film Crash (the Cronenberg one not the Haggis one) at the same time. She would often commute from Toronto to Florida to make both films.
- The movie was delayed a year from its 1996 planned release date.
- Originally the film was going to be distributed under the Walt Disney Pictures label but was moved to Hollywood Pictures because of the intense scenes involving Massey.
- Pesci and Glover both knew the film was terrible. After failing to get the film’s rating pushed up to PG-13 instead of PG, supposedly Pesci and Glover asked if the film could be distributed on ABC as a TV movie or direct to video. Both ideas were vetoed. While the two actors thought the film would flop, director Cain wanted the film to be seen on the big screen.
- Bob Hoskins was offered the role of Dekker Massey but wisely passed because he didn’t like the script.
- Louise Fletcher plays the owner of the restaurant.
- The original lead guitarist of ‘The Four Seasons’ Tommy DeVito is the construction worker who says, ‘Oh Gus.’
- Norman D. Golden II plays young Gus at the start of the film. He is most famous for the Burt Reynolds disaster Cop and a Half.
- The film opened at number 3. It went up against The Lost World: Jurassic Park.
- Leonard Maltin declared the film a BOMB.
Best Quotable Line
Joe’s first real genuine line of dialogue that shows his economic and societal situation is when they arrive in Florida. “I never thought I’d see a palm tree." It tells us everything about Joe. Also, I like palm trees too.
Bill’s Hot Take
Sometimes, you need to pass on the money. Be like Bob Hoskins.
Casting Call
- Joe Pesci as Joe
- Danny Glover as Gus
- Rosanna Arquette as Rita
- Nick Brimble as Dekker Massey
- Willie Nelson as Billy ‘Catch’ Pooler
Production Team:
- Directed by Christopher Cain
- Produced by Hollywood Pictures / Caravan Pictures
- Written by Jill Mazursky / J.J. Abrams
My Critical Response
{Snub-Skip this Film, Lifeboat Award-Desperate for Something to Watch, Commuter Comforter-A Perfect Film for Any Device, Jaw Dropper- You Must Watch This Film on a Big Screen, Rosebud Award- This Film is Cinema.}
I have never been so openly annoyed at having to sit through a film like I was watching Gone Fishin’. Even Demi Moore’s The Scarlett Letter had redeeming qualities. This film does not and should be removed from all circulation.
If you see this film, buy it, then throw it away so no one ever can see this disaster.
Gone Fishin’ gets my Snub Award. Avoid this movie at all costs.
Coming Soon
Next week, another legendary picture of awfulness in The Color of Night. Maybe it’s better than I remembered it? I doubt it.