Hurlyburly

R

Released Dec 25, 1998

2 hr. 2 min.

Comedy

Drama

List

58%

38 Reviews

Tomatometer

65%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Eddie (Sean Penn) is a confused and reckless man with a group of equally problematic friends. His roommate, caustic and sleazy Mickey (Kevin Spacey), is sleeping with Eddie's love, Darlene (Robin Wright Penn), because he can. His buddy Phil (Chazz Palminteri) is prone to violent rages that worry Eddie. All of them ruminate on their lives while consuming drugs and alcohol. Another friend, Artie (Garry Shandling), eventually arrives with a young date (Anna Paquin) who is ready for a fun night.

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Critics Consensus

Though Hurly Burly offers a showcase of powerhouse performances from its leads, it's held back by a meandering narrative and verbose explorations of cynicism.

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macattack1717

So amazing, top knotch 👏

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Let's go on an existential druggie trip with Sean Penn - said no one ever. Talented cast. Boggy script that's just a bunch of drug talk.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

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Audience Member

this is one of my favorite underrated movies ever! not for everyone, but still an entertaining ride.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/03/19

Full Review

Audience Member

Off-beat film about the lives of some Hollywood shakers and misfits.Terrific roles for Kevin Spacey, Sean Penn, Meg Ryan and Chaz Palminteri. Good performances by Robin Wright Penn, Garry Shandling and Anna Paquin. Overall an underappreciated, personal favorite.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

No faults with the acting, but it could've been a little easier to understand too. Maybe that was the whole point of the screenplay; these characters are quite intelligent with their speech and get pretty philosophical, almost nihilistic with the points of the many debates or arguments they have together.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

You pulled out a broken vibrator? Eddie is a Hollywood playboy of sorts with a chick he wants to settle down with along with a couple chicks on the side he needs to potentially get rid of. He has a group of Hollywood movers and shakers he hangs out with at his fantastic house. They share stories and feelings on Eddie's direction. Can any of Eddie's friends help him get his head together? "It's like this invasion of tits and ass." Anthony Drazan, director of Zebrahead, Imaginary Crimes, Trinity, and EDNY, delivers Hurlyburly. The storyline for this picture is very dry, boring, and lacking. The acting is solid but the script and character development is just okay. The cast includes Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Meg Ryan, Gary Shandling, Chazz Palminteri, and Elaine Corral Kendall. "You're getting me wet. Don't get me wet." I came across this on cable and had to DVR it (Indie Channel). This grabbed my attention due to fantastic cast but unfortunately that wasn't enough to save this dreadful movie. There wasn't much going on here and I recommend skipping this. "You enjoy hitting people?" Grade: D

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

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Anthony Drazan

Director

Sean Penn

Eddie

Kevin Spacey

Mickey

Chazz Palminteri

Phil

Robin Wright

Darlene

Garry Shandling

Artie

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Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

Sean Penn gives another remarkable performance.

Apr 2, 2019

Full Review

Globe and Mail

Rated: 2/4

Mar 19, 2002

Full Review

Jonathan Lethem

Salon.com

Hurlyburly earns its keep, in the end, with writerly flash and dramatic virtuosity.

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Marc S. Malkin

Out Magazine

Here's a stage play that should never have been given the big-screen treatment.

May 25, 2022

Full Review

Antonia Quirke

Independent on Sunday

All the time, you hear the wooden clunk of a theatre which still thinks that Eugene O'Neill is a great writer of natural dialogue.

Nov 28, 2017

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Rabe has streamlined the dialogue, sacrificing a lot of funny throwaway lines without lessening the script's burden on our patience.

Rated: C-

Sep 24, 2007

Full Review

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Synopsis

Eddie (Sean Penn) is a confused and reckless man with a group of equally problematic friends. His roommate, caustic and sleazy Mickey (Kevin Spacey), is sleeping with Eddie's love, Darlene (Robin Wright Penn), because he can. His buddy Phil (Chazz Palminteri) is prone to violent rages that worry Eddie. All of them ruminate on their lives while consuming drugs and alcohol. Another friend, Artie (Garry Shandling), eventually arrives with a young date (Anna Paquin) who is ready for a fun night.

Director: Anthony Drazan
Executive Producer: Carl Colpaert, H. Michael Heuser, Nicholas Paleologos, Frederick Zollo
Screenwriter: David Rabe, David Rabe
Distributor: Fine Line Features
Production Co: Film Colony, Storm Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 30, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.8M
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital

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