A Pyromaniac's Love Story

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A Pyromaniac's Love Story

PG

1995

1h 34m

Comedy

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11 Reviews

55%

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1,000+ Ratings

Sweet-natured bakery employee Sergio (John Leguizamo) is in love with a tough-cookie waitress, Hattie (Sadie Frost), who won't go out with him because of his minimal income. When the bakery burns down, Sergio receives a strange offer from an unknown man: confess to arson and get $25,000. His boss, Mr. Linzer (Armin Mueller-Stahl), also confesses to the crime, but when the real arsonist (William Baldwin) appears, Hattie finds herself attracted to the mysterious stranger.

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

The cast is fine, the direction fluid, but the story wears you down.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 16, 2017

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

A Pyromaniac's Love Story starts out like a lighthearted charmer, and then it goes on and on and on -- circling the same plot idea so doggedly that I began to wonder idly what it might have been like as a short subject.

Rated: 2/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Aug 12, 2005

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Thomas Delapa

Boulder Weekly

Rated: 0/5

Apr 22, 2004

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Dragan Antulov

rec.arts.movies.reviews

Rated: 2/10

Feb 19, 2004

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Robert Roten

Laramie Movie Scope

Rated: 2/4

Jan 15, 2004

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Stephen C

Funny in 1 hour and 34 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $465,600.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/21/25

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Audience Member

Sorry, but I gotta defend this. It was kinda cute for its time. Seems like the entire cast had some quirk or other and it was fun putting all the pieces together. It was not the wasted effort the rating seems to indicate.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

Funny from start to finish.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

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Audience Member

it's. a fucking. bad ass movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

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Audience Member

A PYROMANIAC'S LOVE STORY, what appears to be a Made-for-TV presentation, is a weird experience. I should have been forewarned when I heard the goofy music. Generally, for me, goofy music means goofy movie! Plus, in this one, the story combines romance and arson, not a customary twosome. And although Sergio, played by John Leguizamo, tries very hard to be lovable and significant, I just didn't get it. Bottom line: a bakery burns to the ground and six silly characters confess to the crime. The dumbest confession was the bakery owner's wife, played by Joan Plowright, who confessed because she wanted to do something to show her husband how much she loved him. Seems like there might be better ways of doing that than causing a 3-alarm fire! And then there's just one stupid situation after another - so much so, I fast-forwarded at times. I couldn't stand it. This one is complete with pratfalls, racing here and there, misunderstandings, and overblown, overplayed and ridiculous characters (some of whom were played by William Baldwin, Sadie Frost, Richard Crenna, and Michael Lerner.) I kept watching thinking one of these characters might eventually appeal to me. But it was a lost cause. The ending was predictable and I was glad when the goofy music began playing during the ending credits.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

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Audience Member

So, this kind of movie... Funny...

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Joshua Brand

Director

William Baldwin

Garet

John Leguizamo

Sergio

Sadie Frost

Hattie

Erika Eleniak

Stephanie Potts

Michael Lerner

Perry

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Synopsis

Sweet-natured bakery employee Sergio (John Leguizamo) is in love with a tough-cookie waitress, Hattie (Sadie Frost), who won't go out with him because of his minimal income. When the bakery burns down, Sergio receives a strange offer from an unknown man: confess to arson and get $25,000. His boss, Mr. Linzer (Armin Mueller-Stahl), also confesses to the crime, but when the real arsonist (William Baldwin) appears, Hattie finds herself attracted to the mysterious stranger.

Director: Joshua Brand
Producer: Mark Gordon
Screenwriter: Morgan Ward
Distributor: Hollywood Pictures Home Video, Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Hollywood Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 28, 1995, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $465.6K
Runtime: 1h 34m
Sound Mix: Surround

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