Renaissance Man

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Renaissance Man

PG-13

Released Jun 3, 1994

2h 9m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

12%

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25 Reviews

53%

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25,000+ Ratings

After getting canned from his advertising job, down-and-out divorcé Bill Rago (Danny DeVito) gets a gig teaching English at a nearby army base. There, he takes on a group of underachieving students from poor backgrounds who seem apathetic about their education. Bill becomes frustrated, but finally turns the class around when he begins discussing "Hamlet." However, Sgt. Cass (Gregory Hines), a hardened drill instructor, is skeptical of Bill's teaching methods.

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Critics Consensus

Renaissance Man tries to simultaneously be a literary comedy, an inspirational drama, and a star vehicle that caters to Danny DeVito's strengths, but proves to be a master of none.

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Peter Rainer

Los Angeles Times

There's a fine line between delighting an audience and pandering to it. "Renaissance Man" leapfrogs across the line.

Dec 4, 2018

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Kim Newman

Empire Magazine

This is a feel good movie which is too mechanically put together to make you feel anything.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 4, 2018

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Tom Charity

Time Out

In essence, a painfully earnest sit-com.

Dec 4, 2018

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Robert Roten

Laramie Movie Scope

Rated: 2/5

Mar 19, 2006

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 1/5

Jul 3, 2005

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Caffeinated Clint

Film Threat

Rated: 2/5

May 6, 2005

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victor t

Once again we have critics devaluing a great movie. Like other devalued movies watch it and judge for yourself.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/16/24

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Michael R

Renaissance Man is a film that benefits from the filmmaking competency of its time. It is well-written, acted, directed, shot, and edited. While it doesn’t strive to break new ground, it doesn’t need to; its charm lies in the simple and sincere presentation of its themes—themes that may be lost on a pretentious or cynical audience. Among films about teachers, it shares more DNA with To Sir, with Love and Dead Poets Society than with Dangerous Minds or Freedom Writers. It focuses on the transformative power of education and human connection rather than gritty realism or overt social commentary. Yes, Bill both saves and is saved by his students, but he never set out to accomplish either salvation. It is predictable, but sweet—a heartfelt film that resonates through its sincerity rather than its ambition.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/14/24

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Audience Member

This movie is just a feel good movie. Escape for an hour and a half and have a laugh. It's not trying to be anything special and for that fact it works. Easy to follow story and easy to understand characters.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/24/24

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Enigma N

I don't understand the low audience score for this movie. There are many parts of this movie I can relate too.. I don't always like Devito, but I think he was a good casting choice in this film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/02/24

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Test T

I watched this on DVD recently. It was released in 1994 in 4:3 aspect ratio, and the image quality was not as good as I had expected. That said, I found the film easy to watch, thanks mainly to Danny Devito's likeable screen presence, and the film's positive outlook. The story is not bad either, but I'm no fan of Shakespeare, and would have preferred a different topic of study. The goings on at the army base provide plenty of scenes away from the classroom which make the film more entertaining. I think the critic's reviews are too harsh, and I would recommend it for what it is, rather than criticise it for what it's not.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/06/23

Full Review

Daniel F

Always loved this movie. One of those hidden gems of the 90s. Great story. Lots of heart. A feel good movie. Edit: Just noticed the terrible reviews by the "critics". THEY ARE WRONG. Don't pay any attention to them and see it for yourself.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/10/25

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Penny Marshall

Director

Danny DeVito

Bill Rago

Gregory Hines

Sergeant Cass

James Remar

Captian Tom Murdock

Cliff Robertson

Colonel James

Lillo Brancato

Pvt. Donnie Benitez

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Renaissance Man: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

After getting canned from his advertising job, down-and-out divorcé Bill Rago (Danny DeVito) gets a gig teaching English at a nearby army base. There, he takes on a group of underachieving students from poor backgrounds who seem apathetic about their education. Bill becomes frustrated, but finally turns the class around when he begins discussing "Hamlet." However, Sgt. Cass (Gregory Hines), a hardened drill instructor, is skeptical of Bill's teaching methods.

Director: Penny Marshall
Producer: Elliot Abbott, Sara Colleton, Robert Greenhut, Andrew G. Vajna
Screenwriter: Jim Burnstein
Distributor: Abril Vídeo, Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Touchstone Pictures, Parkway Productions
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 3, 1994, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 2, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $24.2M
Runtime: 2h 9m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, Surround, Stereo

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