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Things Change

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Things Change

PG

1988

1h 40m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

13 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

The Chicago Mafia makes shoeshine man Gino (Don Ameche) an offer: do the time for a murder he didn't commit, and they'll buy him a fishing boat in Sicily. Gino accepts and is placed in the custody of Jerry (Joe Mantegna), a low-level mobster, until the trial. Jerry quickly gets bored with the babysitting detail and decides to treat Gino to a weekend at Lake Tahoe. There, Jerry is recognized, and Gino is mistaken for a big-time crime boss. Both play along until they run afoul of the local mob.

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Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Rated: 3/5

Aug 20, 2003

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Things Change is a neat little exercise in wit and deception.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2000

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...an exceedingly appealing setup thats employed to mostly engrossing effect...

Rated: 3.5/4

Apr 13, 2022

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Cathy Burke

United Press International

Things Change is like the careful telling of a sly and spirited joke. Everything builds slowly, and the telling is as important as the punch line.

Dec 12, 2017

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 1/5

Jun 23, 2005

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Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

clever, funny and thoughtful

Rated: 3/5

Apr 5, 2005

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Audience Member

A rather simple shoe repair man is hired to impersonate a Mafiosi he resembles to serve a prison sentence for him in exchange for money. An on-the-outs gangster is assigned to watch over him for the weekend, and ends up taking the shoe repair man to Lake Tahoe for some fun. Then the shoe maker meets a different gangster who befriends him, and complications ensue so we do not know what will result. A very mild comedy, but it has its charm.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

despite some contrivances and hokey moments, this was a pleasant, engaging and at times funny look at mamet's take on chicago and vegas mobsters. ameche and mantegna are a nice pair here.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

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Audience Member

Finally, a David Mamet film worth watching all the way through...

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

Its a good low-key mob comedy. It's kinda gun to watch and has a surprise ending.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

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Audience Member

While the movie moved at a snails pace, I found that I kept waiting for something good to happen. It finally did. It ended.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

Things Change, David Mamet's directorial follow-up to the fun and twisty House of Games, is a "heart-warming comedy" that isn't particularly heart-warming or funny. It's a very, very lightweight tale of mistaken identity and friendship, and although it was enjoyable enough to watch, I can't say it's left me with much to think about. Mamet should stick to twisty, dialogue-driven pieces, and leave the lightweight stuff for directors who don't claim "auteur" status.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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David Mamet

Director

Don Ameche

Gino

Joe Mantegna

Jerry

Robert Prosky

Joseph "Don Giuseppe" Vincent

J.J. Johnston

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Synopsis

The Chicago Mafia makes shoeshine man Gino (Don Ameche) an offer: do the time for a murder he didn't commit, and they'll buy him a fishing boat in Sicily. Gino accepts and is placed in the custody of Jerry (Joe Mantegna), a low-level mobster, until the trial. Jerry quickly gets bored with the babysitting detail and decides to treat Gino to a weekend at Lake Tahoe. There, Jerry is recognized, and Gino is mistaken for a big-time crime boss. Both play along until they run afoul of the local mob.

Director: David Mamet
Production Co: Columbia, TriStar Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.3M
Runtime: 1h 40m

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