the robert downey jr film guide

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The Gingerbread Man (1998)

Tags: Supporting Role, Drama, Middlers, Career Trajectory: Troubled Actor, Under the Influence, Has an Accent, On DVD in Region 1, On DVD in Region 2, On DVD in Region 4, Rated R

Summary

A Savannah lawyer gets mixed up in a girl’s family problems.

Director

Robert Altman

Downey Factor

Low to Medium.

Character

Clyde Pell, boozing sleazy private detective playing for the good guys

Looks

Interesting wardrobe, he looks pretty good.

Performance

Nothing to complain about.

Line

It’s always appeared to me that your dad’s a few beers short of a six-pack.

Accent

Southern

Dies, Gay or Villain

Yes, no, no.

Cast

Kenneth Branagh, Robert Duvall, Embeth Davidtz, Tom Berenger

Connection

Robert Altman’s Short Cuts. Robert Duvall in Lucky You and The Judge.

RDJ Says

I didn’t read it before I said I’d do it. I knew Kenneth Branagh was in it. I loved him. Altman was directing. There it is ... I did this film for the love of Bob Altman. He’s renowned for repeatedly making good films, and he’s also a legend. He has a distinct style of directing that’s really loose. Sometimes I would go to the set on my day off, planning to stay just an hour. And I would end up staying there for seven hours ... It was great, so great. [Robert Altman] would say things to me like, “Don’t memorize your lines or anything.” “Don’t look at the script tonight.” “That was absolutely adequate, let’s move on.” Just funny stuff. And everyone was doing these Southern accents. Kenneth had one.

Lit Reference

Though a “story” credit is given to John Grisham, the movie is actually based on an original screenplay that he wrote—not one of his published stories.

Time & Place

Present day (1998), Savannah, Georgia

Availability

Released in theaters 23 January 1998. On DVD in Region 1, 2, and 4.

Foreign Titles

Argentina: Hasta Que La Muerte Nos Separe (‘Til Death Do Us Part)
Brazil: Até que a Morte nos Separe (‘Til Death Do Us Part)
Bulgaria: Meat Man (English translation)
China: A Pink Setup (English translation)
Croatia: Prikriveno Ludilo (Disguises Madness)
Finland: Piparkakkumies (Gingerbread Man)
Germany: Eine nächtliche Affäre (A Nocturnal Affair)
Germany: Gefährliche Träume (Dangerous Dreams)
Hungary: Démoni Csapda (Demonic Trap)
Italy: Conflitto di Interessi (Conflict of Interests)
Poland: Falszywa ofiara (False Victim)
Portugal: Caminhos Perigosos (Dangerous Ways)
Russia: Wood Goblin (English translation)
Serbia: Zaslepljeni advokat (Blinded Lawyer)
Spain: Conflicto de Intereses (Conflict of Interests)

Rotten Tomatoes

60% Fresh | 40 Reviews

Critical View

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: If it weren’t for Altman’s touches, The Gingerbread Man would be a mediocre thriller. Even with them, it can’t be more than a top-notch genre film, but top-notch is top-notch.

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The Altman touches are more in dialog and personal style than in construction. He gives the actors freedom to move around in their roles. Instead of the tunnel vision of most Grisham movies, in which every line of dialog relentlessly hammers down the next plot development, The Gingerbread Man has space for quirky behavior, kidding around, and murky atmosphere.

2 Reasons to See It

1. Southern accents for all!
2. Kenneth Branagh is pretty hot.

Overall

A generally overlooked legal thriller with just a splash of Robert Downey Jr here and there.

If You Like It

You might also like US Marshals (1997), True Believer (1989)

Photos

Video