Downtown (film)

Downtown is a 1990 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Richard Benjamin. The film starred Anthony Edwards, Forest Whitaker, Penelope Ann Miller and Joe Pantoliano.

This article is about the 1990 film. For the 2004 film, see Downtown: A Street Tale.
Downtown
Theatrical movie poster
Directed byRichard Benjamin
Written byNat Mauldin
Produced byCharles H. Maguire
Starring
CinematographyRichard H. Kline
Edited byJacqueline Cambas
Brian L. Chambers
Music byAlan Silvestri[1]
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • January 12, 1990 (1990-01-12)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10,000,000 (estimated)
Box office$2,346,150[2]

Plot

Police Officer Alex Kearney is a patrolman in Bryn Mawr, an affluent, plush suburb of Philadelphia--until he stops an important businessman and his account of the incident is not believed. As punishment, he is assigned to work Downtown, considered the most dangerous, high-crime precinct in the city. Everyone at the precinct is certain that the 'by the book' suburban, pampered cop is going to get himself (and whoever is assigned as his partner), killed.

Sergeant Dennis Curren draws the unfortunate 'babysitting' assignment. However, when Alex's best friend is killed investigating a stolen car, Alex throws the book out the window tracking down the killer.

Cast

Production

This was the theatrical debut of scriptwriter Nat Mauldin, a writer on Barney Miller and a writer-producer of Night Court.[3]

Principal photography began 17 April 1989, according to the 19 April 1989 Daily Variety[4] and 25 April 1989 Hollywood Reporter,[4] with a scheduled wrap date of 30 June 1989.[4]

Though the plot of the movie references a Philadelphia suburb, Bryn Mawr, most of the exterior filming is done within the City of Philadelphia. The beginning of the film features Cresheim Valley Road, Stenton, and Germantown Avenues. This is in the Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill neighborhoods.

There are a few early scenes that are filmed in and around Los Angeles. The scene where Anthony Edwards pretends to pull over Penelope Ann Miller is filmed on Yale Street, in Claremont, CA.[4] Later portions of the film are in the Fairhill and Norris Square neighborhoods which are now known as "The Badlands" circa 2000. Diamond Street is within this area, but Philadelphia police districts are numbered, not named for streets or neighborhoods.

Locations

  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania[4]
  • La Canada, California ("Bryn Mawr")[4]
  • Claremont, California[4]
  • Pasadena, California[4]
  • University Park, Los Angeles ("Dennis Curren's" home)[4]
  • Los Angeles, California[4]
  • Ports O' Call in San Pedro, California[4]
  • Woodland Hills, California (the "Sweet" estate)[4]
  • stage 6 at the Warner Center in Woodland Hills, California[4]
  • stage 14 at the Warner Center in Woodland Hills, California[4]

Reception

The film received mostly negative reviews. Hal Hinson of The Washington Post called the film racist for picturing "the inner city as an all-black criminal hell-town where the men who walk the streets are much less human than the people in the all-white suburbs."[5] David Nusair of Reel Films called it "[r]elentlessly bland and hopelessly unfunny."[6]

On 13 January 1990, Washington Post called it "just a B-grade movie, aimed at the lowest common entertainment denominator".[4] On 16 January 1990, Chicago Tribune wrote "lurches crudely and disruptively between sitcom flippancy, sickening violence, cartoonish physical comedy and oozing sentimentality."[4] On 17 January 1990, USA Today wrote "derivative, dull, dopey, degrading, dumb, deplorable", and panned Anthony Edwards as "so bland he makes Wonder Bread look funky"[4]

"the wimp starts to toughen up, while the rebel becomes a sensitive, sharing, family man" — Adrian Martin, November 1992.[7]

"cluttered, with too much noise on the soundtrack and too much aimless, frenetic and at times ugly action" — Janet Maslin, January 1990.[8]

"crass uptown film about downtown" – Dennis Schwartz Reviews.[9]

References
  1. "DOWNTOWN". Jazz on the Screen Filmography, Performing Arts Encyclopedia. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  2. Downtown at Box Office Mojo
  3. Thomas, Kevin (15 January 1990). "Calculated 'Downtown' Shows Off Its Stars". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  4. Downtown at the American Film Institute Catalog
  5. Hal, Hinson (1990-01-13). "'Downtown'". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2021-04-06. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
  6. Nusair, David. "Downtown". Reel Film Reviews. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
  7. "Downtown". filmcritic.com.au. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  8. Maslin, Janet (13 January 1990). "Review/Film; A Preppy Policeman Cast Into the Inner City". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  9. "DOWNTOWN". Dennis Schwartz Reviews. 5 June 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
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