Movies - The Distinguished Gentleman

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	Movies - The Distinguished Gentleman

The Distinguished Gentleman (1992) is a comedy starring Eddie Murphy. The film was directed by Jonathan Lynn who has directed, produced, wrote, and acted in other films. In addition to Murphy, The Distinguished Gentleman has an additional cast of Lane Smith, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Joe Don Baker, Victoria Rowell, Grant Shaud, Kevin McCarthy, Charles S. Dutton, Victor Rivers, Chi McBride, Sonny Jim Gaines, and Noble Willingham.

The film touches on comedy, and politics. It touches on the members of Congress and what members of certain organizations will do (factually or fictitiously) to get what they want to get done in Washington D.C.. The film generally starts off as a comedy but becomes more serious as the films goes along with certain political vies and aspects being brought up and dealt with by Murphy's character.

The film was released in December of 1992 and went on to gross over forty million dollars at the box office. The movie was panned by film critics. It came at a time with Murphy experienced a slump in movies and this movie was and is also considered one of his failures. The film did win a couple of awards. The Environmental Media Awards granted the movie with the award for feature film of 1993. In 2001, the Political Film Society awarded the film with its special award of the year.

The film was shot at various locations in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, California, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Pasadena, California.

Synopsis

A Florida con man uses the passing of the long time Congressman from his district who he just happens to share a name with, to get elected to his version of paradise, Congress, where the money flows from lobbyists. But soon he learns the nature of the game and decides to fight back the only way he knows how, with a con.

Characters

Thomas Jefferson Johnson (Eddie Murphy): The protagonist of the movie. A con artist that realizes he can get elected to Congress after the passing of a Congressman with the same name as him. He forms a plan with his crew and they are successful at getting him elected. He starts in Congress as planned, taking money and bribes from lobbyists. Later he realizes the wrong that is being done and he also realizes that he can be a very big help.

Dick Dodge (Lane Smith): He is the chairman of the Power and Industry Committee. He knows everything about Johnson from his past doings, what he is doing presently, and he tries to use Johnson as his own pawn. Johnson actually uses Dodge in the end to get what he wants in the end of the movie.

Miss Loretta Hicks (Sheryl Lee Ralph): The only female member of Johnson's crew. She is also his cousin. While doing cons at home she acts as the seductive female in the crew. While in Washington she is the liaison for Johnson and accompanies him most places.

Olaf Andersen (Joe Don Baker): He is the chief of a company called Gulf Coast power. He is also the chief payor to Chairman Dodge's committee and pays almost anything to get his way. Johnson also uses him in the end to triumph.

Celia Kirby (Victoria Rowell): She is a lawyer for a non-profit group that tries to impose safety standards on a number of things. It is pointed out during the movie tht she rarely wins her cases but she still tries to convince Johnson of her points. She is actually one of the key figures that makes Johnson try to help people instead of con them.

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