Corky Romano
Encyclopedia
Corky Romano is a 2001 film
starring former Saturday Night Live
cast member Chris Kattan
. Also starring are Fred Ward
, Vinessa Shaw
, Roger Fan
, and Dave Sheridan. The movie was directed by Rob Pritts and was written by David Garrett
and Jason Ward
. It was filmed at Touchstone Pictures
studios. In the movie, Kattan plays Corky Romano, a veterinarian
who is forced by his family to infiltrate the local FBI facility to steal evidence incriminating his father, Mafia
boss Francis A. "Pops" Romano (Peter Falk
), of racketeering charges. It first opened in theaters on October 12, 2001.
) having been banished from his family after the death of his mother, is unaware of their underworld connections until he receives a call from his father, "Pops" (Peter Falk
) a Mafia crime lord. Pops has been indicted on racketeering charges, and, knowing that the prosecutors have a strong case against him, has concluded that the only solution is to somehow destroy the evidence held by the FBI.
At the family mansion, an ailing and bedridden Pops convinces Corky to infiltrate the local FBI office, since the Romano family cannot send anyone with known underworld connections, such as Corky's brothers Paulie (Peter Berg
) and Peter (Chris Penn
).
With the aid of a computer hacker
, Corky is able to obtain a false name ("Agent Corky Pissant
pronounced 'peesohn'...It's, you know, French!"), background, and résumé. He gains access to the local FBI office, where he discovers from office chief Howard Schuster that, according to his résumé, "Pissant" graduated from Harvard, can speak five hundred different languages, is an expert sharpshooter and has a black belt in the martial art "yan mu kwan."
Corky makes several trips to the FBI office's evidence room, only to be sidetracked each time. He is sent on investigations and raids, most of which have nothing to do with his father's case. Corky finds himself on a mission to infiltrate a neo-Nazi skinhead
group related to the Night Vulture, a heroin trafficker who is number six on the FBI's Most Wanted List. Corky approaches the gang members, who promptly rip off the Britney Spears
tank top he is wearing as a disguise, and take him to a warehouse. Every Mafia member, including Paulie and Peter, are listening in through a microphone that was earlier taped to Corky's crotch. They go to the warehouse, beat up all the gang members, and leave. When the FBI arrives, they assume that Corky has handled the skinheads singlehandedly. He receives praise at the office and in the local media, though one agent, Agent Brick Davis (Matthew Glave) appears both jealous and suspicious of him.
Corky attends a hostage situation involving a Night Vulture suspect. FBI director Howard Schuster (Richard Roundtree) hands Corky a machine gun and orders him to kill the suspect. When Corky fires, the trigger gets stuck, spraying bullets everywhere. One of them hits a propane tank, causing it to explode, which knocks the suspect off his feet. Agents rush in and arrest the suspect, and it transpires that his gun was a fake. Schuster sends Corky to put the suspect in jail.
On the trip back to the FBI office, Corky locks himself out of the car and the suspect kicks out the metal divider between the front and back seats. The divider jams the gas pedal to the floor, sending the car weaving wildly through city streets. Corky's arm is stuck in the window the whole time. Later, the car crashes into Paulie and Peter. Davis and other agents arrive and proceed to arrest Paulie and Peter, citing photographic equipment in the backseat of their car (the family mansion was already under watch by the FBI). However, Corky steps in to handle the situation. He farts in the faces of his brothers, and tells them to leave.
Corky grows to like FBI agent Kate Russo (Vinessa Shaw
), but she seems uninterested until they bump into each other at the Romano mansion where Russo has been sent undercover to collect more evidence against the Romanos. Corky is able to convince Russo that he, too, is working undercover.
Corky is sent to infiltrate a drug deal in Chinatown posing as a translator (the agency believes that he can speak Vietnamese
and Thai
). Corky attempts to translate, but ends up saying nonsense phrases such as "fool" and "hairy pencil". The participating drug lords draw their guns and begin shooting in frustration. Corky's new FBI partners, agents Bob Cox (Roger Fan
) and Terrence Darnell (Dave Sheridan), engage in a shootout with one of them while the other escapes.
Cox and Darnell are captured while trying to infiltrate one of Pops' underground casino
s. Corky comes to the rescue, but is caught by the bouncers and has his head placed in a paint shaker. When it is discovered that he is a member of the Romano family, and the bouncers ask how they can make it up to Corky, he says, "Maybe I can take some of my friends with me?".
Corky eventually gets the evidence, and discovers that his father will be facing murder
charges. Shocked, he tells Pops, who vehemently denies killing anyone. Meanwhile, Russo discovers that Corky is a member of the Romano family and not an FBI agent. The entire FBI office conducts a raid on the Romano mansion, where it is discovered that family friend Leo Corrigan (Fred Ward
) is an FBI informant and has been lying about the family's activities, including the alleged murder. It is also discovered that Brick Davis is in fact the Night Vulture. Leo is knocked out by Corky with a light fixture, and Davis is arrested by his fellow FBI agents. In the end, Corky and Agent Russo get married and drive off in Corky's car, a bright yellow Mazda Miata. Corky also gains the respect and love of his entire family.
The peculiar nickname "Corky" is alleged to be taken from real life New Jersey
mobster Gaetano Vastola
whose nickname among the mafia ranks as a street soldier was "Corky". Gaetano is also believed to have been the model for the fictional character in The Sopranos
, Hesh Rabkin (played by actor Jerry Adler). [4]
was $23,978,402. Overall, the movie made $24,400,000. Corky Romano was released on DVD
on May 14, 2002.
2001 in film
The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
starring former Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
cast member Chris Kattan
Chris Kattan
Christopher Lee "Chris" Kattan is an American actor/comedian, best known for his work on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:Kattan was born in Sherman Oaks, California. His father, Kip King, was an actor and voice actor who appeared on the series Reno 911! as Larrie Plum. His mother, Hajnalka E....
. Also starring are Fred Ward
Fred Ward
Freddie Joe "Fred" Ward is an American actor. He began his career in 1979 alongside Clint Eastwood in Escape from Alcatraz. He is best known for his starring roles in the motion pictures Remo Williams, Tremors, Henry & June, Short Cuts, The Right Stuff and Exit Speed...
, Vinessa Shaw
Vinessa Shaw
Vinessa Elizabeth Shaw is an American actress and model. Shaw has starred in numerous motion pictures since the early 1990s, and is probably most well known for her performances in Disney's 1993 Halloween film Hocus Pocus, Ladybugs, the 2006 remake of Wes Craven's horror picture The Hills Have...
, Roger Fan
Roger Fan
Roger Fan is an American actor of film, theatre and episodic television best known for his collaborations with Justin Lin and his appearances in the films Annapolis and Better Luck Tomorrow....
, and Dave Sheridan. The movie was directed by Rob Pritts and was written by David Garrett
David Garrett (screen writer)
David Garrett is an American filmmaker best known for directing and producing the feature-length documentary film "Who is Alvin Greene?", following South Carolina's unlikely Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Alvin Greene on the 2010 campaign trail. The film is co-directed and co-produced by...
and Jason Ward
Jason Ward
Jason Robert Ward is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays with EHC Black Wings Linz in the Austrian Hockey League. He has formerly played 336 games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, and Tampa Bay Lightning...
. It was filmed at Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...
studios. In the movie, Kattan plays Corky Romano, a veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
who is forced by his family to infiltrate the local FBI facility to steal evidence incriminating his father, Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
boss Francis A. "Pops" Romano (Peter Falk
Peter Falk
Peter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
), of racketeering charges. It first opened in theaters on October 12, 2001.
Plot
Veterinary assistant Corky Romano (Chris KattanChris Kattan
Christopher Lee "Chris" Kattan is an American actor/comedian, best known for his work on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:Kattan was born in Sherman Oaks, California. His father, Kip King, was an actor and voice actor who appeared on the series Reno 911! as Larrie Plum. His mother, Hajnalka E....
) having been banished from his family after the death of his mother, is unaware of their underworld connections until he receives a call from his father, "Pops" (Peter Falk
Peter Falk
Peter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
) a Mafia crime lord. Pops has been indicted on racketeering charges, and, knowing that the prosecutors have a strong case against him, has concluded that the only solution is to somehow destroy the evidence held by the FBI.
At the family mansion, an ailing and bedridden Pops convinces Corky to infiltrate the local FBI office, since the Romano family cannot send anyone with known underworld connections, such as Corky's brothers Paulie (Peter Berg
Peter Berg
Peter Berg is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is known for directing films such as Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom, The Rundown, Hancock and Battleship. He also developed the television series Friday Night Lights, which was adapted from the film he directed. As an actor...
) and Peter (Chris Penn
Chris Penn
Christopher Shannon "Chris" Penn was an American film and television actor known for his roles in such films as The Wild Life, Reservoir Dogs, Footloose, Rush Hour, True Romance, All the Right Moves and Pale Rider.-Early life:Penn was born in Los Angeles, California, the youngest son of Leo Penn,...
).
With the aid of a computer hacker
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
, Corky is able to obtain a false name ("Agent Corky Pissant
Pissant
A pissant, also seen as piss-ant and piss ant, is one or the other of two specific types of ant. Its origin is with pismire, a 14th-century word for ant. The term is also used as an insulting noun, and a pejorative adjective...
pronounced 'peesohn'...It's, you know, French!"), background, and résumé. He gains access to the local FBI office, where he discovers from office chief Howard Schuster that, according to his résumé, "Pissant" graduated from Harvard, can speak five hundred different languages, is an expert sharpshooter and has a black belt in the martial art "yan mu kwan."
Corky makes several trips to the FBI office's evidence room, only to be sidetracked each time. He is sent on investigations and raids, most of which have nothing to do with his father's case. Corky finds himself on a mission to infiltrate a neo-Nazi skinhead
Nazi-Skinheads
White power skinheads are a white supremacist and antisemitic offshoot of the skinhead subculture. Many of them are affiliated with white nationalist organizations....
group related to the Night Vulture, a heroin trafficker who is number six on the FBI's Most Wanted List. Corky approaches the gang members, who promptly rip off the Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
tank top he is wearing as a disguise, and take him to a warehouse. Every Mafia member, including Paulie and Peter, are listening in through a microphone that was earlier taped to Corky's crotch. They go to the warehouse, beat up all the gang members, and leave. When the FBI arrives, they assume that Corky has handled the skinheads singlehandedly. He receives praise at the office and in the local media, though one agent, Agent Brick Davis (Matthew Glave) appears both jealous and suspicious of him.
Corky attends a hostage situation involving a Night Vulture suspect. FBI director Howard Schuster (Richard Roundtree) hands Corky a machine gun and orders him to kill the suspect. When Corky fires, the trigger gets stuck, spraying bullets everywhere. One of them hits a propane tank, causing it to explode, which knocks the suspect off his feet. Agents rush in and arrest the suspect, and it transpires that his gun was a fake. Schuster sends Corky to put the suspect in jail.
On the trip back to the FBI office, Corky locks himself out of the car and the suspect kicks out the metal divider between the front and back seats. The divider jams the gas pedal to the floor, sending the car weaving wildly through city streets. Corky's arm is stuck in the window the whole time. Later, the car crashes into Paulie and Peter. Davis and other agents arrive and proceed to arrest Paulie and Peter, citing photographic equipment in the backseat of their car (the family mansion was already under watch by the FBI). However, Corky steps in to handle the situation. He farts in the faces of his brothers, and tells them to leave.
Corky grows to like FBI agent Kate Russo (Vinessa Shaw
Vinessa Shaw
Vinessa Elizabeth Shaw is an American actress and model. Shaw has starred in numerous motion pictures since the early 1990s, and is probably most well known for her performances in Disney's 1993 Halloween film Hocus Pocus, Ladybugs, the 2006 remake of Wes Craven's horror picture The Hills Have...
), but she seems uninterested until they bump into each other at the Romano mansion where Russo has been sent undercover to collect more evidence against the Romanos. Corky is able to convince Russo that he, too, is working undercover.
Corky is sent to infiltrate a drug deal in Chinatown posing as a translator (the agency believes that he can speak Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
and Thai
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
). Corky attempts to translate, but ends up saying nonsense phrases such as "fool" and "hairy pencil". The participating drug lords draw their guns and begin shooting in frustration. Corky's new FBI partners, agents Bob Cox (Roger Fan
Roger Fan
Roger Fan is an American actor of film, theatre and episodic television best known for his collaborations with Justin Lin and his appearances in the films Annapolis and Better Luck Tomorrow....
) and Terrence Darnell (Dave Sheridan), engage in a shootout with one of them while the other escapes.
Cox and Darnell are captured while trying to infiltrate one of Pops' underground casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s. Corky comes to the rescue, but is caught by the bouncers and has his head placed in a paint shaker. When it is discovered that he is a member of the Romano family, and the bouncers ask how they can make it up to Corky, he says, "Maybe I can take some of my friends with me?".
Corky eventually gets the evidence, and discovers that his father will be facing murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
charges. Shocked, he tells Pops, who vehemently denies killing anyone. Meanwhile, Russo discovers that Corky is a member of the Romano family and not an FBI agent. The entire FBI office conducts a raid on the Romano mansion, where it is discovered that family friend Leo Corrigan (Fred Ward
Fred Ward
Freddie Joe "Fred" Ward is an American actor. He began his career in 1979 alongside Clint Eastwood in Escape from Alcatraz. He is best known for his starring roles in the motion pictures Remo Williams, Tremors, Henry & June, Short Cuts, The Right Stuff and Exit Speed...
) is an FBI informant and has been lying about the family's activities, including the alleged murder. It is also discovered that Brick Davis is in fact the Night Vulture. Leo is knocked out by Corky with a light fixture, and Davis is arrested by his fellow FBI agents. In the end, Corky and Agent Russo get married and drive off in Corky's car, a bright yellow Mazda Miata. Corky also gains the respect and love of his entire family.
The peculiar nickname "Corky" is alleged to be taken from real life New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
mobster Gaetano Vastola
Gaetano Vastola (gangster)
Gaetano "Corky" Vastola is a New Jersey mobster who became an underboss for the DeCavalcante crime family in New Jersey.-Record mogul:In 1946, Vastola was arrested for burglary in New York City...
whose nickname among the mafia ranks as a street soldier was "Corky". Gaetano is also believed to have been the model for the fictional character in The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
, Hesh Rabkin (played by actor Jerry Adler). [4]
Cast
- Chris KattanChris KattanChristopher Lee "Chris" Kattan is an American actor/comedian, best known for his work on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:Kattan was born in Sherman Oaks, California. His father, Kip King, was an actor and voice actor who appeared on the series Reno 911! as Larrie Plum. His mother, Hajnalka E....
as Corky Romano - Vinessa ShawVinessa ShawVinessa Elizabeth Shaw is an American actress and model. Shaw has starred in numerous motion pictures since the early 1990s, and is probably most well known for her performances in Disney's 1993 Halloween film Hocus Pocus, Ladybugs, the 2006 remake of Wes Craven's horror picture The Hills Have...
as Agent Kate Russo - Peter FalkPeter FalkPeter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
as Francis A. "Pops" Romano - Peter BergPeter BergPeter Berg is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is known for directing films such as Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom, The Rundown, Hancock and Battleship. He also developed the television series Friday Night Lights, which was adapted from the film he directed. As an actor...
as Paulie Romano - Chris PennChris PennChristopher Shannon "Chris" Penn was an American film and television actor known for his roles in such films as The Wild Life, Reservoir Dogs, Footloose, Rush Hour, True Romance, All the Right Moves and Pale Rider.-Early life:Penn was born in Los Angeles, California, the youngest son of Leo Penn,...
as Peter Romano - Fred WardFred WardFreddie Joe "Fred" Ward is an American actor. He began his career in 1979 alongside Clint Eastwood in Escape from Alcatraz. He is best known for his starring roles in the motion pictures Remo Williams, Tremors, Henry & June, Short Cuts, The Right Stuff and Exit Speed...
as Leo Corrigan - Matthew GlaveMatthew GlaveMatthew G. Glave , an American film and television actor.-Personal:Glave attended Ohio University.He is married to Anita Barone and has two daughters, Madeline and Roxanne.-Career:...
as Agent Brick Davis - Richard RoundtreeRichard RoundtreeRichard Roundtree is an American actor and former fashion model. He is best known for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film Shaft and in its two sequels, Shaft's Big Score and Shaft in Africa .-Personal life:Born in New Rochelle, New York, Richard Roundtree graduated from...
as Howard Shuster - Roger FanRoger FanRoger Fan is an American actor of film, theatre and episodic television best known for his collaborations with Justin Lin and his appearances in the films Annapolis and Better Luck Tomorrow....
as Agent Bob Cox - Dave Sheridan as Agent Terrence Darnell
- Michael MasseeMichael MasseeMichael Massee is an American actor perhaps best known for his roles as villains in film and television, as well as his unintentional and accidental involvement in the death of Brandon Lee.-Career:...
as Angry Gunman - Vincent PastoreVincent PastoreVincent Pastore is an Italian-American actor, often cast as a mobster and best known for the role of Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on The Sopranos.-Early life:...
as Tony - Zach GalifianakisZach GalifianakisZachary Knight "Zach" Galifianakis is an American stand-up comedian and actor known for his numerous film and television appearances including his own Comedy Central Presents special...
as Computer Hacker Dexter
Box office
Corky Romano opened at #3 on its first weekend, taking in $9,023,173. It subsequently fell in ranking each week. The movie cost approximately $11,000,000 to make and its total gross in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was $23,978,402. Overall, the movie made $24,400,000. Corky Romano was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on May 14, 2002.