Forget Paris
Encyclopedia
Forget Paris is a 1995 film
produced, directed, co-written by and starring Billy Crystal
as an NBA
referee and Debra Winger
as an independent working woman whose lives are interrupted by love and marriage.
It also stars Joe Mantegna
, Cynthia Stevenson
, Julie Kavner
, Richard Masur
, Cathy Moriarty
and John Spencer
. A number of professional basketball players, present and past, appear as themselves.
Ellen Andrews, an employee of American Airlines
, assists Mickey in retrieving the lost casket. She attends the funeral and they fall in love in the streets of Paris, but are separated when Mickey has to go back to America
after his leave of absence.
They return to the reality of their normal lives, but cannot seem to forget Paris. Mickey and Ellen ultimately reunite and marry, but do not "live happily ever after" (at least, not immediately). They deal with common marriage issues such as: her father moving in with them, failed attempts at child conception, and each spouse unsuccessfully attempting a professional change to accommodate the other.
The film is told mostly in flashback by friends of the couple who gather at a restaurant. It delves into the hardships of marriage and keeping the romance alive in a relationship.
David Robinson
and the San Antonio Spurs
play Charles Barkley
, Dan Majerle
and the Phoenix Suns
in a crucial game of the Western Conference Finals. Also in this scene is Kevin Johnson
and the Suns coach at the time, Paul Westphal
.
Mickey also officiates a Los Angeles Lakers
-Detroit Pistons
game during Kareem Abdul Jabbar's final season. Having a "bad day," Mickey throws Kareem out of the game for no apparent reason, then does the same to Detroit Pistons
star Isiah Thomas
, and then the entire roster of both teams.
Also seen are Reggie Miller
, Tim Hardaway
, Patrick Ewing
, John Starks
, Chris Mullin
, Spud Webb
(to whom Mickey says, "You're the only one I can talk to," -- both Webb and Billy Crystal are 5'7" tall), Bill Laimbeer
, Bill Walton
, Kurt Rambis
, Charles Oakley
, Horace Grant, Dennis Rodman
, Sean Elliott
, Marques Johnson
and, while Mickey was watching a game at home on his couch, Michael Jordan
on television.
1995 in film
-Top grossing films:-Events:* March 22 - The Dogme 95 movement is officially announced in Paris by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg.* March 28 - Actress Julia Roberts and singer Lyle Lovett announce their plans for separation....
produced, directed, co-written by and starring Billy Crystal
Billy Crystal
William Edward "Billy" Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes...
as an NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
referee and Debra Winger
Debra Winger
Mary Debra Winger is an American actress. Three-times an Oscar nominee, she received awards for acting in Terms of Endearment, for which she won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in 1983, and in A Dangerous Woman, for which she won the Tokyo International Film Festival...
as an independent working woman whose lives are interrupted by love and marriage.
It also stars Joe Mantegna
Joe Mantegna
Joseph Anthony "Joe" Mantegna, Jr. is an American actor, producer, writer,director, and voice actor. He is best known for his roles in box office hits such as Three Amigos , The Godfather Part III , Forget Paris , and Up Close & Personal...
, Cynthia Stevenson
Cynthia Stevenson
Cynthia Stevenson is an American actress.Stevenson was born in Oakland, California, the daughter of Gayle, an editor, and Al Stevenson, an upholstery warehouse owner. She grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia....
, Julie Kavner
Julie Kavner
Julie Deborah Kavner is an American film and television actress, comedian and voice artist. Noted for her role as Marge Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, she also voices other characters for the show, including Jacqueline Bouvier, and Patty and Selma Bouvier.Born in Los...
, Richard Masur
Richard Masur
Richard Masur is an American actor who has appeared in more than 80 movies during his career. From 1995-1999, he served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild . Masur sits on the Corporate Board of the Motion Picture & Television Fund.-Biography:Masur was born in New York City to a...
, Cathy Moriarty
Cathy Moriarty
-Career:Her first film credit was Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull in 1980, as Vikki LaMotta, the wife of Robert De Niro's lead character. Her performance earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also appeared opposite Andrew Dice Clay in the short-lived CBS...
and John Spencer
John Spencer
-Earls:*John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer *John Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer , British politician*John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer , British politician...
. A number of professional basketball players, present and past, appear as themselves.
Plot
Mickey Gordon is a professional basketball referee who flies to Paris to bury his father but is detained because his father's casket is missing.Ellen Andrews, an employee of American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, assists Mickey in retrieving the lost casket. She attends the funeral and they fall in love in the streets of Paris, but are separated when Mickey has to go back to America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after his leave of absence.
They return to the reality of their normal lives, but cannot seem to forget Paris. Mickey and Ellen ultimately reunite and marry, but do not "live happily ever after" (at least, not immediately). They deal with common marriage issues such as: her father moving in with them, failed attempts at child conception, and each spouse unsuccessfully attempting a professional change to accommodate the other.
The film is told mostly in flashback by friends of the couple who gather at a restaurant. It delves into the hardships of marriage and keeping the romance alive in a relationship.
Selected Cast
- Billy CrystalBilly CrystalWilliam Edward "Billy" Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes...
as Mickey Gordon - Debra WingerDebra WingerMary Debra Winger is an American actress. Three-times an Oscar nominee, she received awards for acting in Terms of Endearment, for which she won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in 1983, and in A Dangerous Woman, for which she won the Tokyo International Film Festival...
as Ellen Andrews Gordon - Joe MantegnaJoe MantegnaJoseph Anthony "Joe" Mantegna, Jr. is an American actor, producer, writer,director, and voice actor. He is best known for his roles in box office hits such as Three Amigos , The Godfather Part III , Forget Paris , and Up Close & Personal...
as Andy - Cynthia StevensonCynthia StevensonCynthia Stevenson is an American actress.Stevenson was born in Oakland, California, the daughter of Gayle, an editor, and Al Stevenson, an upholstery warehouse owner. She grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia....
as Liz - Richard MasurRichard MasurRichard Masur is an American actor who has appeared in more than 80 movies during his career. From 1995-1999, he served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild . Masur sits on the Corporate Board of the Motion Picture & Television Fund.-Biography:Masur was born in New York City to a...
as Craig - Julie KavnerJulie KavnerJulie Deborah Kavner is an American film and television actress, comedian and voice artist. Noted for her role as Marge Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, she also voices other characters for the show, including Jacqueline Bouvier, and Patty and Selma Bouvier.Born in Los...
as Lucy - William HickeyWilliam Hickey (actor)William Edward Hickey was an American actor. He was best known for his Oscar-nominated role as Don Corrado Prizzi in the John Huston 1985 film Prizzi's Honor, as well as the voice of Dr...
as Arthur - John SpencerJohn Spencer (actor)John Spencer was an American film and television actor. He was most widely known for playing White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry on the NBC political drama series The West Wing, which earned him an Emmy Award in 2002.-Early life:Spencer was born as John Speshock, Jr. in New York City, and...
as Jack - Tom WrightTom Wright (actor)Tom Wright is a television and theatre actor. He was born in Englewood, New Jersey and attended West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania....
as Tommy - Cathy MoriartyCathy Moriarty-Career:Her first film credit was Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull in 1980, as Vikki LaMotta, the wife of Robert De Niro's lead character. Her performance earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also appeared opposite Andrew Dice Clay in the short-lived CBS...
as Lois - Johnny Williams as Lou
- Robert CostanzoRobert CostanzoRobert Jason Costanzo is an American actor. He has an acting career spanning over thirty years and is often found playing surly New York types such as crooks or low level workers and mixes both drama and comedy roles...
as Waiter - Dan CastellanetaDan CastellanetaDaniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
as man testing car (uncredited)
As Themselves
- Marv AlbertMarv AlbertMarv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Including Super Bowl XLII, Marv has called...
- Bill WaltonBill WaltonWilliam Theodore "Bill" Walton III is a retired American basketball player and television sportscaster. The "Big Red-Head", as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards, while...
- Charles BarkleyCharles BarkleyCharles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
- David RobinsonDavid Robinson (basketball)David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were...
- Dan MajerleDan MajerleDaniel Lewis Majerle is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns of the NBA. Known by his fans as "Downtown Dan," "Thunder Dan," and "Dan the Man," he played 14 years in the NBA, primarily with the Phoenix Suns, also with the Miami...
- Kevin JohnsonKevin JohnsonKevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...
- Paul WestphalPaul WestphalPaul Westphal is a retired American basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings. Westphal has had a storied career in the NBA, both as a player and as a coach. As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA...
- Sean ElliottSean ElliottSean Michael Elliott is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.-Early life:Elliott was born in Tucson, Arizona and was youngest of three boys. He was a very intelligent boy growing up and attended the G.A.T.E. program at Toleson Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona...
- Patrick EwingPatrick EwingPatrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle...
- Tim HardawayTim HardawayTimothy Duane "Tim" Hardaway is a retired American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association and who in his prime was one of the league's best point guards...
- Kareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
- Bill LaimbeerBill LaimbeerWilliam "Bill" Laimbeer, Jr. is a retired National Basketball Association player for the Detroit Pistons. Playing at center, the 6'11" Laimbeer was a four-time All-Star and integral part of the Pistons teams that won two championships...
- Reggie MillerReggie MillerReginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
- Chris MullinChris Mullin (basketball)Christopher Paul Mullin is a retired American basketball player and former general manager of the NBA's Golden State Warriors. He has also been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame....
- Charles OakleyCharles OakleyCharles Oakley is a retired American professional basketball player and is currently an assistant coach for the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association...
- Kurt RambisKurt RambisDarrell Kurt Rambis is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.-Biography:...
- John StarksJohn Starks (basketball)John Levell Starks is a former American professional basketball shooting guard. Starks was listed at 6'5" and 190 pounds during his NBA playing career...
- Isiah ThomasIsiah ThomasIsiah Lord Thomas III , nicknamed "Zeke",is the men's basketball coach for the FIU Golden Panthers, and a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association from 1981 until 1994. He led the "Bad Boys" to the NBA...
- Spud WebbSpud WebbAnthony Jerome Webb , also known as Spud Webb, is a retired American NBA professional basketball point guard most notable for winning a slam dunk contest despite being one of the shortest NBA players in the history of the league...
- Marques JohnsonMarques JohnsonMarques Kevin Johnson is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA, playing for the Milwaukee Bucks , Los Angeles Clippers , and Golden State Warriors ....
- Rush LimbaughRush LimbaughRush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
- David SanbornDavid SanbornDavid Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
NBA Cameos
During scenes in which Mickey is working as a referee, several professional basketball players play themselves.David Robinson
David Robinson (basketball)
David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were...
and the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
play Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
, Dan Majerle
Dan Majerle
Daniel Lewis Majerle is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns of the NBA. Known by his fans as "Downtown Dan," "Thunder Dan," and "Dan the Man," he played 14 years in the NBA, primarily with the Phoenix Suns, also with the Miami...
and the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
in a crucial game of the Western Conference Finals. Also in this scene is Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson
Kevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...
and the Suns coach at the time, Paul Westphal
Paul Westphal
Paul Westphal is a retired American basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings. Westphal has had a storied career in the NBA, both as a player and as a coach. As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA...
.
Mickey also officiates a Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
-Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
game during Kareem Abdul Jabbar's final season. Having a "bad day," Mickey throws Kareem out of the game for no apparent reason, then does the same to Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
star Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas
Isiah Lord Thomas III , nicknamed "Zeke",is the men's basketball coach for the FIU Golden Panthers, and a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association from 1981 until 1994. He led the "Bad Boys" to the NBA...
, and then the entire roster of both teams.
Also seen are Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
, Tim Hardaway
Tim Hardaway
Timothy Duane "Tim" Hardaway is a retired American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association and who in his prime was one of the league's best point guards...
, Patrick Ewing
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle...
, John Starks
John Starks (basketball)
John Levell Starks is a former American professional basketball shooting guard. Starks was listed at 6'5" and 190 pounds during his NBA playing career...
, Chris Mullin
Chris Mullin (basketball)
Christopher Paul Mullin is a retired American basketball player and former general manager of the NBA's Golden State Warriors. He has also been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame....
, Spud Webb
Spud Webb
Anthony Jerome Webb , also known as Spud Webb, is a retired American NBA professional basketball point guard most notable for winning a slam dunk contest despite being one of the shortest NBA players in the history of the league...
(to whom Mickey says, "You're the only one I can talk to," -- both Webb and Billy Crystal are 5'7" tall), Bill Laimbeer
Bill Laimbeer
William "Bill" Laimbeer, Jr. is a retired National Basketball Association player for the Detroit Pistons. Playing at center, the 6'11" Laimbeer was a four-time All-Star and integral part of the Pistons teams that won two championships...
, Bill Walton
Bill Walton
William Theodore "Bill" Walton III is a retired American basketball player and television sportscaster. The "Big Red-Head", as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards, while...
, Kurt Rambis
Kurt Rambis
Darrell Kurt Rambis is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.-Biography:...
, Charles Oakley
Charles Oakley
Charles Oakley is a retired American professional basketball player and is currently an assistant coach for the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association...
, Horace Grant, Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
, Sean Elliott
Sean Elliott
Sean Michael Elliott is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.-Early life:Elliott was born in Tucson, Arizona and was youngest of three boys. He was a very intelligent boy growing up and attended the G.A.T.E. program at Toleson Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona...
, Marques Johnson
Marques Johnson
Marques Kevin Johnson is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA, playing for the Milwaukee Bucks , Los Angeles Clippers , and Golden State Warriors ....
and, while Mickey was watching a game at home on his couch, Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
on television.
External links
- Rotten Tomatoes http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/forget_paris/about.php, "Forget Paris", May 4, 2007. Accessed May 4, 2007.