Pinocchio (2002 film)
Encyclopedia
Pinocchio is a 2002 Italian
live-action family film
directed by and starring Roberto Benigni
. The film is based on The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
with Benigni portraying Pinocchio
. It was shot in Italy
and Kalkara
, Malta
. The actors Gonnella and Dori are natives of Italy.
When the Fairy asks Pinocchio about the gold coins he had, Pinocchio lies to her and says he lost them, causing his nose to grow. The Fairy, knowing of his constant fibbing, tells him that there are two types of lies: those with short legs and those with long noses. Pinocchio promises the Fairy that from there on he will try his best to be good.
When Pinocchio is sent to jail for his encounters with the Fox and Cat, he meets Lucigniolo (Leonardo in the American dubbing), another truant thief who is let out soon after Pinocchio is admitted in. A few months later, as part of a celebration for the birth of an emperor's son, he is set free he stumbles across the grave of the Blue Fairy, who supposedly died of grief because of his antics. After nearly drowning in the ocean in an attempt to save his father, he washes up on the shore of a city where he discovers that the Blue Fairy has faked her death in order to forgive Pinocchio.
Once again starting anew, he is on his way to school when he gets into a fight with his schoolmates. One of them tries to throw a book at him, but when he ducks the book hits his classmate Eugenio instead, who is knocked unconscious. Thinking that he is dead, the others run away, leaving Pinocchio at the scene. After being arrested by a carabineer and escaping, he joins Lucigniolo in a trip to "Fun Forever Land", where all is play and no work or school. There, boys turn into donkeys who are sold for hard labor.
Pinocchio escapes and, wanting to make up for his mischievous ways, agrees to work at a farm. Later, he finds Lucignolo dying in a stable on the farm. Trying to reunite with his father, he is swallowed by a Whale and together they escape from its belly. As a reward for his efforts to strive for moral prudence, the Blue Fairy finally reforms Pinocchio and he becomes a real boy. The film ends with Pinocchio going to school at last, while his shadow, still in the shape of a puppet, chases a butterfly into the hills of the countryside, a lasting memory of his adventures.
, thinks that this is because Miramax knew the film would be not well-received, and sought to have it released before critics placed their opinions in the media. However, it was released in theaters again, in its original format on February 7, 2003 for a limited time screening in North America.
ranks the English language version of the film 3rd of the 100 worst reviewed films of the 2000s, receiving a 0% by the critics. The English-dubbed version was nominated for six Razzie Awards (the first and only time a foreign-language film received the honor) including Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, Worst Remake or Sequel and Worst Screen Couple (Roberto Benigni
and Nicoletta Braschi
) with Benigni winning the Razzie as Worst Actor. The original Italian version, however, was not so poorly greeted and received six nominations at the David di Donatello Awards
, winning two, as well as winning one of the two awards it was nominated for at the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists. The dubbing used to create the English version was indeed frequently cited by critics as a major weakness.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
live-action family film
Family film
A family film is a film genre that is designed to appeal to a variety of age groups and, thus, families.In December 2005, Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came first in a poll of the 100 Greatest Family Films. The genre today generates billions of dollars per annum.Family...
directed by and starring Roberto Benigni
Roberto Benigni
Roberto Remigio Benigni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI is an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter and director of film, theatre and television.- Early years :...
. The film is based on The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
Carlo Collodi
Carlo Lorenzini , better known by the pen name Carlo Collodi, was an Italian children's writer known for the world-renowned fairy tale novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio.-Biography:...
with Benigni portraying Pinocchio
Pinocchio
The Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Florence. The first half was originally a serial between 1881 and 1883, and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio , an...
. It was shot in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Kalkara
Kalkara
Il-Kalkara is a small picturesque village in Malta, with a population of 2,856 . The name is derived from the Latin word for lime , and it is believed that there was a lime kiln present there since Roman times. Kalkara forms part of the inner harbour area and occupies the area around Kalkara Creek...
, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. The actors Gonnella and Dori are natives of Italy.
Plot
A magical log falls off a wagon and rolls through an Italian town causing considerable damage and some injuries. It comes to rest in front of the house of Geppetto, a poor wood carver, who carves a puppet, Pinocchio, from it. To Geppetto's surprise, the puppet comes to life and to his dismay, it becomes very mischievous. Geppetto sells his only coat to provide schoolbooks for Pinocchio; however, the rambunctious puppet goes on several adventures, dreading school. He joins a puppet theater and is almost eaten by the gigantic puppet master. Pinocchio lies to get out of the situation, claiming misery and poverty in his family, and the puppet master gives him five gold coins. He then meets Fox and Cat, two crooks who trick him out of his money, telling him to plant the coins in the ground in order to grow a "money tree". The watchful Blue Fairy, who encourages him to give up his obnoxious ways, saves him from a hanging by the crooks. She gives Pinocchio medicine and when he refuses it, coffin-bearing rabbits appear. Pinocchio immediately consumes the medicine, lying that he wanted to drink it in the first place but that the Fairy would not let him.When the Fairy asks Pinocchio about the gold coins he had, Pinocchio lies to her and says he lost them, causing his nose to grow. The Fairy, knowing of his constant fibbing, tells him that there are two types of lies: those with short legs and those with long noses. Pinocchio promises the Fairy that from there on he will try his best to be good.
When Pinocchio is sent to jail for his encounters with the Fox and Cat, he meets Lucigniolo (Leonardo in the American dubbing), another truant thief who is let out soon after Pinocchio is admitted in. A few months later, as part of a celebration for the birth of an emperor's son, he is set free he stumbles across the grave of the Blue Fairy, who supposedly died of grief because of his antics. After nearly drowning in the ocean in an attempt to save his father, he washes up on the shore of a city where he discovers that the Blue Fairy has faked her death in order to forgive Pinocchio.
Once again starting anew, he is on his way to school when he gets into a fight with his schoolmates. One of them tries to throw a book at him, but when he ducks the book hits his classmate Eugenio instead, who is knocked unconscious. Thinking that he is dead, the others run away, leaving Pinocchio at the scene. After being arrested by a carabineer and escaping, he joins Lucigniolo in a trip to "Fun Forever Land", where all is play and no work or school. There, boys turn into donkeys who are sold for hard labor.
Pinocchio escapes and, wanting to make up for his mischievous ways, agrees to work at a farm. Later, he finds Lucignolo dying in a stable on the farm. Trying to reunite with his father, he is swallowed by a Whale and together they escape from its belly. As a reward for his efforts to strive for moral prudence, the Blue Fairy finally reforms Pinocchio and he becomes a real boy. The film ends with Pinocchio going to school at last, while his shadow, still in the shape of a puppet, chases a butterfly into the hills of the countryside, a lasting memory of his adventures.
Original Italian cast
- Roberto BenigniRoberto BenigniRoberto Remigio Benigni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI is an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter and director of film, theatre and television.- Early years :...
as Pinocchio - Nicoletta BraschiNicoletta BraschiNicoletta Braschi is an Italian actress and producer, best known for her work with her husband, actor and director Roberto Benigni....
as Blue FairyBlue FairyThe Fairy With Turquoise Hair is a fictional character in Carlo Collodi's book The Adventures of Pinocchio. She repeatedly appears at critical moments in Pinocchio's wanderings to admonish the little wooden puppet to avoid bad or risky behavior... - Carlo GiuffrèCarlo GiuffrèCarlo Giuffrè is an Italian film actor. He has appeared in 93 films since 1950.He was born in Naples, Italy.-Selected filmography:* Side Street Story * Il padrone del vapore * La bellezza di Ippolita...
as GeppettoMister GeppettoMister Geppetto is a fictional character in the novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. Geppetto is an elderly, impoverished woodcarver and the creator of Pinocchio... - Peppe Barra as The Talking CricketThe Talking CricketThe Talking Cricket is a fictional character who appears in Carlo Collodi's 1883 book The Adventures of Pinocchio .-Role:...
- I Fichi d'India as The Fox and the Cat
- Kim Rossi StuartKim Rossi StuartKim Rossi Stuart is an Italian actor and director.-Career:Kim Rossi Stuart was born in Rome. His father, Giacomo, was also an actor. His mother was a former top model.He began acting at the age of 5...
as Lucignolo - Giorgio Ariani as Host of the Gambero Rosso
- Mino Bellei as Medoro
- Remo Masini as Schoolmaster
- Alessandro Bergonzoni as Ringmaster
English voice-dubbing cast
- Breckin MeyerBreckin Meyer-Early life:Meyer was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Dorothy Ann , a travel agent and former microbiologist, and Christopher William Meyer, a management consultant. As a child of divorced parents, he lived in California, Texas, West Virginia and New Jersey. He has an older brother,...
as Pinocchio - David SuchetDavid SuchetDavid Suchet, CBE, is an English actor, known for his work on British television. He is recognised for his RTS- and BPG award-winning performance as Augustus Melmotte in the 2001 British TV mini-drama The Way We Live Now, alongside Matthew Macfadyen and Paloma Baeza, and a 1991 British Academy...
as GeppettoMister GeppettoMister Geppetto is a fictional character in the novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. Geppetto is an elderly, impoverished woodcarver and the creator of Pinocchio... - Glenn CloseGlenn CloseGlenn Close is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and...
as Blue FairyBlue FairyThe Fairy With Turquoise Hair is a fictional character in Carlo Collodi's book The Adventures of Pinocchio. She repeatedly appears at critical moments in Pinocchio's wanderings to admonish the little wooden puppet to avoid bad or risky behavior... - John CleeseJohn CleeseJohn Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
as The Talking CricketThe Talking CricketThe Talking Cricket is a fictional character who appears in Carlo Collodi's 1883 book The Adventures of Pinocchio .-Role:... - Cheech MarinCheech MarinRichard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges...
as The Fox - Eddie GriffinEddie GriffinEdward James "Eddie" Griffin, Jr. is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his sitcom, Malcolm & Eddie along with co-star, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and his role in the 2002 comedy film Undercover Brother as the film’s title character.-Early life:Griffin was born in Kansas City,...
as The Cat - Topher GraceTopher GraceChristopher John "Topher" Grace is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Eric Forman on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, Eddie Brock/Venom in the Sam Raimi film Spider-Man 3, and Edwin in the 2010 film Predators....
as Leonardo/Lucignolo - Giacomo Gonnella as Carabiniere
- James BelushiJames BelushiJames Adam "Jim" Belushi is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is the younger brother of comic actor John Belushi.-Early life:Belushi was born in Chicago...
as Farmer - Eric IdleEric IdleEric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
as Medoro - Sandro Dori as Medoro's Owner
- Kevin James as Mangiafuoco/The Puppeteer
- Regis PhilbinRegis PhilbinRegis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
as Ringmaster - Queen LatifahQueen LatifahDana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
as Dove
North American release
In the United States and Canada, Miramax released the film on Christmas Day with no advance screening. Miramax said that this is because they needed to do post-production looping to insert the English dub for its English-speaking release. Edward Guthmann, a film reviewer for the San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, thinks that this is because Miramax knew the film would be not well-received, and sought to have it released before critics placed their opinions in the media. However, it was released in theaters again, in its original format on February 7, 2003 for a limited time screening in North America.
Reception
Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
ranks the English language version of the film 3rd of the 100 worst reviewed films of the 2000s, receiving a 0% by the critics. The English-dubbed version was nominated for six Razzie Awards (the first and only time a foreign-language film received the honor) including Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, Worst Remake or Sequel and Worst Screen Couple (Roberto Benigni
Roberto Benigni
Roberto Remigio Benigni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI is an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter and director of film, theatre and television.- Early years :...
and Nicoletta Braschi
Nicoletta Braschi
Nicoletta Braschi is an Italian actress and producer, best known for her work with her husband, actor and director Roberto Benigni....
) with Benigni winning the Razzie as Worst Actor. The original Italian version, however, was not so poorly greeted and received six nominations at the David di Donatello Awards
David di Donatello
David di Donatello, named after Donatello's David, is a movie award assigned each year for cinematic performances and production by Ente David di Donatello, part of Accademia del Cinema Italiano. It is the Italian equivalent to the Academy Award. There are 24 categories as of 2006.- History :The...
, winning two, as well as winning one of the two awards it was nominated for at the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists. The dubbing used to create the English version was indeed frequently cited by critics as a major weakness.