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IMDbPro

City Hall

  • 1996
  • R
  • 1h 51m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
22K
YOUR RATING
City Hall (1996)
Trailer
Play trailer0:31
1 Video
41 Photos
CrimeDramaMystery

The accidental shooting of a boy in New York leads to an investigation by the Deputy Mayor, and unexpectedly far-reaching consequences.The accidental shooting of a boy in New York leads to an investigation by the Deputy Mayor, and unexpectedly far-reaching consequences.The accidental shooting of a boy in New York leads to an investigation by the Deputy Mayor, and unexpectedly far-reaching consequences.

  • Director
    • Harold Becker
  • Writers
    • Ken Lipper
    • Paul Schrader
    • Nicholas Pileggi
  • Stars
    • Al Pacino
    • John Cusack
    • Bridget Fonda
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.2/10
    22K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Harold Becker
    • Writers
      • Ken Lipper
      • Paul Schrader
      • Nicholas Pileggi
    • Stars
      • Al Pacino
      • John Cusack
      • Bridget Fonda
    • 74User reviews
    • 44Critic reviews
    • 62Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Videos1

    City Hall
    Trailer 0:31
    Watch City Hall

    Photos41

    Al Pacino in City Hall (1996)
    Al Pacino and Danny Aiello in City Hall (1996)
    Al Pacino in City Hall (1996)
    John Cusack and Al Pacino in City Hall (1996)
    John Cusack, Al Pacino, and Bridget Fonda in City Hall (1996)
    John Cusack, Al Pacino, and Bridget Fonda in City Hall (1996)
    John Cusack, Al Pacino, and Bridget Fonda in City Hall (1996)
    John Cusack, Al Pacino, and Bridget Fonda in City Hall (1996)
    John Cusack, Al Pacino, and Bridget Fonda in City Hall (1996)
    City Hall (1996)
    John Cusack and Al Pacino in City Hall (1996)
    John Cusack, Al Pacino, and Bridget Fonda in City Hall (1996)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Al Pacino
    Al Pacino
    • Mayor John Pappas
    John Cusack
    John Cusack
    • Deputy Mayor Kevin Calhoun
    Bridget Fonda
    Bridget Fonda
    • Marybeth Cogan
    Danny Aiello
    Danny Aiello
    • Frank Anselmo
    Martin Landau
    Martin Landau
    • Judge Walter Stern
    David Paymer
    David Paymer
    • Abe Goodman
    Anthony Franciosa
    Anthony Franciosa
    • Paul Zapatti
    • (as Tony Franciosa)
    Richard Schiff
    Richard Schiff
    • Larry Schwartz
    Lindsay Duncan
    Lindsay Duncan
    • Sydney Pappas
    Nestor Serrano
    Nestor Serrano
    • Det. Eddie Santos
    Mel Winkler
    • Det. Albert Holly
    Luna Lauren Velez
    Luna Lauren Velez
    • Elaine Santos
    • (as Lauren Vélez)
    Chloe Morris
    • Maria Santos
    Ian Quinlan
    Ian Quinlan
    • Randy Santos
    Roberta Peters
    Roberta Peters
    • Nettie Anselmo
    Angel David
    Angel David
    • Vinnie Zapatti
    Larry Romano
    Larry Romano
    • Tino Zapatti
    Rob LaBelle
    Rob LaBelle
    • James Wakeley
    • Director
      • Harold Becker
    • Writers
      • Ken Lipper
      • Paul Schrader
      • Nicholas Pileggi
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Al Pacino spent time with then-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Mayors Ed Koch and David Dinkins to help prepare for his role.
    • Goofs
      Although the action of the film covers only a few days, Kevin Calhoun's weight appears to fluctuate considerably from scene to scene.
    • Quotes

      Mayor John Pappas: I was warned not to come here. I was warned. They warned me, "Don't stand behind that coffin." But why should I heed such a warning, when a heartbeat is silent and a child lies dead? "Don't stand behind" this coffin. That boy was as pure and as innocent as the driven snow. But I must stand here, because I have not given you what you should have. Until we can walk abroad and recreate ourselves; until we can stroll along the streets like boulevards; congregate in parks free from fear, our families mingling, our children laughing, our hearts joined - until that day we have no city. You can label me a failure until that day. The first and perhaps only great mayor was Greek. He was Pericles of Athens, and he lived some 2500 years ago, and he said, "All things good on this Earth flow into the City, because of the City's greatness." Well, we were great once. Can we not be great again? Now, I put that question to James Bone, and there's only silence. Yet could not something pass from this sweet youth to me? Could he not empower me to find in myself the strength to have the knowledge to summon up the courage to accomplish this seemingly insurmountable task of making a city livable? Just livable. There was a palace that was a city. It was a PALACE! It was a PALACE and it CAN BE A PALACE AGAIN! A PALACE, in which there is no king or queen, or dukes or earls or princes, but subjects all: subjects beholden to each other, to make a better place to live. Is that too much to ask?

      Audience: No!

      Mayor John Pappas: Are we asking too much for this?

      Audience: No!

      Mayor John Pappas: Is it beyond our reach?

      Some Audience Members: No!

      Mayor John Pappas: Because if it is, then we are nothing but sheep being herded to the final SLAUGHTERHOUSE! I will not go down, THAT WAY!

      [the audience begins shouting approval]

      Mayor John Pappas: I choose to FIGHT BACK! I choose to RISE, not fall! I choose to LIVE, not die! And I know, I know that what's within me is also WITHIN YOU.

      Audience Member: Amen!

      Mayor John Pappas: That's why I ask you now to join me. Join me, RISE UP with me, RISE UP on the wings of this slain angel.

      [Audience members begin shouting "Yes" at every pause]

      Mayor John Pappas: We'll rebuild on the soul of this little warrior. We will pick up his standard and RAISE it high! Carry it forward until THIS CITY - YOUR CITY - OUR CITY - HIS CITY - IS A PALACE OF GOD! IS A PALACE OF GOD! I am with you, little James. I am you.

    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Broken Arrow/Black Sheep/Beautiful Girls/A Midwinter's Tale/Antonia's Line (1996)
    • Soundtracks
      A Wonderful Guy
      Music by Richard Rodgers

      Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

    User reviews74

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Politics in The Big Apple
    Being a transplanted New Yorker, I might be more critical than most in watching City Hall. But I have to say that before even getting to the story itself I was captivated by the location shooting and the political atmosphere of New York City that Director Harold Becker created.

    For example there's a reference to Woerner's Restaurant in Brooklyn where political boss Frank Anselmo likes to eat. There is or was a Woerner's Restaurant on Remsen Street in downtown Brooklyn when I lived in New York back in 1996. It was in fact particularly favored by political people in the Borough though they did have a couple of other hangouts.

    No surprise because the script was co-authored by Nicholas Pileggi who still writes both political and organized crime stories. He knows the atmosphere quite well and he sure knows how those two worlds cross as they do in this film.

    A detective played by Nestor Serrano goes for an unofficial meeting with a relative of mob boss Anthony Franciosa and things erupt and three people wind up dead, including an innocent 6 year old boy whose father was walking him to school. The story mushrooms and at the end it's reached inside City Hall itself.

    Al Pacino plays Mayor John Pappas and John Cusack is his Deputy Mayor a transplanted Louisianan, a state which has a tradition of genteel corruption itself. He's the outsider here and in trying to do damage control, Cusack finds more than he bargained for,

    Danny Aiello plays Brooklyn political boss Frank Anselmo and for those of you not from New York, his character is based on the late Borough President of Queens Donald Manes who was also brought down by scandal. He's very much the kind of Brooklyn politician I knew back in the day whose friendship with organized crime and favors done for them, do Aiello in.

    City Hall was the farewell performance on film for Anthony Franciosa, one of the most underrated and under-appreciated talents ever on the screen. No one watches anyone else whenever he's on.

    Al Pacino's best moment is when at the funeral of the young child killed, he takes over the proceedings and turns it into a political triumph for himself. His is a complex part, he's a decent enough man, but one caught up in the corruption it takes to rise in a place like New York.

    For those who want to know about political life in the Big Apple, City Hall is highly recommended.
    helpful•20
    5
    • bkoganbing
    • Jun 4, 2006

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 16, 1996 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • City Hall: La sombra de la corrupción
    • Filming locations
      • Teaneck, New Jersey, USA(city hall interiors)
    • Production company
      • Castle Rock Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $40,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $20,340,204
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $6,950,794
      • Feb 18, 1996
    • Gross worldwide
      • $20,340,204
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 51 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • SDDS
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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