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The Fisher King

  • 19911991
  • RR
  • 2h 17m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
85K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,367
537
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges in The Fisher King (1991)
Home Video Trailer from Columbia Tristar
Play trailer1:00
2 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Comedy
  • Drama
  • Fantasy
A former radio DJ, suicidally despondent because of a terrible mistake he made, finds redemption in helping a deranged homeless man who was an unwitting victim of that mistake.A former radio DJ, suicidally despondent because of a terrible mistake he made, finds redemption in helping a deranged homeless man who was an unwitting victim of that mistake.A former radio DJ, suicidally despondent because of a terrible mistake he made, finds redemption in helping a deranged homeless man who was an unwitting victim of that mistake.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
85K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,367
537
  • Director
    • Terry Gilliam
  • Writer
    • Richard LaGravenese
  • Stars
    • Jeff Bridges
    • Robin Williams
    • Adam Bryant
Top credits
  • Director
    • Terry Gilliam
  • Writer
    • Richard LaGravenese
  • Stars
    • Jeff Bridges
    • Robin Williams
    • Adam Bryant
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 223User reviews
    • 95Critic reviews
    • 61Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 14 wins & 39 nominations total

    Videos2

    The Fisher King
    Trailer 1:00
    The Fisher King
    'The Fisher King' | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:00
    'The Fisher King' | Anniversary Mashup

    Photos142

    Robin Williams and Chris Howell in The Fisher King (1991)
    Jeff Bridges in The Fisher King (1991)
    Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges in The Fisher King (1991)
    Jeff Bridges and Terry Gilliam in The Fisher King (1991)
    Robin Williams and Terry Gilliam in The Fisher King (1991)
    Terry Gilliam in The Fisher King (1991)
    Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Jack Palance, and Mercedes Ruehl at an event for City Slickers (1991)
    Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges in The Fisher King (1991)
    Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges in The Fisher King (1991)
    Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges in The Fisher King (1991)
    Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, and Jeff Bridges in Awakenings (1990)
    Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges in The Fisher King (1991)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jeff Bridges
    Jeff Bridges
    • Jackas Jack
    Robin Williams
    Robin Williams
    • Parryas Parry
    Adam Bryant
    • Radio Engineeras Radio Engineer
    Paul Lombardi
    • Radio Engineeras Radio Engineer
    David Hyde Pierce
    David Hyde Pierce
    • Lou Rosenas Lou Rosen
    • (as David Pierce)
    Ted Ross
    Ted Ross
    • Limo Bumas Limo Bum
    Lara Harris
    Lara Harris
    • Sondraas Sondra
    Warren Olney
    • TV Anchormanas TV Anchorman
    Frazer Smith
    • News Reporteras News Reporter
    Mercedes Ruehl
    Mercedes Ruehl
    • Anneas Anne
    Kathy Najimy
    Kathy Najimy
    • Crazed Video Customeras Crazed Video Customer
    Harry Shearer
    Harry Shearer
    • Sitcom Actor Ben Starras Sitcom Actor Ben Starr
    Melinda Culea
    Melinda Culea
    • Sitcom Wifeas Sitcom Wife
    James Remini
    • Bum at Hotelas Bum at Hotel
    Mark Bowden
    • Doormanas Doorman
    John Ottavino
    • Father at Hotelas Father at Hotel
    Brian Michaels
    • Little Boyas Little Boy
    Jayce Bartok
    Jayce Bartok
    • First Punkas First Punk
    • Director
      • Terry Gilliam
    • Writer
      • Richard LaGravenese
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      For the "waltzing commuter" scene in Grand Central station, the main hall of the terminal was shut down for the shoot from 8pm until the first commuter trains arrived at 5:30 am the next morning. Lighting effects outside of the large terminal windows made it seem to be 5:00 in the evening the entire night, and over 400 extras waltzed around the mirror-ball topped Information Booth again and again throughout the night. Now, on New Year's, an orchestra plays there and people waltz for real.
    • Goofs
      After the double-date dinner when Ann and Jack are walking back to her apartment above the video store, you can see a storefront whose marquee says the address is on Ann Street. The Video Spot T-shirts proclaims the store to be on Duane Street.
    • Quotes

      Parry: Did you ever hear the story of the Fisher King?

      Jack Lucas: No.

      Parry: It begins with the King as a boy, having to spend the night alone in the forest to prove his courage so he can become King. Now while he's spending the night alone he's visited by a sacred vision. Out of the fire appears the Holy Grail, symbol of God's divine grace. And a voice said to the boy, "You shall be keeper of the Grail so that it may heal the hearts of men." But the boy was blinded by greater visions of a life filled with power and glory and beauty. And in this state of radical amazement he felt for a brief moment not like a boy, but invincible, like God, so he reached into the fire to take the Grail, and the Grail vanished, leaving him with his hand in the fire to be terribly wounded. Now as this boy grew older, his wound grew deeper. Until one day, life for him lost its reason. He had no faith in any man, not even himself. He couldn't love or feel loved. He was sick with experience. He began to die. One day a fool wandered into the castle and found the King alone. And being a fool, he was simple minded, he didn't see a King. He only saw a man alone and in pain. And he asked the King, "What ails you friend?" The King replied, "I'm thirsty. I need some water to cool my throat". So the fool took a cup from beside his bed, filled it with water and handed it to the King. As the King began to drink, he realized his wound was healed. He looked in his hands and there was the Holy Grail, that which he sought all of his life. And he turned to the fool and said with amazement, "How can you find that which my brightest and bravest could not?" And the fool replied, "I don't know. I only knew that you were thirsty."

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Dogfight/Late for Dinner/Rambling Rose/Blood & Concrete (1991)
    • Soundtracks
      How About You?
      Written by Ralph Freed & Burton Lane

      Produced by Ray Cooper and George Fenton

      Whistled & Sung by Harry Nilsson

    User reviews223

    Review
    Top review
    The perfect Robin Williams movie (and much more)
    This movie is really exceptional in a lot of ways. It's got one of those plots, full of ironic reversals and personal struggle, that's been turned into melodramatic trash in every creative medium ever invented. With Robin Williams as the magic crazy guy and Jeff Bridges in an 80s ponytail, the ways the basic concept could have gone awry (in other hands) are truly frightening to contemplate. But with Terry Gilliam at the helm, The Fisher King speaks to your emotions more directly and powerfully than 90% of the movies out there without degenerating into sappiness.

    Perhaps the most brilliant acheivement of this movie is the way it takes Robin Williams' crazy-improvisational persona and makes it an integral part of the story. Instead of being a tacked-on adjunct to the "real" movie, Williams' stream-of-consciousness patter is essential to the work as a whole.

    At the same time, Gilliam is making an almost-mainstream movie for the first time in his career, while explicitly referencing his past (the Holy Grail). It all comes together into a movie you will never forget.
    helpful•69
    14
    • McGonigle
    • Mar 3, 2004

    FAQ6

    • What is 'The Fisher King' about?
    • Is 'The Fisher King' based on a book?
    • What did Jack Lucas say to the caller?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 27, 1991 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Король-Рибалка
    • Filming locations
      • Manhattan Bridge, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • TriStar Pictures
      • Columbia Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $24,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $41,895,491
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $311,662
      • Sep 22, 1991
    • Gross worldwide
      • $41,895,491
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 17 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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