| | | Academy Award Winner - 1993 - Best Actor Al Pacino.
Features: DVD, Widescreen, English, French, Dolby, Digital Audio, Dolby Digital (5.1)
Al Pacino won his first Best Actor Oscar for his brilliant portrayal of an overbearing, blind retired lieutenant colonel who hires a young guardian (Chris O'Donnell) to assist him. It's a heart-wrenching and heartwarming tale of opposites attracting when they embark on a wild weekend trip that will change the lives of both men forever.
"...a great performance from Pacino..." Hal Hinson, Washington Post
"There are moments of pure magic in [Pacino's] performance." Jack Matthews, NewsDay
"...Pacino's performance-scabrous, tender, ripely theatrical-is a master showman's trick." Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
"An amazing film. Intelligently written and movingly told...one of Al Pacino's best..." Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"...a landmark performance by Al Pacino..." TV Guide
Editor's Note
Chris O'Donnell stars as Charlie Simms, a young and innocent scholarship student at an exclusive prep school in New Hampshire who agrees to look after Lt. Col. Frank Slade (Al Pacino), a blind retired army officer, to earn extra money over the Thanksgiving holiday. Frank is a cantankerous and cynical bully who completely suprises Charlie with his plans for their weekend. He has bought them tickets to New York, booked a suite at the Waldorf, rented a limousine, and has big plans for a wild weekend in the Big Apple. Before Charlie realizes what he has gotten into, he is accompanying the colonel around Manhattan as they begin their wild and eye-opening adventures that include a fast-paced test drive in a Ferrari and a tango with a beautiful woman (Gabrielle Anwar). Frank's passion is women; he waxes lyrically on their bodies, scent, and sensuality, and gradually Charlie becomes aware of the sentimental romantic buried deep within the lonely man's heart. Charlie and Frank's growing relationship is the core of the film; Frank teaches Charlie how to see, and Charlie teaches Frank how to feel in this heart-wrenching and heartwarming comedy. Al Pacino is simply stunning as Frank Slade, relying on his vocal power and strong physicality to carry across a complex range of emotions. He is both intolerable and completely lovable in this Oscar-winning role of a lifetime.
Plot Summary
Hoping to earn some extra money, a relatively underprivileged prep school student agrees to look after a cantankerous, blind, retired lieutenant colonel during his holiday. Thrown off guard by his charge's bullying style, the student's in for even more surprises when the two take off for a wild weekend in New York City.
| Features | Audio: English Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 Surround Sound | | Audio: French Dolby Digital Plus Stereo | | Dubbed: French | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English, French | | This Is An HD-DVD Made For HD-DVD Format Players Which Produce Higher Quality Picture & Sound |
| Technical Info
|
Release Information
| | Studio: Universal |
| Release Date: 7/24/2007 |
| Running Time: 157 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1992 | | Catalog ID: 61032869 | | UPC: 00025193286925 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English, French Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: English, French | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew | Al Pacino | | Chris O'Donnell | | Gabrielle Anwar | | Philip Seymour Hoffman | | Angelo P. Graham - Production Designer | | Bo Goldman - Screenplay | | Donald E. Thorin - Cinematographer | | Giovanni Arpino - Based On Novel By | | Harvey Rosenstock, et. al. - Editor | | Martin Brest - Producer | | Martin Brest - Director | | Ronald L. Schwary - Executive Producer | | Thomas Newman - Original Music By | | W. Steven Graham - Art Director |
| Awards |
Nominee (1994) | | | British Academy Awards, Bo Goldman, Best Screenplay - Adapted | |
Winner (1993) | | | Golden Globe, Scent of a Woman, Best Motion Picture - Drama | | | Golden Globe, Al Pacino, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama | | | Golden Globe, Bo Goldman, Best Screenplay - Motion Picture | |
Nominee (1993) | | | Golden Globe, Chris O'Donnell, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture | |
Winner (1993) | | | Oscar, Al Pacino, Best Actor in a Leading Role | |
Nominee (1993) | | | Oscar, Martin Brest, Best Director | | | Oscar, Martin Brest, Best Picture | | | Oscar, Bo Goldman, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium |
| Memorable Quotes| "[A] bunch of runny--nosed snots in tweed jackets, all studying to be George Bush."---- Slade (Al Pacino) to Charlie Simms (Chris O'Donnell), referring to his Charlie's boarding school classmates | | "You're not bad. You're just in pain."----Simms to Frank Slade (Al Pacino) | | "Hoo--hah!"----Slade | | "You can dance the tango and drive a Ferrari better than anyone I've ever seen."---- Charlie to Slade|"You've never seen anyone do either."---- Slade to Charlie | | "If I were the man I was ten years ago, I'd take a flamethrower to this place!"----Slade to Simms's school authorities |
|
| | Professional Reviews | Rolling Stone
"Al Pacino pulls out the heavy acting artillery....He's astoundingly good..." 01/07/1993 p.50USA Today
"...[The film] gives Al Pacino a role that's a perfect fit....Pacino's most flamboyant performance yet..." -- 3 out of 4 stars 12/23/1992 p.1D Chicago Sun-Times
"...[Featuring] Al Pacino in one of his best and riskiest performances..." 12/23/1992 p.37 FilmCritic.com 8 of 10
Al Pacino got his ribbing for "hoo-ahhh!"ing his way through Scent of a Woman, but underneath the scenery chewing, there's a sweet and watchable film to be seen. Pacino is a blind ex-army man with skeletons galore, Chris O'Donnell is a prep school kid who's landed in some unexpected trouble and takes on a job watching Pacino over Thanksgiving. They learn from each other, just as each finds a way to save the life -- figuratively or truly -- of the other. Fun to watch. - Christopher Null
ReelViews 8 of 10
In essence, Scent of a Woman is another in a never-ending series of bonding pictures where each person has something unique to offer to the other. If there's anything special about the film, it's that on this occasion, the emotional realism of the characters, especially Slade, is heartwrenchingly believable...There are numerous dynamic scenes in Scent of a Woman, along with a surprising amount of comedy. Director/Producer Martin Brest knows how to blend humor with drama to good effect. His mix is nearly flawless, and he manages to do almost (and I emphasize almost) the entire film without resorting to manipulative tricks...Aided by an emotive score from Thomas Newman, the picture has opportunities to soar. Hampered by the script's limitations, however, Scent of a Woman falls short of being a masterful production. - James Berardinelli
|
| |
|
|
|
