Get Shorty: Who Owes Who?
By Sherril Steele-Carlin
This 1995 classic comedy starring John Travolta and a host of other big names like Gene Hackman and Danny DiVito is a mystery gone mad. It's also a tongue-in-cheek look at Hollywood and who can make it in Tinsel Town.
The story follows Miami debt collector Chili Palmer as he heads to L.A. to collect a pair of debts for his new boss, Mr. Bones. Chili loves the movies, and soon decided he'd rather be in the movie business in L.A. rather than the loansharking business in Miami. What ensues is a hilarious insider look at who can really make it in Hollywood, along with bumbling mobsters, misplaced money, and a whole host of people who are looking for their own dough who all revolve around Chili.
At first glance the film is just a funny look at the mob, but underneath it all is a caustic commentary on Hollywood – its fickleness, its lack of talent and dependence on money, and the ease with which an outsider can fit in, if they only can come up with enough cash. It’s a see and be seen world, and the film captures those nuances quite clearly and with a real sense of humor. Along with that, the film presents some quite convoluted plot twists and a mystery that won't be solved until the very last frame of the picture. All in all, Get Shorty is a quirky but fun comedy that will appeal to the detective in all of us, and anyone who loves good film and good acting.
Additional Features
The VHS tape of this film only includes the Trailer released when the film was released. However, the Collector's Edition DVD, released in early 2005, is a two-disk extravaganza of "Making of" and other documentaries and featurettes, along with outtakes, deleted scenes, and a preview of the sequel "Be Cool."
