Grosse Pointe Blank 🎬

[LessAspin]

Riffing off the Grosse Pointe thread in GD..

Grosse Pointe Blank was an under appreciated John Cusack movie...

Screenwriter Tom Jankiewicz wrote the initial script for Grosse Pointe Blank in 1991 after receiving an invitation to his 10th high school reunion.[2] He picked the title while substitute teaching for an English class at Upland High School, writing the title on the classroom's whiteboard to see how it would look on a movie-theater marquee.[2] Jankiewicz decided to use Grosse Pointe, an upscale suburb of Detroit, Michigan, rather than his working-class hometown of Sterling Heights, Michigan, due to the contrast between the two towns. There is also the wordplay ("point blank&quot , which is a ballistics term of reference to the distance a bullet travels before dropping from the firearm's bore axis.[2]

Jankiewicz simultaneously worked as a substitute teacher and a cashier at a Big Lots in Upland, California, to make ends meet before his script was picked up for production.[2]

Jankiewicz, who was raised in Sterling Heights, based several of the film's characters on his real-life friends from Bishop Foley Catholic High School in Madison Heights, Michigan.[3] For example, Jeremy Piven's character, Paul Spericki, was originally named after Jankiewicz's best friend during high school, although the name was changed during filming.[3] The film's script was based on an urban legend about a student who became a professional hitman.[3] Joan Cusack's character, Marcella, was named for Jankiewicz's manager at Big Lots.[2].....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grosse_Pointe_Blank

[3Hotdogs]

1. Not to rain on your parade, but from the trailer, it looks lame.

[catbyte]

2. It's not. It's actually pretty hilarious if you like black comedy.

The 80s soundtrack is great. Joan Cusack's and Alan Arkin's small roles are stellar, as are the interactions between John Cusack and Dan Ackroyd. You should check it out.

[3Hotdogs]

5. OK. I can see it work as a comedy.

[TexasBushwhacker]

8. And John's sister Joan has a pretty meaty role too

I liked it, although I thought the ending didn't work as well as it could have.

Now for an informal sequel, watch Cusack's "War, Inc". Darker than GPB. Different characters, but again, John plays a hit man and Dan Aykroyd has a part. And Joan Cusack is in it as well, of course. Not great, but worth watching. At least it wasn't boring!

When GPB was in development, John Cusack actually attended his 10 year high school reunion. He wasn't actually at his high school a lot his senior year because he was making The Sure Thing", but he said most people were thoroughly unimpressed with his career.

[Bayard]

3. I LOVE this movie!

Funny as hell. And John Cusack is always easy on the eyes.

[JoseBalow]

4. I agree, a very good and underappreciated film

I saw it again recently after many years, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[mitch96]

6. I really liked this movie. When ever it's on, I watch it..nt

[bif]

7. And the funny thing is, none of it was actually shot in Grosse Pointe.

They wanted to shoot it at Grosse Pointe South High School, but they wouldn't let them because it was a bad image for the school!