The Get Shorty franchise consists of American gangster-comedies, including two theatrical films and a television series spin-off. Based on the titular novel by Elmore Leonard, the plot of the installments center around individuals within the criminal mafia organization, who are determined to leave the organization and pursue careers in the film and music industries. Featuring a cast ensemble, the story includes the realities of immoral conduct within various industries through the comedic lens.

The franchise as a whole has been met with mixed success. The original film received positive critical response, and successfully turned a financial profit in theaters. Alternatively, its sequel was met with negative reception by critics who called it inferior to its predecessor, and also earned less in its ticket sales at the box office. The spin-off television series however, was met with a range of reactions with some critics praising its approach, while others concluded that it was lacking in comparison to the original movie. Despite the mixed critical response, the show was deemed a success among audiences due to its viewership figures.

Origin

The 1990 American comedic-crime novel and its subsequent sequel were authored by Elmore Leonard, and both originally published through Delacorte Press. Serving as the basis for the film and television adaptations, both novels were met with positive reception. In Get Shorty, the plot follows a loan shark from Miami, Florida named Ernesto "Chili" Palmer, who works for the criminal mob and is tasked with traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada to retrieve an outstanding balance. In the process of doing so, the character determines that he wants to escape his past and pursue a career in the film industry.

Leonard continued the plot in its 1999 sequel titled, Be Cool; which served as the basis for the titular film sequel. The plot details Chili Palmer's disenchantment with movie making, and his decision to pursue a career as a record producer instead. The plot details Palmer's continued attempts to escape his criminal past, all while realizing that there are illegal influences in many areas of society.

Film Film U.S. release date Director Screenwriter Producers Get Shorty Barry Sonnenfeld Scott Frank Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher Be Cool F. Gary Gray Peter Steinfeld

Get Shorty (1995)

Ernesto "Chili" Palmer, a mobster from Miami and works as a loan-shark for a violent and dangerous gangster named Ray "Bones" Barboni, is sent to Las Vegas to retrieve the funds from an outstanding loan. Meanwhile, Chili is also hired to recover some bad debt from a film producer named Harry Zimm. Upon confronting Zimm, Chili is introduced to the film crew: the star of a series of horror films, named Karen Flores; the financier of Zimm's drug-dealing, named Bo Catlett; and a Hollywood star who also happens to be Karen's ex, named Martin "Shorty" Weir. Chili soon finds that he and Karen have a romantic connection, and after discovering the filmmaking business, he pitches his own life story for Zimm's next movie. Chili quickly learns that his background as a part of the mob, comedically leads into the movie industry.

Be Cool (2005)

Years later, Ernesto "Chili" Palmer has grown disillusioned by the movie industry. After the poor reception to his most recent release, a studio mandated sequel film starring Martin "Shorty" Weir, Chili determines to pursue another industry instead. When his friend Tommy Athens who works as a recording studio executive is murdered, Chili offers to help his estranged widow named Edie run the record company. Determined to complete the goals of his deceased friend by introducing the world to his protégé, a feisty young R&B nightclub singer named Linda Moon; Chili begins using the negotiation skills from his past to manipulate events in favor of his goals. Though the music industry is different, Chili soon discovers that his mobster past intersects with the music industry upon coming into conflict with the Russian mafia, and a gangster rap group.

Television

Series Season(s) Episodes Originally released Showrunner Executive producers Status First released Last released Network Get Shorty 3 27 Epix Davey Holmes Davey Holmes, Adam Arkin, Etan Frankel and Allen Coulter Ended

Miles Daly as he works for a ruthless crime lord named Amara de Escalones and her nephew Yago. Miles has been looking for another profession as a means to reconnect with his estranged wife Katie, and eager to maintain his relationship with his daughter named Emma. When she sends Daly to Los Angeles alongside another enforcer named Louis to retrieve some debt from a screenwriter, Miles soon discovers an opportunity that he determines is too good to pass up. After reading the writer's unproduced script, he and Louis determine to steal it believing that it may be one of the greatest films never made. The duo approach a movie producer named Rick Moreweather and present their pitch for the story. As they begin working together to realize the project, Miles is surprised to find that his immoral background in the crime industry has a lot more in common with movie making than he had initially would have thought.

Main cast and characters

Character Films Television Get Shorty Be Cool Get Shorty Ernesto "Chili" Palmer John Travolta Harry Zimm Gene Hackman colspan="2" Karen Flores Rene Russo colspan="2" Martin "Shorty" Weir Danny DeVito Ray "Bones" Barboni Dennis Farina colspan="2" Bo Catlett Delroy Lindo colspan="2" Bear James Gandolfini colspan="2" Leo Devoe David Paymer colspan="2" Tommy Carlo Martin Ferrero colspan="2" Mr. Escobar Miguel Sandoval colspan="2" Ronnie Wingate Jon Gries colspan="2" Faye Devoe Linda Hart colspan="2" Edie Athens Uma Thurman Roger "Raji" Lowenthal Vince Vaughn Sin LaSalle Cedric "the Entertainer" Kyles Dabu André Benjamin Steven Tyler Steven Tyler Joseph "Joe Loop" Lupino Robert Pastorelli Linda Moon Christina Milian Hyman Gordon Paul Adelstein Nick Carr Harvey Keitel Elliott Wilhelm Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Marla Debi Mazar Darryl GregAlan Williams Tommy Athens James Woods Roman Bulkin Alex Kubik Ivan Argianiyev George Fisher Miles Daly colspan="2" Chris O'Dowd Rick Moreweather colspan="2" Ray Romano Louis Darnell colspan="2" Sean Bridgers Emma "Shorty" Daly colspan="2" Carolyn Dodd Amara de Escalones colspan="2" Lidia Porto Yago de Escalones colspan="2" Goya Robles April Quinn colspan="2" Megan Stevenson Katie Daly colspan="2" Lucy Walters Gladys Parrish colspan="2" Sarah Stiles Giustino Moreweather colspan="2" Peter Bogdanovich Hafdis Snaejornsson colspan="2" Peter Stormare Tyler Mathias colspan="2" Topher Grace

Additional production and crew details TitleCrew/Detail Composer Cinematographer(s) Editor(s) Productioncompanies Distributingcompanies Running time Get Shorty John Lurie Donald Peterman Jim Miller Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,Jersey Films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 1 hr 45 mins Be Cool John Powell Jeffrey L. Kimball Sheldon Kahn MGM Distribution Co. 2 hrs Get Shorty Antonio Sánchez Attila Szalay, M. David Mullen, Joseph E. Gallagher, and David Franco David Dworetzky, Blake Maniquis, Keith Henderson, Annette Davey, Addison Donnell, Eli Nilsen, and Scott Vickrey MGM Television,MGM/UA Television,Holmes Quality Yarnds Productions Epix 18 hrs

Reception

Box office and financial performance Film Box office gross Box office ranking Budget Worldwide nettotal income North America Other territories Worldwide All-time North America All-time worldwide Get Shorty $72,101,622 $43,000,000 $115,101,622 #1,202 #2,174 $30,250,000 $84,851,622 Be Cool $56,046,979 $39,716,737 $95,763,716 x̄ #1,632 x̄ #2,320 $75,000,000 $20,763,716 Totals $128,148,601 $82,716,737 $210,865,338 #1,417 #2,247 $105,250,000 $105,615,338

Critical and public response Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore Get Shorty 88% (57 reviews) 82/100 (22 reviews) B+ Be Cool 30% (170 reviews) 37/100 (38 reviews) B− Get Shorty 78% (27 reviews) 71/100 (22 reviews)

References