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Garry Marshall (Pretty Woman) directs the screen adaptation of Terence McNally's play Frankie and Johnny at the Clair de Lune, the story of a short-order cook (Al Pacino) who drives a waitress (Michelle Pfeiffer) crazy with his adamant courtship and mixed messages. The film is okay and not much more than that, the major stumbling block being Marshall's failure to scrub away enough star veneer on Pacino and Pfeiffer to accept them as minimum-wage drones with nowhere to go but toward each other. Fortunately, Marshall's feel for the texture offered by supporting players--Hector Elizondo as a café owner, Nathan Lane as Pfeiffer's inevitably gay neighbor-buddy, Kate Nelligan as another lonely waitress--keeps things interesting enough. --Tom Keogh

Review
An amiable exploration of love and trust, Frankie and Johnny proved that Al Pacino could make it through a role without bluster and that Michelle Pfeiffer could be frumpy. Adapted from Terrence McNally's play by the playwright himself, the film exchanged the original's grittier tone for a more cuddly, sitcom-friendly approach. The result is a story that takes place in the kind of charmingly eccentric New York that was home to When Harry Met Sally, where employers are endearingly cheap rather than nail-bitingly stingy and there is always a gay neighbor to provide witty advice. Thanks to this sort of treatment by McNally and director Garry Marshall (of Pretty Woman fame), you know everything will end up well, as major characters work out their issues and secondary players stand by to provide wacky, well-meaning moral support. Frankie and Johnny is a sweet, agreeable film, and while it has undoubtedly alienated more than a few viewers with its softhearted, talky approach, it remains a safe bet for a couple hours worth of quality entertainment. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

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36 Reviews 5 star:  (22) 4 star:  (9) 3 star:  (2) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:  (2)           Average Customer Review (36 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most helpful customer reviews   1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: I wish I could live in that Universe., Dec 8 2003 By  MarianaP "marianap" (Lisbon, Portugal) - See all my reviews The dialogs are a dream come true. I heard some people were upset that Michelle Pfeiffer was cast as Frankie. Apparently the actress who played that character on stage was Kathy Bates and came to be regarded by many as definitive in that role. I'm sure she was terrific, and I loved her in "Dolores Claiborne", but as much as I sympathize with those who claim that it's all part of Hollywood's conspiracy to make ordinary women feel dissatisfied with their "real", ordinary bodies and faces, Michelle Pfeiffer - gorgeous as she is - is a sensitive, real performer, not a Barbie doll in any way, and though I couldn't be more different from her physically, I find it very easy to relate to her thanks to her talent. The movie is a gem, though every time I watch anything with Al Pacino in it I'm always counting the seconds for the "scream scene". I'm not sure I ever watched a movie in which he starred, that he didn't scream his head off at some point, and this one's no exception. One love scene is basically spoiled by it, although die hard fans can always make the case that the script was asking for it. No minor problems like this one can spoil the movie as a whole though, that's what's important. Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   1 of 2 people found the following review helpful: My favorite of all time., Jan 15 2002 By  M. Dalrymple-Lepore (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews This review is from: Frankie and Johnny (VHS Tape) This movie means so much to me. The script, the acting, the directing-- it all comes together with a great story to offer up some really amazing moments. It captures the intrinsic quality of loneliness, the fear of being close to someone, the courage to be true to yourself. Al Pacino's character is almost creepy, and the elegant Michelle Pfeiffer is, believe it or not, downright dowdy. Even on the fifth viewing, I found myself feeling embarassed (alone in the room), my heart aching, and my idealism & hope returned to me. For those of you who want a storyline: Al Pacino is an ex-con on his first post-prison employment. Michelle Pfeiffer is the main character, a waitress who catches his eye, and he persues her. But he's kind of creepy, and she has that post heartbreak love of being alone, so she rejects him. And so he persues her more, showing more of his creepy touchy-feely idealistic self, and a bunch of stuff happens, and they live happily ever after. It is a romantic drama, after all. Many funny moments, and an excellent cast-- early classic work for Nathan Lane in here as well. Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)