STORY STUDY - MEDIUM: FILM “Get Shorty”

Who knew that an argument over the ownership of a coat can escalate into becoming a film producer?

Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, screenplay by Scott Frank, and based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard, Get Shorty is the story of Chili Palmer, a loan shark who is assigned to pick up a debt from a Hollywood B-movie producer.

When Chili breaks into the house he’s staying in (not his, mind you; it belongs to the actress he’s sleeping with), he doesn’t just warn him about the debt he has to pay; Chili, being a film aficionado, also pitches an idea to him for a movie.

The film’s flow of the story is very unique. Chili and the movie producer is one situation we’re following. There’s the situation with the producer and a drug dealer, whom he borrowed money to fund a recent film.

There’s the situation with the drug dealer who ALSO owes money to a drug cartel. Oh, and Chili’s “boss” flies to Los Angeles, wondering why he’s taking so long to retrieve the money for him.

The characters interweave through the multiple storylines, but they all result into a character climax. It’s not explosive or mind-blowing, but they’re certainly deserved.

The film balances a difficult tone of a crime thriller and a comedy, but it blends it well. The violence is expected from the former genre, but how does it work as a comedy? Part of it is how you’d expect things to go down. Chili bonds with the characters, the ones who are susceptible to his persona, very well. He plays everyone for his advantage, but he’s not ripping them off; it’s actually for the benefit of anyone.

The film is very much the definition of a film about the “movie business.” Actual filming of a movie is very minimal. The film is about people convincing actors and investors to spend their time and money for their project. It’s just that some of these people don’t exactly take no for an answer easily.

One of my favorite authors is Elmore Leonard. I was introduced to him after watching the Quentin Tarantino film Jackie Brown, based on one of his novels. What I learned is that a good majority of his books and short stories have been adapted into films. One of which best film adaptations is this. Plus, the fact that it’s about the film business (sort of), I had to watch it.

Get Shorty is a smooth, oddly paced film that has multiple characters and storylines that wrap up in very “a ha!” ways. The characters are nuanced, in that they’re smooth and threatening in one scene, and clueless in others. Everything is underplayed, but it works so well.