''Mistress'' is a 1992 comedy-drama film starring Robert De Niro, Danny Aiello,

Eli Wallach Eli Herschel Wallach (; December 7, 1915 – June 24, 2014) was an American film, television, and stage actor from New York City. From his 1945 Broadway debut to his last film appearance, Wallach's entertainment career spanned 65 years. Origina ...

, Robert Wuhl and

Martin Landau Martin James Landau (; June 20, 1928 – July 15, 2017) was an American actor, acting coach, producer, and editorial cartoonist. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's ''North ...

. The picture was written by

Barry Primus Barry Primus (born February 16, 1938) is an American television and film actor, director, and writer. Career While Primus is primarily an actor, he has also worked as a writer and director in films in which he has acted. For the first decade ...

and J.F. Lawton and directed by Primus.

Plot

A down-and-out Hollywood screenwriter and director named Marvin Landisman ( Robert Wuhl) is working on cheaply made instructional videos when his years-old script is read by Jack Roth (

), a has-been producer who offers to help Marvin find investors for his movie. Three men willing to put up the money are found — the ruthless businessman Evan ( Robert De Niro), the disturbed war veteran Carmine ( Danny Aiello) and the eccentric millionaire George (

). But each has a mistress he insists be cast in the film in exchange for his financial backing. The women are the highly talented Beverly (

Sheryl Lee Ralph Sheryl Lee Ralph OJ is an American actress and singer. She made her screen debut in the 1977 comedy film '' A Piece of the Action'', before landing the role of Deena Jones in the Broadway musical '' Dreamgirls'' (1981), for which she received ...

), the alcoholic flight attendant Patricia (

Jean Smart Jean Elizabeth Smart (born September 13, 1951) is an American actress. After beginning her career in regional theater in the Pacific Northwest, she appeared on Broadway in 1981 as Marlene Dietrich in the biographical play '' Piaf''. Smart was ...

) and the perky but talentless Peggy (

Tuesday Knight Tuesday Lynn Knight (born Monday, February 17, 1969) is an American actress, singer and designer. She is best known for her role as Kristen Parker in the 1988 film '' A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master'', replacing Patricia Arquette i ...

). Marvin repeatedly is asked to compromise his standards and change his script to accommodate these backers until the script becomes almost unrecognizable from its original form. The project also puts a strain on the marriage of Marvin and his long-patient wife Rachel (

Laurie Metcalf Laura Elizabeth Metcalf (born June 16, 1955) is an American actress. Often described as a character actor, she's known for her complex and versitile roles across the stage and screen. She has received various accolades throughout her career sp ...

). Marvin's screenplay is a bleak one about a painter who commits suicide, and was inspired by the case of an actor named Warren ( Christopher Walken) who abruptly committed suicide by jumping off a building in the midst of the making of a film Marvin had been directing. Roth brings in young Stuart Stratland (

Jace Alexander Jason "Jace" Alexander (born April 7, 1964) is an American former television director, actor, and convicted sex offender from New York City. In 2015, Alexander was arrested for the downloading and file sharing of child pornography, and later pled ...

) to adapt the script for the investors' mistresses, but not only does Stuart constantly enrage Marvin with his suggested changes, he falls in love with Peggy and they have an affair. When Marvin's wife demands he grow up and move with her to New York, where she is opening a restaurant, he breaks up with her instead, giving his loyalty to a film that, as she puts it, nobody wants to see. On the verge of signing contracts, everything falls apart, when Beverly discovers that the role she expected to play has been drastically reduced in Peggy's favor. Marvin is left alone, a broken man, done with Hollywood for good. Or at least until the next time Jack Roth gets in touch.

Cast

Source:

Reception

Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

gives the film a score of 72% based on 18 reviews.

References

External links

* * *{{Mojo title, mistress 1992 films American comedy-drama films Films produced by Robert De Niro Films about filmmaking Films about Hollywood, Los Angeles Films about screenwriters Films about film directors and producers 1990s English-language films 1990s American films