Analyze This

''Analyze This'' is a 1999 American crime comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, who co-wrote the screenplay with playwrights Kenneth Lonergan and Peter Tolan. It follows a crisis-stricken mafioso ( Robert De Niro) who solicits the assistance of a reluctant psychiatrist ( Billy Crystal).

The film was given a wide release by Warner Bros. Pictures and Roadshow Entertainment on March 5, 1999, grossing $176.9 million worldwide, and received positive reviews. Due to its success, it was followed by the sequel '' Analyze That'' in 2002.

Plot

Mob boss Paul Vitti and his '' consigliere'' Manetta are discussing an upcoming meeting and the Mafia's present-day problems over lunch. As Manetta warns Paul to look out for Primo Sindone (an up-and-coming mafioso who wants to be '' capo di tutti capi''), gunmen bypass and kill Manetta.

Psychiatrist Ben Sobel is disillusioned with his life: his son from his first marriage spies on his sessions, his patients have been boring him, and his wedding to Laura MacNamara is nearing. Distracted, Ben accidentally rear-ends a car belonging to Paul. Jelly, one of Vitti's men, takes the blame, but Ben gives Jelly his business card in case he decides to contact him regarding damages.

During a meeting, Paul has a panic attack and tells Jelly that he needs to see a psychiatrist, but it has to be kept a secret. Jelly recommends Ben. Paul visits Ben, claiming that his friend needs therapy, but Ben deduces his lie. As he realizes that Paul is talking about himself, it impresses Paul enough to want to see him permanently, to Ben's chagrin. Ben flies to Miami for his wedding with Laura, but Paul, Jelly and the crew follow him. Paul explains that he has been suffering from erectile dysfunction, and Ben suggests that the source of the problem might be stress.

The next day, Paul has another panic attack and demands to see Ben. Paul explains his history with his father, so Ben thinks that this might have something to do with Paul's anxiety. The wedding is interrupted when an assassin is killed by Jelly. Ben confronts Paul, causing him to lose his temper. Ben suggests that he resolve his anger by calling Primo and telling him how he feels. Paul phones Primo and threatens to kill him if he makes another attempt on Paul's life.

Ben and his family return to their home in New York, where they discover a fountain in their garden, a gift from Paul. The FBI arrives and requests that Ben informs on Paul, but he refuses despite the FBI's threats. He changes his mind when the FBI plays a tape on which Paul reveals his intention to kill Ben after the meeting (which the FBI had doctored: Paul actually said that he would kill anyone who harmed Ben).

At his next meeting with Paul, Ben wears a wire but discards it when he learns that, as a child, Paul witnessed his father being murdered. Paul, informed that Ben is working with the FBI, takes him to a secluded place to kill him. They get into a heated argument, but Paul begins sobbing as he admits that he blames himself for his father's death. Two hitmen arrive to kill Paul, but Jelly kills them both. Paul apologizes for planning to kill Ben, and the two go their separate ways.

On the day of the meeting, Paul has a severe emotional breakdown. Jelly interrupts Ben's wedding, requesting that Ben attend the meeting as Paul's ''consigliere''. Ben is nervous at first, but eventually grows into his role and ends up offending Primo so much that he pulls a gun on Ben. Paul arrives, orders Primo to stand down, and announces that he knows that a traitor in his own family killed Dominic, but he will not seek revenge because he has decided to retire from the Mafia. Outside, a shootout ensues between Paul's and Primo's men, during which Ben sacrifices himself for Paul. The FBI intervenes, the mobsters are arrested, and Ben is taken to the hospital.

Ben visits Paul in prison, and Paul thanks Ben for his help before informing him that Primo is dead. At home, Ben dances with his new wife as Tony Bennett serenades them.

Cast

Production

Development

''Analyze This'' was co-produced and co-financed by the American Warner Bros. and the Australian Roadshow Entertainment.

Reception

Box office

''Analyze This'' opened in 2,518 theaters and earned an average of $7,017 per location, for an estimated $18 million opening, putting it at number 1 at the box office for that weekend; it exceeded the $13 million debut of Crystal's '' City Slickers'' in 1991. It would also break '' Ronin''s record for having the largest opening weekend for a Robert De Niro film. The film held this record until the release of '' Meet the Parents'' in October 2000. The opening weekend audience skewed older, with 75% over the age of 25, and audience demographics being 54% female to 46% male. The film went on to earn $107 million at the domestic box office and a further $70 million at the international box office, for a worldwide total of $177 million.

Critical response

On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 69% from 106 reviews, with an average rating of 6.50/10. The website's consensus states: "''Analyze This'' is a satisfying comedy with great performances by De Niro and Crystal." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, based on 30 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A–" on a scale of A+ to F.

Roger Ebert of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' gave the film three stars out of four, saying that the film would be thought of in terms of the two leads, but also praised Joe Viterelli for his subtle performance that holds the film together.

'' Variety'''s review highlighted the film as a "sometimes funny situation comedy in which the mechanics of the situation eventually overwhelm the comedy".

In his review for ''The Hollywood Reporter'', David Hunter stated that "''Analyze This'' has multiple personalities and hits the audience with a few fresh jokes but far too many 1970s mafia movie cliches", and found the performances in the film lacking, with both De Niro and Crystal not fully realizing the comic potential of the premise and certain moments falling short of authenticity.

Geoff Andrew of '' Time Out'' described the comedy as "heavy" and the use of the actors as "lazy and cliched".

''Analyze This'' drew several comparisons by journalists to the mafia show ''The Sopranos'', which had premiered two months earlier, due to its plot about mobster Tony Soprano seeing a psychiatrist after suffering a panic attack. The film is also mentioned in ''The Sopranos'' episode " Guy Walks into a Psychiatrist's Office...".

References

External links

*
*

{{Authority control

1999 films
1999 black comedy films
1999 crime comedy films
American crime comedy films
1990s English-language films
Films about murderers
Films about psychiatry
Films directed by Harold Ramis
Films set in Miami
Films set in New York City
Films shot in Miami
Films shot in New Jersey
Films shot in New York City
American black comedy films
Mafia comedy films
Films with screenplays by Harold Ramis
Village Roadshow Pictures films
Warner Bros. films
Films with screenplays by Kenneth Lonergan
Films with screenplays by Peter Tolan
Films scored by Howard Shore
1990s American films
Films about the American Mafia
English-language black comedy films
English-language crime comedy films