The Fisher King

The Fisher King
Theatrical release poster
Directed byTerry Gilliam
Written byRichard LaGravenese
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRoger Pratt
Edited byLesley Walker
Music byGeorge Fenton
Production
company
Hill/Obst Productions
Distributed byTri-Star Pictures[1]
Release date
  • September 20, 1991 (1991-09-20)
Running time
137 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$24 million[2]
Box office$72.4 million[2]

The Fisher King is a 1991 American fantasy comedy-drama film written by Richard LaGravenese and directed by Terry Gilliam. Starring Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges, with Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer and Michael Jeter in supporting roles, the film tells the story of a radio shock jock who tries to find redemption by helping a man whose life he inadvertently shattered. It explores "the intermingling of New York City's usually strictly separated social strata",[3] and has been described as "a modern-day Grail Quest that fused New York romantic comedy with timeless fantasy".[4]

The film was released in the United States by TriStar Pictures on September 20, 1991. It received generally favorable reviews from critics, and grossed $72 million on a $24 million budget. At the 64th Academy Awards, the film earned five nominations, including Best Actor for Williams and Best Original Screenplay for LaGravenese, with Ruehl winning Best Supporting Actress, making The Fisher King the only Oscar-winning film of Gilliam's career.

  1. ^ Dutka, Elaine (March 8, 1991). "'The Fisher King' Pushed Back for the Oscars". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b "The Fisher King (1991) - Financial Information". The Numbers.
  3. ^ Koresky, Michael (June 24, 2015). "Michael's Turn: Michael Jeter in The Fisher King". The Criterion Collection.
  4. ^ Schwartz, Niles. "Retrieving the Grail: Robin Williams and "The Fisher King" | Features | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com.