Amos & Andrew (1993) User Reviews

Funny

[Enchorde · 7/10 · 22 September 2008]

Recap: Andrews first day in his new home is not a happy one. Mistaken for a burglar in his own house, he soon finds himself the hostage in a situation planned by the local chief of police.

Comments: A surprisingly good comedy. I like movies that start quite slowly but that speeds up with every twist and turn. This is a plot where everything starts out nice and easy but that become increasingly more complicated (for the characters) with every attempt to solve everything. Soon everybody finds themselves in a mess no one can escape. And with every turn, it becomes funnier. So, it surely works as a fun entertainment when you're tired.

And if you want, there are some seeds of real importance that you can ponder upon. But really, just enjoy the laughs.

7/10

Satiric, silly and worth a look

[johnedit · 6/10 · 23 February 2001]

The reviews for `Amos & Andrew' are all over the place, from Leonard Maltin's `BOMB' to The Washington Post Style section critic's rave (though the Post's Weekend section reviewer gave it a devastating pan).

Any movie that gets this range of reaction is not all bad, and `Amos & Andrew' has a number of redeeming values.

Its racial satire (which can be serious as well as slapstick, often in the same minute) seems a natural extension of Stanley Kramer's `The Defiant Ones' (1958). In both films, a white and a black man are handcuffed together and escaping from the law.

The differences between the films are telling, however. In `Defiant,' both men are racists. They know little about each other's race, except what they think is the bad stuff (if I remember the film correctly). But both are poor and, as the film reveals, have much more in common than they thought.

In `A&A,' the black man is a third generation, college-educated upper middleclass professional. He has succeeded in a white world (Pulitzer-prize; well-paid for his books and screenplays; a celebrity and a college professor; and more). But he still dislikes and distrusts whites, with reason.

The white man is a drifter and petty thief, but he doesn't dislike blacks; indeed, he probably knows them better than the black man. And he's as much an outsider as the black man.

These ideas, and the comedy evolving from them, make `A&A' fascinating and, sometimes in a simplistic way, thought-provoking. The humor often is sharp and funny, though it can become too silly and off the point. So the film is both clever and stupid, original and cliché.

I often found myself laughing out loud as the film piled on smart gag after smart gag, slowing down only at the obvious, familiar and overplayed ones.

Some may find the basic premise, a black man thought to be a burglar only because he's seen in a house in an exclusive white neighborhood, as tasteless and offensive, or at least not played out with sufficient outrage.

Others may be grateful that such a pointed idea was dramatized without self-righteous anger and superiority. To them, this modest, light touch conveyed the message much more effectively, especially to those who needed to hear it, than a harder-edged film might have.

Overall, there's enough good stuff in 'A&A,' including the acting by Nicholas Cage (when he still was good) and Samuel L. Jackson to push the film to a 2 ½ to 3-star rating. It's worth a look.

One of those movies you need to see!

[Gloede_The_Saint · 7/10 · 25 July 2007]

This film is possibly one of the funniest films ever. A seriously great flick which will make you laugh more than ones. Great acting, writing and directing and the plot is so brilliant that you want believe it. Samuel L. Jackson (one of the best actors alive plays Andrew Sterling a extremely rich and successful African American which has just bought a summer house on a "all white" island. The previous owners of the summer house has not told anybody that it was for sail and when two of the neighbors see him inside they naturally assume he is a criminal. He's nice car outside also make them believe he's holding the previous owners hostage and they call the police. The police assumes the same and over a little misunderstanding they start firing at him. When the realize how wrong they where the police chief (which is running for Major) makes a plan to justify everything and fool everyone so they make a deal with the life criminal Amos (played by Nicolas Cage) to stage a hostage situation against letting him get out of jail. But then the pres finds out about the story and the chief has to go back on his deal, unfortunately for him they both finds out the truth.

"In an election year?"

[ajdagreat · 12 June 2001]

Hated by some critics, ignored by the movie-viewing public, "Amos and Andrew" is a very underrated movie with a message.

First of all, this film has great performances from the whole cast. Nicholas Cage, Samuel L. Jackson, Dabney Coleman, all of them were hilarious in this movie. Even the supporting cast (especially Bob Balaban) were hilarious. If you want to see Samuel L. Jackson actually act instead of just being some cop or criminal advocating senseless violence, see this movie. Second of all, the script was great; I loved all the twists and turns that the plot took. It's part of what made this movie so funny. I also enjoyed the political satire in Dabney Coleman's character. Finally, the movie contains an important message. It speaks out against racism. Even without the segregation which Martin Luther King, Jr. fought against, society is not colorblind, and that point is exhibited well in this movie.

Don't believe the IMDB vote rating or the high-and-mighty movie critics. Believe me. This is an excellent piece of filmmaking.

Just where was The Kingfish?

[helpless_dancer · 7/10 · 3 September 2001]

And Lightnin'? Well, Leonard may have rated this one a bomb, but I rather enjoyed the absurdity. And was it really that unreasonable? I can see today's dishonest law enforcement trying to pull some ridiculous stunt like this to cover their own butts. View the shenanigans that went on in the White House in recent years. Cage and Jackson were great together and the picture was funny. Plus, I've seen protesters act exactly this stupid.

Comedy of errors, sheriff gets what he deserves.

[wallrust · 6/10 · 27 November 2005]

Good comedy, well written & acted. Unusual part for Samuel Jackson, a nice change, and he does an excellent job in his roll. Dabney Coleman does an outstanding job of portraying the stereotypical dumb-racist-goofy sheriff. I think the only overacted part was done by Nick Cage. His part as a spastic jerk was good, but maybe a bit too hyper or extreme. Nobody is that animated!

This movie does have a good social commentary, and it is the root of it's creation. Cudos to the creators, for much care and effort in doing a well balanced production! Not so heavy the message, as to blow the fun of this flick. Not so light, that the attitudes and results of them, can't be clearly seen.

Ignorance gets it's just reward, and the righteous prevail! Typical stereotype movie? Sure! It is a fun production, and a good popcorn & soda spitter, worth your time if you haven't seen it. Bonus? ...Nobody dies!

Social commentary kind of comedy.

[jane-42 · 1/10 · 26 June 2001]

This film doesn't really work, but it's an interesting idea, the black man mistook for a criminal. The script is dark, and this was made around the time of the Rodney King debacle, so maybe the country wasn't ready for it. I watched it for Nickolas Cage, I'm a big "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" fan, and he was pretty good. I liked the way he used to look back then, he was less "perfect". Samuel Jackson is really good in this film, he too played a real character. Bob Balaban (remember him from "Midnight Cowboy"?) is also really good. The ending doesn't work, but this is worth a look.

Good Nicolas Cage Movie

[monkey-man · 6/10 · 4 April 2006]

Amos & Andrew (1993).

Andrew Sterling (Samuel L. Jackson) is a rich and successful black man who buys a vacation house in New England.And as he is unpacking some of his belongs the Neighbours see him and mistake him for a burglar so they call the police.After the police surround the house and try to kill him they realize that they made a big mistake.So the chef of the police decided to use a man in jail named Amos Odell (Nicolas Cage) to fake a kidnapping of Andrew Sterling because he did not want bad publicity.

I bought this movie a few weeks ago on a second hand video tape for a few dollars and i finally got around to watching it today.I never watched this movie before i bought it and i am glad i bought it because this movie is good and i can see myself watching this movie over and over again.

Over all this movie is worth your time to watch and i think you will really enjoy this movie.My rating for this movie is 6 out of 10.

(L)Amos and (BL)Andrew.......

[FlashCallahan · 2/10 · 1 September 2013]

When Andrew Sterling, a successful writer buys a vacation home on a resort in New England, locals mistake him for a burglar.

After surrounding his home with armed men, Chief Tolliver realises his mistake and to avoid the bad publicity offers a thief in his jail, Amos Odell a deal.

Amos is to pretend to take Andrew prisoner and hold him for ransom but let him go and escape.

The pair realise that the Chief's problems are all gone if the two of them both die in a gun battle......

So the whole film is supposed to be a topical satire on how suburbanites are supposed to typecast people of different ethnicities. Does it work? No. Did I find it offensive? Yes.

The writer of this poison, has basically depicted everyone who live on the island apart from Andrew, as moronic Neanderthals from the dark ages, who are fascinated with status and fame.

Cage just plays an idiot, plain and simple, and Jackson is basically a calmer version of Zeus from Die Hard 3, who feels oppressed, and this is supposed to be funny?

Its not funny, I couldn't think of anybody who wouldn't be offended by this, because the subject matter is dealt with like a soiled nappy.

Its no wonder it never got a theatrical release here in the UK.

Its a big thing to say this, but its Cages most awful film, and I've seen Deadfall and Stolen..

Standard, Underrated Buddy Comedy With Some Funny Moments

[monkeysgalore · 6/10 · 5 April 2020]

This strangely forgotten 90s buddy comedy is pretty fun, and actually pretty original as well. It's most notable for being an early screen appearance of both Samuel L. Jackson and Nicolas Cage, who as you probably guessed are the best things about the movie.

A stupid couple sees Samuel L. Jackson in the new house he bought and mistake him for a burglar, so they call the police. Once the cops realize their mistake, they decide to frame a criminal rather than admit their mess up, so they convince Nicolas Cage to play the burglar, leading to a wild, confiding night in which the pair must deal with dimwitted cops, weird neighbors, and racial prejudices.

The movie gets a little preachy with its anti-racism message, though it is a product of the 90s, so it gets more of a pass than more modern anti-racism films that outspokenly oppose something that's not even really a problem today. I have the controversial opinion that racism is not even existent today, and the best way to combat racism is to ignore it. The more you scream racism, the more attention you give it. So that was a bit of an issue for me with this film, it's emphasis on racial issues, but it ended up being better than I thought.

The comedy bits were pretty funny, and rather than a laugh-a-minute, it's more consistently mildly funny throughout.

I've seen this described as an action comedy, which I guess is true, but it BARELY scrapes by in the action department. There's a cool scene early one where a cop fires at Jackson on a porch, and there's also a fight between Cage and Jackson, and a brief chase in a cornfield. This is definitely a comedy, so don't look to this film to fill your action needs.

A forgotten 90s comedy, this is a fun little movie that has some solid performances from its two stars.

Very good noting more

[jmarinko-1 · 5/10 · 9 October 2007]

A few years ago when I first saw a poster with Samuel and Nicolas, I immediatelly rented this movie. 'Cause I am a great fan of both and knowing that they are legendary actors I haven't imagine that this movie could be so average. But now I realized that. However this movie isn't bad at all. Story is interesting,some jokes are really good,Sam and Nicolas are a great couple , but I think that directing is most negative side of this motion picture. And maby Max Frye is the one who should be blamed because "Amos & Andrew" is so disappointing movie. Actually without of Sam and Nicolas this movie would be a complete disaster. At the end, I wouldn't recommend this movie to all who want a good comedy,but if you are a fan you can watch how your favourite actors made something more out of this movie.

I won't spoil the plot for you (too many people already have).

[Jdidalot · 9/10 · 17 May 2012]

One on those rare DVD I've purchased and watch when I need to relax and have a laugh. Nic Cage is amazing in it and Jackson is as versatile as always. I can't help smiling watching Dabney Coleman (remembering him as Merle Jeeter in the Mary Hartman sitcom). I just love this movie. It's just clean fun and daring to show on screen the preconceived and non-politically correct concepts that some people have. I had this movie in a VHS format and could not help getting it in a DVD format. This is a comedy classic that you should purchase just to be able to watch it when you feel like it. So get some popcorn, get the family and friends around the screen and have a good time.

No classic, but worth seeing

[mattymatt4ever · 7/10 · 27 January 2003]

The theme of racial bigotry is quite outdated, so the film's social commentary didn't really intrigue me. But it did make me laugh. Nicolas Cage and Samuel L. Jackson (both on my favorite actors list) give spirited performances. And I liked the rap song at the end by Sir Mix A Lot, which pretty much sums up the film's themes in a nutshell. The story is predictable and the comedy never hits a bull's eye, but it comes close enough. "Amos and Andrew" is not a memorable comedy, but it's worth watching, especially if you're a fan of the two main actors.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

Very Underrated

[neobowler · 4/10 · 29 October 2002]

This movie definitely isn't the best, but it is very much underrated. It was an enjoyable movie to watch. Samuel L. Jackson is always great, and Cage isn't that bad. It wasn't that great of a movie, but you can't help but to be interested in it. I would give it a 6 out of 10!

Brilliant Comedy

[poj-man · 26 August 2011]

Nicolas Cage plays a low life loser in the jail in the Hamptons.

Samuel Jackson plays a Nobel prize winning man moving into the Hamptons.

While moving in to his new house the neighbors see Jackson carrying stereo equipment; they call the cops because "when you see a black man with an armful of stereo equipment on this island you know damn good and well what is going on!"

Let the comedy begin! Structurally the story well put together with excellent foreshadowing and dialogue. This is a comedy with a purpose.

This is a story about white\black race relations in America and is very relevant today. This is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen in my life!

race relations among neighbors

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 21 December 2020]

From the title, we know the story will have SOMETHING to do with race relations. The amazing Dabney Coleman is Chief Tolliver, who shows up when neighbors call in a robbery going on in the house next door. the only problem is... the guy owns the house. he's black. and he gets shot at by the racist police. and then they try to cover it up. talk about a problem snowballing from bad to worse. so the chief asks for help from Amos, a small time crook they have in the jail ( Nicolas Cage, in between Moonstruck and Las Vegas). Amos starts to cooperate, but quickly realizes he's in much bigger trouble than before. so Amos and Andrew hatch their own plan to get revenge. and the ante is upped when they bring in the hostage negotiator (the awesome Bob Balaban). the story really slows down in the middle, but it's pretty good overall. does a good job of really showing people being ignorant and racist, and not even realizing it, based on their own background and history. Written and directed by Max Frye, who will be nominated for Foxcatcher about 20 years later.

An OK comedy.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 6/10 · 27 March 2004]

The most funny thing about this movie is the concept. A man (Samuel L. Jackson) is because of his skin color mistaken for a burglar. When the police surrounds the house and realize the mistake they made they come up with the idea of letting a real criminal (Nicolas Cage) take the black man hostage and hold him for ransom to avoid the bad publicity. Sounds like a good concept for a comedy, unfortunately it sounds better than it is.

Nicolas Cage is not the greatest comical talent and Samuel L. Jackson once again plays the role that he played so many times before, the black man who becomes the victim of white society. He plays the same role as he did in "Die Hard: With a Vengeance" and to be frank I'm getting tired of him playing this kind of roles. I really love Samuel L. Jackson but he should stop playing this kind of roles. Luckily Dabney Coleman and Brad Dourif still provide some good comical moments.

For a comedy it certainly lacks some funny moments, there are some but simply not enough to make a good comedy. A nice effort but the result is a not completely successful and at times empty comedy.

An OK comedy to kill some time with but not a must see.

6/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Unfunny critical mess

[Rodrigo_Amaro · 1/10 · 28 September 2020]

A script this troubled isn't a temporary thing. F. Max Frye had some real nerve to come up with something so pathetic and beyond that whoever goes through deserves some special award. A racist comedy of errors begin when the New rich Black in town (Samuel L. Jackson, from "Jungle Fever") is confused by the white mob when a dangerous prisioner (Nicolas Cage, "The Rock") is on the loose. With Jackson's Family being held on gunpoint by the clueless robber, the community and police force are trying to understand everything that always makes Samuel go through hell action or rebuttal for by a festivus of ignorant background characters join the party such as Brad Dourif, Dabney Coleman and Michael Lerner.

The scenario played in "Amos & Andrew" is so painfully created, dangerously conceived and imagined that there's no space for humor. Zero. It's the kind of thing that hapens in the local news and the audiences are terrified to see how it ends. As a horror movie it'd have a chance to become a cult favorite for it's period.

Cage and Jackson are some the greatest entertainners certain generations had the chance to see on countless movies. Here, they are forgettable. But the story written and directed is a complete rubbish that shouldn't exist at all. It's a mystery to understand how one can go from creating Demme's "Something Wild" a caotic dark comedy and then move to something so lifeless and painful.

Years later Frey career surprised the public and critics with "Foxcatcher" directed by Bennett Miller and co-written by Dan Futterman and they received awards and some Oscar nominations. Those after qualities presented are not here to make you want to see how bad it was a wasted reunion on talents. It feels like a downill that never ends, with bumpy obstacles and dumb characters on the way. You deserve better. 1/10

Simple but Fun

[damianphelps · 6/10 · 13 December 2020]

Very basic premise of presumption leads to an amusing movie driven by the 2 leads.

Cage is great but Jackson takes the win for best actor.

Silly fun but worth a look even though it has aged a little.

desperately unfunny

[mjneu59 · 2/10 · 3 November 2010]

A noted black author (Samuel L. Jackson), mistaken for a prowler in his own house, is pinned down by the local Keystone Kops, and police chief Dabney Coleman tries to cover the goof by giving white trash petty criminal Nicholas Cage a loaded shotgun so he can pretend to hold Jackson hostage for a few minutes. Why Coleman didn't think to begin this unlikely charade at the moment of arrest is anyone's guess, but Cage (of course) plays it for real, with entirely predictable consequences. This is one of those strictly formula comedies built around an escalating series of misunderstandings, the first of which is the assumption that the average intelligence of its target audience is somewhere around the kindergarten level. Bright spots are provided by Brad Dourif in one of his reliable psycho supporting roles, and by Bob Balaban as a touchy-feely criminal psychologist (doing a perfect imitation of Fred Rogers crossed with Leo Buscaglia). Otherwise this witless farce offers further proof that you can't trust any movie advertised on the side of a bus: it's not even smart enough to qualify as dumb fun.

Life Imitates Art

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 16 April 2020]

"Amos & Andrew" is a direct play on the "Amos n' Andy" radio show. "Amos 'n' Andy" was a minstrel show in which two white men played Black characters. It aired from 1928-1960 and was immensely popular.

"Amos & Andrew" the movie was a snippet of common everyday stereotyping and/or racism.

In 2009, Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested while entering his Cambridge, Mass. home. Neighbors believed that he and his driver were burglars. Talk about life imitating art.

"Amos & Andrew" began with Andrew Sterling (Samuel L. Jackson) in his expensive Watauga Island, Mass. summer home trying to fix his stereo. The neighbors, Phil (Michael Lerner) and Judy Gillman (Margaret Colin), see him in the home they believe belongs to the Beasons and call the police. The police, being equally ignorant and racist, totally overreact, surround the home, and shoot at Andrew when he attempted to silence his car alarm.

The entire situation just gets further and further out of hand largely due to an ambitious police chief, Cecil Tolliver (Dabney Coleman), running for commissioner.

When I saw this movie years ago Samuel Jackson was just the "Hey! I recognize him" guy. I knew his face from "Do the Right Thing" and "Jungle Fever," but I didn't yet know his name. Nicolas Cage, however, I did know. Nicolas Cage played Amos in "Amos & Andrew." He was a petty crook who was wrapped into the entire fiasco by Chief Cecil Tolliver.

The movie hit upon some real truths even though it was done comedically. Maybe in real life things don't ever get to the extent they did in this movie, but it wasn't much of an exaggeration.

Too slapskick kills interesting idea

[guyb · 5/10 · 8 March 2002]

I rented this because I'm a big fan of Jackson and Cage and thought this would be vintage work by them. Indeed it was and I did enjoy the decent acting they did. However, they didn't really have much to work with. The idea of the film was pretty interesting and it got my attention at first. However, it kept switching from half serious tenseness to stupid slapstick. Eventually, the slapstick wins out and is suck my preachy racist diatribes. Dabny Coleman was his usual self, which was OK, but the slapstick sunk him too.

One of the most underrated, overlooked comedies of the 1990s

[AnonII · 8/10 · 4 May 2001]

One of the most underrated, overlooked comedies of the 1990s, and a social satire that DOES work, Maltin's faulty opinion to the contrary. Cage is brilliant, as is Bob Balaban. Writer/director E. Max Frye deserved much better reception for this sharp, smart piece of work. Unfortunately, the film's ending was apparently re-worked, to the satisfaction of almost no one on the creative team.

Coincidentally, the angry mob torch scene in this movie was shot practically the same time the 'Rodney King' riots unfolded 3000 miles away in LA.

Silly, light comedy

[johnny-08 · 3/10 · 16 November 2007]

Andrew Sterling (Samuel L. Jackson) is very successful writer and a winner of Pulitzer award; and he decides to buy a vacation home on a resort in New England. In front of his house police mistakes him for a burglar. Soon Chief Tolliver (Dabney Coleman) realizes his mistake and to avoid the bad publicity, in election year, he offers Amos Odell (Nicolas Cage) a deal. Amos is just another ordinary thief, who has to pretend to take Andrew as prisoner and hold him for ransom but let him go and escape. But everything doesn't go according to the plan.

Amos & Andrew is just another light comedy that you shouldn't take too seriously. It has two great actors: Cage and Jackson and few funny situations. The important part of the whole story is white and black people in America. Director E. Max Frye really puts this issue in the middle of the story and he doesn't steps on any side. He showed white people who only cares about money and power, just like Chief Tolliver (in election year). He showed black people who are obsessed with that felling that they are different from others (Andrew Sterling, Reverend Fenton Brunch) and that white people are always trying to back them down. Actually only positive character is Amos Odell. And he is criminal. Ironic, isn't it?

Hilarious Comedy and Still So Relevant today

[docm-32304 · 8/10 · 19 May 2018]

This was another underrated movie by IMDB. The acting is great, the characters are hilarious and the even though you can easily get ahead of the situations that are about to happen, I still laughed my head off. Yes, this movie is for those who love pure entertainment. It was great to see a toned down Samuel Jackson who didn't play his usual clichéd persona. Nicholas Cage, is reminiscent of his character in Raising Arizona as a bumbling idiot of a criminal. Dabney Coleman nailed it as the politically minded sheriff and the look on his face when he realizes what has just gone down is priceless. The fact that this kind of thing still happens today makes the movie a timeless classic. I highly recommend it.