View source for Renaissance Man (film)

{{Short description|1994 film by Penny Marshall}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Renaissance Man
| image          = Renaissance man poster.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| alt            = A short bald man in a suit and tie standing in front of four soldier in camouflage uniforms
| director       = [[Penny Marshall]]
| producer       = {{Plain list |
* [[Sara Colleton]]
* Elliot Abbott
* Penny Marshall
* [[Robert Greenhut]]
* [[Andrew G. Vajna]]
}}
| writer         = Jim Burnstein
| starring       = {{Plain list |<!--NAMES ON THE FILM POSTER ONLY-->
* [[Danny DeVito]]
* [[Gregory Hines]]
* [[James Remar]]
* [[Cliff Robertson]]
}}
| music          = [[Hans Zimmer]]
| cinematography = [[Adam Greenberg (cinematographer)|Adam Greenberg]]
| editing        = [[George Bowers (filmmaker)|George Bowers]]
| studio         = [[Touchstone Pictures]]<br />[[Penny Marshall|Parkway Productions]]<br />[[Cinergi Pictures]]
| distributor    = [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista Pictures Distribution]] (North America/South America) <br />[[Cinergi Productions]] (International)
| released       = {{Film date|1994|06|03}}
| runtime        = 128 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $40 million<ref name="numbers">{{cite web |title=Renaissance Man (1994) - Financial Information |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Renaissance-Man#tab=summary |website=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]}}</ref>
| gross          = $24 million<ref name="mojo">{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=renaissanceman.htm |title=RENAISSANCE MAN |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=August 8, 2009 }}</ref>
}}
'''''Renaissance Man''''' is a 1994 American [[comedy film]] directed by [[Penny Marshall]], and starring [[Danny DeVito]], [[Gregory Hines]], [[James Remar]] and [[Cliff Robertson]]. It follows a former advertising executive teaching uneducated recruits at an army base. In Australia, the film is known under the title of '''''Army Intelligence'''''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harris |first=Paul |date=February 5, 1995 |title=Paul Harris on video |pages=89 |work=The Age (Melbourne) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/122888920/?terms=%22renaissance%20man%22%20%22army%20intelligence%22&match=1 |access-date=September 12, 2022}}</ref> The film received generally negative reviews. It grossed $24 million at the box office against a budget of $40 million.

==Plot==
Bill Rago is a divorced advertising executive down on his luck. When he loses his job in [[Detroit]], the unemployment agency finds him a temporary job: teaching basic literacy classes at a nearby [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] training base, Fort McClane.

Initially unenthusiastic, Rago finds that he has only six weeks to teach a group of undereducated soldiers the basics of comprehension and use of English language. Most of the soldiers are only semi-literate and equally unenthusiastic.

Unable to connect with his pupils and desperate to spark their interest, Rago quotes from his favorite play, ''[[Hamlet]]'' by [[William Shakespeare]]. They are unfamiliar with it (or even the concept of a "play") and a small initial spark of interest is generated. He casts each student as a character in a classroom reading, then takes everyone on a field trip across the [[Blue Water Bridge]] to [[Stratford, Ontario]], [[Canada]], to a live performance by [[Shakespeare's plays|Shakespearean]] actors. He introduces them to Shakespeare's ''[[Henry V (play)|Henry V]]'' as well.

In the meantime, Rago takes steps to mend bridges with his daughter Emily by buying her an airline ticket to [[Mexico]] – as well as buying her a [[Schmidt-Cassegrain]] [[Catadioptric system#Catadioptric telescopes|telescope]] – so that she can start on the path to becoming a professional [[astronomer]].

Despite the disapproval of their hard-as-nails Drill Sergeant Cass, and the loss of one of the trainees, Private Roosevelt Hobbs, who is revealed as a drug dealer hiding under an assumed identity, Rago sets an end-of-term oral examination. Even the friendly Captain Tom Murdoch, who is in charge of the project, doesn't expect the soldiers to pass Rago's class, adding that if they fail they will be discharged from the Army.

Hobbs writes a letter to Rago and Murdoch, whose letters to the prison warden may result in him getting an early parole. Hobbs says he read ''[[Othello]]'' in the prison library (the librarian said he was the first inmate in 16 years to request Shakespeare) and was thinking about taking college classes once he's released.

While on duty, on a dare from Cass in front of other men, Pvt. Donnie Benitez recites the [[St Crispin's Day Speech|St. Crispin's Day Speech]] by King [[Henry V of England|Henry V]] while in full combat gear in the middle of a rainstorm during a night exercise; the speech moves even the hardened Sergeant Cass. The students then all pass Rago's class with flying colors.

Rago meets and dates Staff Sergeant Marie Leighton, a soldier in the records department who helps him do some investigation before the base's graduation ceremony. It results in Private Brian Davis Jr. being presented with the [[Silver Star]] medal his father was to have been awarded posthumously, after he was killed in [[Vietnam]].

As the proud soldiers march at their graduation parade, Rago is saluted by his "graduates". He signs on to continue teaching soldiers-in-training.

==Cast==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Danny DeVito]] as Bill Rago
* [[Gregory Hines]] as [[Sergeant first class|Sergeant First Class]] Cass
* [[James Remar]] as [[Captain]] Tom Murdoch
* [[Cliff Robertson]] as [[Colonel]] James 
* [[Ed Begley Jr.]] as Jack Markin
* [[Lillo Brancato, Jr.]] as [[Private (rank)|Private]] Donnie Benitez
* [[Stacey Dash]] as Private Miranda Myers
* [[Kadeem Hardison]] as Private Jamaal Montgomery
* [[Richard T. Jones]] as [[Corporal]] Jackson Leroy
* [[Khalil Kain]] as Private Roosevelt (Nathaniel) Hobbs
* Peter Simmons as Private Brian Davis, Jr.
* [[Gregory Sporleder|Greg Sporleder]] as Private Melvin Melvin
* [[Mark Wahlberg]] as Private Tommy Lee Haywood
* [[Ben Wright (American actor)|Ben Wright]] as Private Oswald
* [[Ann Cusack]] as Secretary
* [[Jeb Brown]] as Noah Bradley
* [[Jenifer Lewis]] as Beverly Coleman
* [[Alanna Ubach]] as Emily Rago
* [[Matt Keeslar]] as MP
* [[Isabella Hofmann]] as Staff Sergeant Marie Leighton
* [[Geoff Ramsey]] as Soldier
}}

{{Anchor|Writing|Development}}

==Production==
{{More citations needed|section|date=August 2009}}

The script was written by Jim Burnstein. Director [[Penny Marshall]] requested rewrites to make the script funnier, not merely by adding more jokes but by "deepening the characters and finding all the humor and heart in them."
Burnstein was on call during filming to answer questions about the script, particularly when it came to lines relating to ''[[Hamlet]]''. He visited the set, spending time at each location. Marshall allowed him to watch some of the [[dailies]] but as it was his first film he did not offer his opinions, and he also knew that editors would be "the last writer" and make their own changes to the film. Burnstein and his family appeared as extras at the baseball game.<ref>{{cite web |date=7 June 2013 |author1=Dane Jackson |title=Interview with Jim Burnstein, writer of Renaissance Man |url=https://cinemanerdz.com/interview-with-jim-burnstein-writer-of-renaissance-man/ |website=CinemaNerdz.com }}</ref> [[Danny DeVito]] was cast in April 1993.<ref>{{cite web |date=30 April 1993 |last1=Archerd |first1=Army |title=Vanna offers indecent fortune to Bundys |url=https://variety.com/1993/voices/columns/vanna-offers-indecent-fortune-to-bundys-1117862176/ |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |quote=Penny Marshall's asking Danny DeVito to be her 'Renaissance Man' at Disney }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=20 October 1993 |last1=Archerd |first1=Army |title=Tartikoff enjoying busy sked |url=https://variety.com/1993/voices/columns/tartikoff-enjoying-busy-sked-1117862367/ |website=Variety |quote=Cliff Robertson is in Jackson, S.C., joining Penny Marshall's 'Renaissance Man' as an Army colonel who comes up with the scheme to bring in a civilian, Danny DeVito, to instruct }}</ref>

{{Anchor|Filming}}
Filming began on July 2, 1993, and ended on November 26, 1993.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}} The scenes at the fictional "Fort McClane" were actually filmed at [[Fort Jackson (South Carolina)|Fort Jackson]], [[South Carolina]].<ref name="latimes-drill">{{cite web |date=May 15, 1994 |author=Robert W. Welkos |title=DRILL MEN: You're in the Army Now, Pvt. Marky Mark. Yikes! |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-05-15-ca-57892-story.html |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] }}</ref><ref name="Stack">{{cite web |date=June 2, 1994 |author=PETER STACK |title=DIRECTOR MARSHALL GETS DOWN, DIRTY IN S.C. |url=https://greensboro.com/director-marshall-gets-down-dirty-in-s-c/article_2e589cb3-bef6-50c0-ac64-c69e4ce25b5e.html |website=Greensboro News and Record |agency=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]}}</ref> The production trailers were set up alongside the barracks on "Tank Hill". During the filming, soldiers were filmed doing P.T. (physical training) and B.R.M. (basic rifle marksmanship), and the graduation scene of the film was shot during an actual basic training graduation. In one of these scenes [[Geoff Ramsey]] can be seen doing jumping jacks. The scene of Danny DeVito on a pay phone was shot at a phone bank that countless soldiers have used to call home during basic training. The scenes of DeVito going over the bridge from [[Detroit]] to [[Canada]] are actually him driving over the [[Blue Water Bridge]] in [[Point Edward, Ontario]] and [[Port Huron, Michigan]].

It had a production budget of $40 million.<ref name="numbers" />

== Reception ==
''Renaissance Man'' received mainly negative reviews.<ref>{{cite web |date=18 December 2018 |last1=Gates |first1=Anita |title=Penny Marshall, 'Laverne & Shirley' Star and Movie Director, Dies at 75 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/18/obituaries/penny-marshall-dead.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181218204618/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/18/obituaries/penny-marshall-dead.html |archive-date=2018-12-18 |quote=was savaged by critics}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] gave the film one and a half stars out of a possible four.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 3, 1994 |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |author1-link=Roger Ebert |title=Renaissance Man |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/renaissance-man-1994 |website=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |publisher=RogerEbert.com }} {{Rating|1.5|4}}</ref> Ebert said that "the touch that was used so well in director Penny Marshall's previous films ''[[Big (film)|Big]]'' and ''[[A League of Their Own]]'' is totally missing in ''Renaissance Man'' and it feels like a cross between ''[[Dead Poets Society]]'' and ''[[Private Benjamin (1980 film)|Private Benjamin]]'' but does not have the warmth or spirit of those films." He also wondered what DeVito's character teaching [[William Shakespeare]]'s plays had to do with the training of the military recruits. Ebert gave it a thumbs-down on his television show, but partner [[Gene Siskel]] enjoyed it as pleasant fare and gave it a thumbs-up.{{Citation needed|reason=TV show reference needed|date=April 2022}}<ref name="Siskel">{{cite web |date=1994-06-03 |author=Gene Siskel |author-link=Gene Siskel |title='RENAISSANCE MAN' MARCHES WITH SERVICE COMEDY CLICHES |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-06-03-9406030026-story.html |website=[[Chicago Tribune]] }}</ref>  [[Kim Newman]] of ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine called it "a feel good movie which is too mechanically put together to make you feel anything."<ref>{{cite web |date=1994 |author=Kim Newman |author-link=Kim Newman |title=Renaissance Man |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/renaissance-man-review/ |website=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] }} {{Rating|2|5}}</ref><ref name="Lowry">{{cite web |date=31 May 1994 |last=Lowry |first=Brian |title=Renaissance Man |url=https://variety.com/review/VE1117902766 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised the likable cast but called it "Inherently condescending, and finally awash in warm-bath sentimentality, this setup never goes out of style."<ref name="Maslin">{{cite web |date=3 June 1994 |last=Maslin |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |title=Review/Film; DeVito Gets Lessons From Soldier Students |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/03/movies/review-film-devito-gets-lessons-from-soldier-students.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526100646/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/03/movies/review-film-devito-gets-lessons-from-soldier-students.html |archive-date=2015-05-26 |url-status=live |quote=Wahlberg, playing a tough Southern soldier who finds ample reasons to take his shirt off, oozes gritty confidence and makes a strong, swaggering impression on the big screen. }}</ref>

On [[Rotten Tomatoes]] it holds a 12% rating based on 25 reviews. The site's consensus states: "''Renaissance Man'' tries to simultaneously be a literary comedy, an inspirational drama, and a star vehicle that caters to Danny DeVito's strengths, but proves to be a master of none."<ref>{{cite web|title= ''Renaissance Man'' (1994)|publisher= [[Rotten Tomatoes]]|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/renaissance_man|access-date=2020-05-15}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 44 out of 100 based on 20 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Renaissance Man|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/renaissance-man |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=2021-07-06}}</ref> Audiences surveyed by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a grade "A−" on scale of A to F.<ref>{{cite web |title=RENAISSANCE MAN (1994) A- |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |publisher=[[CinemaScore]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date=2018-12-20 }}</ref>

The film flopped at the U.S box office, grossing only [[United States dollar|US$]]24 million in the United States and Canada in 12 weeks.<ref name=reissue/> It was hindered by competing with summer blockbusters such as ''[[Speed (1994 film)|Speed]]'', ''[[True Lies]]'', ''[[The Flintstones (film)|The Flintstones]]'', and ''[[The Lion King]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cerone |first=Daniel |date=June 7, 1994 |title=Weekend Box Office: 'Flintstones' Keeps Rolling Along |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-06-07-ca-1339-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=2022-01-06 }}</ref>

== Year-end lists ==
* Dishonorable mention&nbsp;– Glenn Lovell, ''[[San Jose Mercury News]]''<ref>{{cite news|last=Lovell|first=Glenn|date=December 25, 1994 |title=The Past Picture Show the Good, the Bad and the Ugly -- a Year Worth's of Movie Memories|newspaper=[[San Jose Mercury News]]|page=3|edition=Morning Final}}</ref>

==Reissue==
The film was reissued on September 16, 1994 on 17 screens in the [[Seattle]] area under the title ''By the Book'' but did not fare any better.<ref name=reissue>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|date=September 20, 1994|page=27|title=DiCaprio as Dean; 'Man' trouble; AIDS humor|last=Fleming|first=Michael}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0110971|title=Renaissance Man}}
* {{tcmdb title|18827|Renaissance Man}}

{{Penny Marshall}}

[[Category:1994 films]]
[[Category:1994 comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:American comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:Cinergi Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films about educators]]
[[Category:Films based on works by William Shakespeare]]
[[Category:Films directed by Penny Marshall]]
[[Category:Films scored by Hans Zimmer]]
[[Category:Military comedy films]]
[[Category:Summit Entertainment films]]
[[Category:Touchstone Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films produced by Robert Greenhut]]
[[Category:Films produced by Andrew G. Vajna]]
[[Category:Films about the United States Army]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:English-language comedy-drama films]]