City Hall
Drama, Thriller
Warner Bros.  (1996) 111 mins R

6.1 (8,277 votes)
Murder,
Corruption,
Cover-Up,
Scandal…

In a performance both volatile and graceful, Al Pacino reteams with Sea of Love director Harold Becker as New York Mayor John Pappas in City Hall, a savvy thriller that's the first film ever shot inside the lower Manhattan structure that's ground zero for the city's government. That and other NYC locations provide the vivid settings as an idealistic mayoral aide (John Cusack) follows a trail of subversion and cover-up that may loop back to the man he serves and reveres. Bridget Fonda, Danny Aiello, Martin Landau, Tony Franciosa and David Paymer add more starry brilliance to this gripping tale of power. And the power behind the power....

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Cast and Crew
Al Pacino  ......  Mayor John Pappas
John Cusack  ......  Deputy Mayor Kevin Calhoun
Bridget Fonda  ......  Marybeth Cogan
Danny Aiello  ......  Frank Anselmo
Martin Landau  ......  Judge Walter Stern
David Paymer  ......  Abe Goodman
Director  .....  Harold Becker
Producer  .....  Harold Becker; Ken Lipper; Edward R. Pressman; Charles Mulvehill
Writer  .....  Ken Lipper; Paul Schrader; Nicholas Pileggi
Notes
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: In the shootout at the beginning of the movie, there is an obvious squib on the front of Tino's jacket visible just before the detective shoots him. (more)

Trivia:
The character of Frank Anselmo was based in part on Brooklyn-born Queens Borough President Donald Manes, who was caught up in real estate development scandals and attempted suicide in his car in 1986 by slashing his wrists. Although he survived, he succeeded in killing himself two months later by plunging an eight inch kitchen knife into his heart. (more)

Filming Locations:
Belt Parkway, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA (more)

Quotes:
Kevin Calhoun: The only thing new about this world is the history we don't know. (more)

Awards:
1 nomination (more)