Based on the novel by Richard Condon, Prizzi’s Honor is famed director John Huston‘s wildly entertaining comedy-drama. The film — which was released 32 years ago this week — brings together Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner as contract killers who work for a mafia Don. After a series of events, they fall in love, are married, and subsequently hired to kill each other.
So yeah, it’s the typical love story.
Pre-dating the dysfunctional experiences of The Sopranos by years, the film offered alternative look at mafia life that differed from the traditional portrayal of mobsters that The Godfather films offered. That, combined with a stylish script, typically brilliant direction from Huston, and a supporting role from Anjelica Huston (which earned her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar) as the old flame of Nicholson’s character, made this a critical and box office favorite that was nominated for a total of eight Oscars. It remains one of the most beloved films of the 1980s, layered with dark comedy and rich, complex characters.
Here’s Anjelica Houston accepting her Best Supporting Actress Oscar:
If it’s been awhile since you’ve seen Prizzi’s Honor, we recommend you check out the just-released DVD and Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics to re-experience its offbeat charms and unforgettable characters.