March 19, 2024
'Internal Affairs'
The Ringer's Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan are too fucking macho after rewatching the 1990 crime-thriller 'Internal Affairs,' starring Richard Gere, Andy Garcia, and Nancy Travis.
Cast
Richard Gere as Dennis Peck
Andy Garcia as Raymond Avilla
Billy Baldwin as Van Stretch
Nancy Travis as Kathleen Avilla
Annabella Sciorra as Heather Peck
Laurie Metcalf as Amy Wallace
John Kapelos as Steven Arrocas
Xander Berkeley as Rudy
Directed by: Mike Figgis
Written by: Henry Bean
Notes
- Budget of $50 million, grossed $47.7 million at the box office.
- Richard Gere and Andy Garcia reportedly did not get along during filming. In the elevator scene, Gere 'got a couple extras in.' Garcia refused to attend the wrap party.
- This is reportedly Richard Gere's favorite of his own movies. 1990 was his comeback year – 'Internal Affairs' and 'Pretty Woman', after an 8-year stretch of bombs following 'An Officer and a Gentleman'.
- 1990 was also Andy Garcia's breakout year – 'Internal Affairs' plus Godfather Part III (Oscar-nominated for Best Supporting Actor).
- Nick Nolte was offered Dennis Peck but turned it down for Another 48 Hours. A massive list of actors were considered including Alec Baldwin, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Costner, De Niro, Harrison Ford, Al Pacino.
- LAPD Chief Daryl Gates condemned the movie.
- The original ending was different and test audiences hated it – it involved a longer sequence with both going out a window into a swimming pool.
- Deep Cover was originally conceived as a sequel to 'Internal Affairs' (writers Henry Bean and Michael Toklin were involved with both).
- Mike Figgis directed, composed the music himself, AND gave himself a cameo. He later directed Leaving Las Vegas.
Categories
Most re-watchable scene
- Bill: The jealousy stretch – Raymond watching Peck have lunch with Kathleen, through the elevator fight where Peck headbutts Raymond and says graphic things about his wife.
- Chris: The first Raymond/Dennis scene outside the burger joint ('Does your wife fuck around?').
- Van: The elevator fight – 'almost like a horror movie scene.'
What aged the best?
- Contemporary menswear basically being what these guys wear off-duty (Gere's polo, popped collar, good sunglasses).
- Dirty cops planting evidence as a movie device. LA as a cop movie backdrop.
- Van: Cuckold as a theme – much better known now than in 1990.
- Chris: Co-parenting model – Dennis Peck bouncing between ex-wives with 8 kids.
What aged the worst?
- The movie's attitude toward domestic violence – Raymond hits his wife in a crowded restaurant, then they reconcile through passion.
- Van: The aggressive toxic male trope where obsessive desire excuses any behavior.
- Nancy Travis and Andy Garcia as a couple – 'why is she with this guy?'
- The Andy Garcia 'I'm so mad I'm laughing' face.
Most cinematic shot
- Chris: Peck choking out Van as the ambulance arrives, with sirens reflected in the side door.
- Bill: The shot from behind when Peck has his hand on Mrs. Arrocas's leg, with Carl between them.
- Van: The camera pullback revealing Van's wife on top of Dennis Peck during the phone call.
Best needle drop
- Bill: The music during drunk, angry Andy Garcia zoning in and out (the Cuervo scene).
- Chris: The Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis song when the pimp watches Dorian arrest his girl.
Weak link of the movie
Raymond hitting his wife in a crowded restaurant – hard to recover from, even in 1990. Their immediate passionate reconciliation makes it worse.
The hottest take award
- Chris: Dennis Peck's murders-to-sex ratio: 11 kills to 5 sexual partners = 2.2 ratio.
- Bill: Internal affairs is a cooler job than it gets credit for in movies – always portrayed as the shit job, but these are the good guys.
- Van: 'This movie didn't need any more black people' – the only movie where he felt that way given the content.
Casting what-ifs
- Nick Nolte was offered Dennis Peck, turned it down for Another 48 Hours.
- Chris: Harrison Ford as the top hypothetical pick for Dennis Peck.
- Denzel Washington as Dennis Peck in 1990 – 'It's called 'Training Day'.'
- Swap Annabella Sciorra and Nancy Travis's roles – consensus: the movie would be better.
Best "that guy"
- Bill's winner: John Kapelos (Carl the Janitor from Breakfast Club) as Steven Arrocas.
- Other nominees: Marco Rodriguez, Xander Berkeley as 'Rudy' the mall security guy.
Apex Mountain
- Richard Gere: 'Pretty Woman' (same year), but 1990 collectively is his apex year.
- Andy Garcia: This + Godfather Part III (1990), but Untouchables may be the true apex.
- Billy Baldwin: Backdraft (1991).
- Laurie Metcalf: No – that would be Roseanne.
Picking nits
- Steven Arrocas hiring someone to murder his parents as his best option for a business dispute seems extreme.
- Dennis Peck having 8 kids (9th on the way) – he's not old enough for that many.
- In bad guy world, everybody knows everything – Peck hires 2 shooters, yet Raymond's cousin's club immediately knows who the van driver was.
Best (or worst!) life lessons from the movie
- Bill: Your wife wants to get strange.
- Chris: Don't talk about wives.
Best double feature for this movie
- Chris: Deep Cover (originally conceived as a sequel to 'Internal Affairs').
- Bill: Bad Influence (the weird psycho-sex movie era).
- Van: 'Basic Instinct'.
Who won the movie?
Unanimous: Richard Gere (Dennis Peck) – 'It's fucking Gere, man.'