Cookie

If you have ever watched any of the dozens of writer/director/producer John Hughes 1980's classic teen Rom/Com films than you will surely notice the failed attempt of this 1986 film title Cookie lackluster production quality and choice of actors in attempting to copy the more successful John Hughes Rom/Com style of film.

The entire cast of the film Cookie failed miserably especially the lead actor Emily Lloyd who was supposed to be playing the troubled teenage illegitimate daughter Carmela 'Cookie' Voltecki of the former mafioso boss Dominick Capisco (Peter Falk) who was just released from prison after serving a thirteen (13) year stint.

The combination of Emily Lloyd's being cast as the illegitimate daughter of an Italian mob boss played by Peter Falk neither of which have any Italian heritage but eh the director Susan Seidelman is no Francis Ford Coppola, or Martin Scorsese either, so why expect any casting realism in this cheap knock off of the successful John Hughes filmography.

The music score also reminded me of a John Hughes type film, and after you see the way Emily Lloyd is dressed throughout the film you will surely be reminded of the earlier 1986 film Pretty In Pink starring Molly Ringwald with her funky attire which was more than a minor faux pas and cheap attempt at copying the similar costume effect delivered by John Hughes

In summary, although this 1989 film Cookie was a disappointment for me it was an indirect great tribute to the late great writer/director/producer John Hughes by the failed attempt to copy his film style of a Rom/Com film.....sorry but director Susan Seidelman just isn't cut out for directing major films. Oh wait a minute, that's why she has been focused lately on TV productions.

I give it a 5 out of 10 IMDB rating

It was planned as a feel good movie like 'Desperately Seeking Susan' but in fact it is unfortunately only goofy and boring. I don't know why such a accomplished writer like Nora Ephron had written such a bad screenplay and the poor actors and actresses like Ricki Lake, Dianne Wiest, Peter Falk, Brenda Vaccaro, Lionel Stander or Jerry Lewis have had no chance to show their talents. And poor Emily Lloyd. I think it costs her a lot of sympathy in Hollywood and have had prevented to become such a big star like Gwyneth Paltrow or Winona Ryder in the USA.

This was about a godfather type mafioso (Peter Falk) that was just released after spending 19 years in prison. He makes up with his daughter (Emily Lloyd) and together they pull a real caper on the other head of the crime family, in addition to doing a con job on the local DA to help him snuff out the other family head. A very funny movie. It was good to see Peter Falk in a part where he was the criminal instead of the detective. Bob Gunton, who played the warden in the Shawshank Redemption is the DA. Also watch for Jerry Lewis.

The title role of Cookie is played by Emily Lloyd and she's showing signs of following in the footsteps of dear old dad Peter Falk who is just finishing a dozen years in prison for labor racketeering. He's got a parole coming up and hopefully Lloyd's juvenile antics won't screw up his parole.

Cookie follows the plot premise of Angels With Dirty Faces where Rocky Sullivan takes a fall for the other guys does a stretch and now wants to move back in. And just like that there are an array of people who don't want him back and a US Attorney Bob Gunton who'd like to send Falk back to the joint.

I have to say I didn't find this as funny as I should have given the cast. I would have expected more from a cast that included Michael V. Gazzo, Lionel Stander, and Jerry Lewis. I should exempt Lewis somewhat, he has a straight dramatic role and does well in it. But it was like I was waiting for Jerry's shtick.

The women do well, besides Lloyd, Falk is torn between two women. Mistress Dianne Weist who is Lloyd's mom and his mafia daughter wife Brenda Vaccaro. Brenda's the best one in the film.

Fans of the players should be happy though.

I saw this movie in its original theatrical release in 1989. The US Attorney, 'Richie Sembretto', was played by Bob Gunton, who was just fresh from his Broadway success as Juan Peron in Evita. In the movie, I noticed Gunton's hairstyle - a really bad combover (which I noticed because Gunton had a full of hair, then as now). Being a regular reader and watcher of news, I recognized the real-life basis for this character: the then-US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Rudolph Giuliani, who had funny hair even then. Also, "Sembretti" was a full-out publicity hound, as was his prototype Giuliani - it was unmistakable. In '89, this went unnoticed by most critics (at least those outside NYC). I was just wondering whether anybody who sees this in 2020 might pick up on what I'm talking about here ...

By the bye - I kinda liked the movie ...