Trivia

Sean Connery, who played Dustin Hoffman's father, is only seven years older than Hoffman.

Jesse McMullen is 60 years old (Sir Sean Connery was 58 during filming), Vito McMullen is 43 (Dustin Hoffman was 51), and Adam McMullen is 23 (Matthew Broderick was 26).

Three weeks of rehearsal, in a large hall, on New York City's Lower East Side, preceded the start of principal photography on November 14, 1988. It had been Sidney Lumet's practice since his work in the early days of live television to factor a lengthy rehearsal period into the production schedule of all his movies. Dustin Hoffman commented: "In a sense, you've killed the first three weeks with most movies because it usually takes that long before people start letting others into their lives. At the start of any film there is a kind of barrier separating the actors. The way Sidney works, with a lengthy rehearsal time prior to the production, you're at a place when you start shooting that you wouldn't be in most other pictures until you were halfway through them." Sidney Lumet said: "One of the reasons for my vaunted speed is because of the rehearsals. It's an irreplaceable process for me, a process of discovery, a process of getting to know the actors. When we get on the set, an awful lot has already been locked into place for us."

Director Sidney Lumet and producer Lawrence Gordon agreed that without Sir Sean Connery playing the grandfather, the project might never have gotten off the ground. Gordon recalled: "Sean was the key. We knew the story turned on the charm and appeal of the grandfather. Face it, a man who is encouraging his grandson to take up a life of crime is not, on the surface, an easy guy to like. We needed someone irresistibly charismatic, so the audience would believe that a very bright young man might perceive him as a romantic role model."

Sir Sean Connery said of this movie: "It's a tale of generations. I had some initial reservations, about playing the part of someone who was originally supposed to be quite a bit older, doing all these extraordinary things. But we resolved the age issue early on, and I had complete confidence that Sidney could make the yarn work."