It was Al Pacino's idea to make the book into a movie, to the point of convincing Barry Levinson to direct it and approaching together Buck Henry to adapt it.
Shot on and off over 20 non-consecutive days in Barry Levinson's house.
Although both Al Pacino and Barry Levinson have denied that the character of Simon is autobiographical to Pacino's life, Pacino noted that he related to the material, stating that "it's in, as they say, my wheelhouse."
Barry Levinson decided to make the movie as a dark comedy, noting, "If you want to talk about an older actor in decline, just to do it as some straight drama didn't seem that intriguing to me" also citing that comedy "seemed to me inherent in the piece".
The restaurant where Simon and Pegeen have lunch was also used in The Judge (2014). Both films even feature the same table by the window.