Grosse Pointe Blank poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Dan Aykroyd, Alan Arkin, Joan Cusack ... see more see more... , Hank Azaria , Jeremy Piven , Ann Cusack , K.K. Dodds , Barbara Harris , Belita Moreno , Eva Rodriguez , Mitchell Ryan , Benny Urquidez , D.V. DeVincentis , Bobby Bass , Laurence Bilzerian , Steve Pink , Pat O'Neill , Carlos Jacott , K. Todd Freeman , Michael Cuditz , Bill Cusack , Pete Antico , Sara Devincentis , Jenna Elfman , Doug Dearth , Wendy Thorlakson , Lance A. Gilbert , Colby French , Brent Armitage , Traci Dority , Audrey Kissel , Jackie Rubin , Duffy Taylor , David Barrett , Brian Powell

Most people have trouble deciding what to say when they're asked what they've been doing with their lives at a High School reunion, but Martin Blank (as played by John Cusack) has a different problem ... read more read more...than most -- he has to make his career sound less interesting than it actually is. Martin is a former CIA operative who is now a freelance hit man, making good money for killing people he doesn't know. However, Martin's game has been a bit off lately; he's no longer happy in his work, and both his secretary Marcella (Joan Cusack) and his psychiatrist, Dr. Oatman (Alan Arkin), who is more than a bit nervous about having a hired assassin as a patient, think that Martin should accept an offered assignment in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, his old home town, which would conveniently coincide with his ten year high school reunion. While in Grosse Pointe, Martin discovers that his high school sweetheart, Debi Newberry (Minnie Driver), is still living in town, and still holds a grudge against him for standing her up on prom night. While Martin tries to sort out his past and tie up loose ends with Debi (whom he still loves), he discovers someone in Grosse Pointe is out to kill him; he's also confronted by the highly unstable Mr. Grocer (Dan Aykroyd), a fellow hit man who wants Martin to join forces with him and form a union and isn't keen on taking no for an answer. Grosse Pointe Blank was a pet project for star John Cusack, who co-wrote the screenplay and also served as co-producer. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

84% liked it

69,892 ratings

Critics

76% liked it

63 critics

R, 1 hr. 47 min.

Directed by: George Armitage

Release Date: April 11, 1997

Keywords: funny

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: May 19, 1998

Get It:

Stats: 4,646 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Grosse Pointe Blank dapper Grosse Pointe Blank Grosse Pointe Blank john cusack Grosse Pointe Blank Grosse Pointe Blank Grosse Pointe Blank Grosse Pointe Blank Grosse Pointe Blank Grosse Pointe Blank
Upload a Photo | View All Grosse Pointe Blank Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (4,646)

  • jmanard52
    June 21, 2008
    jmanard52
    John Cusack at his best. One of the best actors of his generation.
  • garyX
    March 16, 2012
    garyX
    Professional contract killer Martin Blank decides to stop off at his high school reunion while out on a job and rekindles an old flame in the shape of Minnie Driver. Part romantic comedy, part post-Tarantino noir, this is the kind of cinematic hybrid that can sometimes go disastr... read moreously wrong (Gigli anyone? Thought not....) but this brilliantly written example is not one of them. The dialogue is witty, snappy and insightful, it has likeable characters played by a great cast headed by John Cusack at his most charming and who shares a real chemistry with his co-star. There are also some great supporting performances by Dan Aykroyd as a rival hitman, Alan Arkin as Blank's unwilling psychiatrist and Joan Cusak as his kind of post-modern old school noir style secretary. Add brisk no nonsense pacing and well handled set pieces and you have a smart and funny black comedy that works on every level.
  • MizturY0da
    September 8, 2010
    MizturY0da
    2 stars
  • Deano78
    September 4, 2010
    Deano78
    A pretty good funny film, having heard quite a bit it didn't quite live up to the hype for me. However it still has some funny scenes and one liners!
  • ythelastman89
    January 31, 2010
    ythelastman89
    This was such a great blend of comedy and action. It's so funny to see John Cusack be this totally normal guy in the movie and then stab a Russian hitman with a pen at his high school reunion. The movie also has one of the best soundtracks ever, only making it more enjoying. I ju... read morest enjoyed the fact that it didn't take itself too seriously and just tried to be a fun movie.
  • TomBowler
    January 13, 2010
    TomBowler
    Very cool. Full review later.
  • FilmFanatik
    January 12, 2010
    FilmFanatik
    A charming little mid-90's indie comedy with a bit of action thrown in.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    November 27, 2009
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "Even A Hit Man Deserves A Second Shot!"

    Martin Blank is a professional assassin. He is sent on a mission to a small Detroit suburb, Grosse Pointe, and, by coincidence, his ten-year high school reunion party is taking place there at the same time.

    ... read moreface="Century Schoolbook">REVIEW
    Excellent original black comedy about a depressed assassin, Martin Q. Blank (Cusack in one of his best roles yet) who decides to attend his 10th year high school reunion and hook up with his ex (Driver) who he stood up on prom night and fighting off a rival hitman (a glossy-eyed Aykroyd) who wants to unionize. Hilarious screenplay (co-written by Cusack and Tom Jankewicz, D.V. De Vincentis and Cusack's real-life best friend Steve Pink) and deft comic performances combine perfectly with smart direction by George Armitage. Best, and surprisingly poignant, scene is Cusack at mid-reunion deciding to chuck his "career" when facing a former classmate's adorable baby with Queen's "Under Pressure" underscoring the moment and David Bowie's haunting vocals; had me verklempt.
  • SirPant
    September 18, 2009
    SirPant
    Grosse Pointe Blank is a cool film, one of Cusack's best.
  • Godless
    April 12, 2009
    Godless
    4 stars just for a great use of the phrase "skull fuck"

View All Grosse Pointe Blank Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum
November 6, 2009
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Despite some early indications from the two Cusacks and Arkin that it's going to be funny, it winds up an unholy mess that becomes steadily more incoherent -- morally, dramatically, and conceptually. Full Review

Leonard Klady
March 26, 2009
Leonard Klady, Variety

Cusack is charming and assured in the film. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
June 18, 2002
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

A soggy, all-over-the- place mess. Full Review

Rick Groen
April 12, 2002
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

An entertaining oddity, an amiably black comedy whose bared teeth double as an engaging smile: It takes a satiric bite and leaves you laughing through the pain. For that, we can thank the writers. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 11, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

A bright burst of action and comedy with a cast that makes for rousing good company.

Kenneth Turan
February 14, 2001
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

Clever enough to make jokes about Greco-Roman wrestling and make them funny, Grosse Pointe Blank's greatest success is the way it maintains its comic attitude. Full Review

Jeff Millar
January 1, 2000
Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle

What makes us laugh at this dark comedy is the insolence its creators hold for the very bones of their narrative.

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

The film offers sufficient small pleasures to make it worth enduring the less effective elements. As a result, while Grosse Pointe Blank fails to deliver a fullisade, at least the chamber's not empty,... Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The film takes the form but not the feel of a comic thriller. It's quirkier than that. Full Review

Janet Maslin
January 1, 2000
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Directed jauntily by George Armitage, it has the jokey, winsome tone of his earlier Miami Blues and enough wild-card energy to keep it bright and surprising. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • High Fidelity
    High Fidelity (84%)
  • Panic
    Panic (100%)
  • Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
    Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (78%)
  • A Fish Called Wanda
    A Fish Called Wanda (62%)

More Movies like Grosse Pointe Blank

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • Mr. Grocer: Hey, hey, bing bing bing bing bang! POPCORN!
    • Martin Blank: I killed the president of Paraguay with a fork. How've you been?
Submit a Fact | View All

Grosse Pointe Bla... : Watch Free on TV

Grosse Pointe Blank Trivia

  • Who starred in Sixteen Candles, Grosse Pointe Blank, Con-Air, and High Fidelity?  Answer »
  • Who sang Take on Me from the Grosse Pointe Blank soundtrack?   Answer »
  • What is the characters name of the professional assassin being hired for a job in his own town in Grosse Pointe Blank ?  Answer »
  • Recently divorced Diane Lane (Oscar nomination for Unfaithful) enrolls on online dating service. John Cusack (Grosse Pointe Blank, the Grifters) is the guy. Movie title ( part of her bio data) is _   Answer »
More Grosse Pointe Blank Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Grosse Pointe Blank Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Grosse Pointe Blank to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

dreamless1986 Skin by dreamless1986
47 Profiles
Add to Profile

More Skins