Movie Description
Academy Award-winning actress and best-selling author Shirley MacLaine's directorial debut stars Alex D. Lintz as eight-year-old Long Island spelling prodigy, Bruno Battaglia. Bruno is experiencing some difficulty. His divorced parents have a less-than-pleasant relationship, the kids at his Catholic school bully him about his overweight mom, and in a recent dream a holy angel appeared to Bruno imparting an inspiring message. Bruno believes that, like angels, he should wear dresses, which he calls holy vestments, and he wonders if the Pope can wear a dress why can't he. Bruno's grandmother (MacLaine) tries to understand his strong inclination to express himself in such a unique way but his father, Dino (Gary Sinese), is outraged by Bruno's embarrassing behavior. When Bruno's school, headed by Mother Superior (Kathy Bates), has a spelling bee, he demonstrates his incredible spelling talent--while dressed as Diana Ross. Newcomer Stacey Halprin plays Angela, Bruno's flamboyant dressmaker mom, in a beautifully acted role that plays perfectly against Oscar winners MacLaine and Bates and Oscar nominee Sinese.
| Credits | | Producer: | David Kirkpatrick | | Cast: | Gwen Verdon, Jennifer Tilly |
| Details | | Sound: | Stereo Sound |
Notes
Cable television premiere (Starz): December 1.
BRUNO was shot on location in Raleigh and Wilmington, North Carolina.
The film marked the directorial debut for actress Shirley MacLaine.
BRUNO was one of the last films actress Gwen Verdon appeared in before her death on October 18, 2000.
Before starring in BRUNO, Alex D. Linz was best known for his role in HOME ALONE 3.
BRUNO is the feature-film screenwriting debut for David Ciminello.
Regarding the film's inability to get a theatrical release, MacLaine told TV Guide in January 2001, "There was this terrible humiliation of not being able to get a distributor. I went to every studio, and they adored the movie but said, 'We don't know how to market it.'...I console myself by saying that Starz has a subscription base [of] fourteen million. And if only half of those people see my movie, it would still be more people than would see BILLY ELLIOT.", DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital Stereo - English
Editorial Reviews
3 stars out of 5 -- "[Sacha Baron Cohen] pushes the envelope even further in BRUNO....It is impossible not to laugh while you wince and recoil."
Box Office - Richard Mowe (06/26/2009)
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