A Fish Called Wanda
1988 · Movie · R · 109 min · ★ 7.2 · 88% critics
A diamond advocate is pulled into a high-stakes theft when he realizes he’s not the only one after the same prize. As competing plans collide, the situation spirals into escalating trouble and deceit among the would-be thieves.
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Streaming on MGM+.
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Details
- Years
- 1988
- Release date
- 1988-07-15
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Critic score
- 88/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.2/10 (2,427 votes)
- Box office
- $188,600,000
- Budget
- $7,500,000
About
If you like sharp, fast British heist comedies with lots of double-crossing, A Fish Called Wanda is likely for you; Not for you if you dislike classic British humor like Monty Python’s Life of Brian or want a tone similar to The Player.
Pros: classic British caper jokes; strong ensemble laughs; clever, fast-moving plot | Cons: uneven humor for some; feels overthought ending; some viewers call it incoherent
Themes
- infidelity
- robbery
- cheating
- heart attack
- heist
- lawyer
- silencer
- courtroom
- american abroad
- animal abuse
- stuttering
- yelling
- +10 more
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actor · 1989
- Academy Award — Best Writing, Original Screenplay · 1989 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Director · 1989 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actor · 1989 · nominated
Cast & crew
Jamie Lee Curtis
as Wanda Gershwitz
John Cleese
as Archie Leach
Kevin Kline
as Otto
Michael Palin
as Ken Pile
Maria Aitken
as Wendy
Tom Georgeson
as Georges Thomason
Cynthia Cleese
as Portia
Patricia Hayes
as Mrs. Coady
Geoffrey Palmer
as Judge
Mark Elwes
as Customer in Jeweler's Shop
Directed by Charles Crichton