A Bronx Tale

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A Bronx Tale

Directed by	Robert DeNiro
Produced by	Robert DeNiro Jon Kilik Jane Rosenthal
Written by	Chazz Palminteri
Starring	Robert De Niro Chazz Palminteri
Cinematography	Reynaldo Villalobos
Editing by	David Ray
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	September 14, 1993 (Toronto Film Festival) September 29 April 20, 1994 June 24) July 28 August 5 September 16 January 13, 1995 June 8 August 3 August 18
Running time	121 minutes
Country	U.S.A.
Language	English/Italian
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IMDb profile

A Bronx Tale is a 1993 film set in New York City during the turbulent era of the 1960s. It was the directorial debut of Robert De Niro, and follows a young man as his path in life is guided by two father figures, played by De Niro and Chazz Palminteri. It also includes a brief appearance by Joe Pesci. It was written by Palminteri, and based partially upon his childhood.

1 Plot
2 Settings and filming locations
3 Trivia
4 Cast
5 External links

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The movie opens in 1960 with Lorenzo Anello's (Robert De Niro) son Calogero (Lillo Brancato, Jr.) witnessing a murder committed by the local Mafia boss, Sonny (Chazz Palminteri). When Calogero chooses to keep quiet when questioned by authorities, Sonny takes a liking to him. Calogero starts visiting Sonny and his posse almost every day, much to the dismay of his father, a hard-working bus driver struggling to make ends meet. Eight years later, in 1968, Calogero (now played by Lillo Brancato Jr.) has grown into a young man. He will eventually have to make the choice between his two mentors. He also pursues an interracial relationship with an African American girl named Jane (Taral Hicks), and has to cope with this while being in the company of racist friends who coincidentally attack the girl's brother and his friends, and who later plan to raid an African American neighborhood.

A Bronx Tale is generally ranked with other great films of the Mafia film genre. It contains several violent scenes, including a savage beating of a biker gang by the Mafia, and Calogero's friends' tragically botched incursion into the African American neighborhood.

[edit] Settings and filming locations

A Bronx Tale was filmed in three New York City neighborhoods. Though set entirely in the Bronx, only one of these locations was actually in that borough. The Fordham neighborhood in which Calogero lives was actually filmed in Astoria, Queens; the black neighborhood said to be on and around Webster Avenue was actually filmed at East 15th Street and Gravesend Neck Road in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn; finally, the scene set on the Bronx's City Island was actually filmed in that location.

[edit] Trivia

Palminteri adapted the screenplay from his one-man show of the same name. The show had successful runs in Los Angeles and Off-Broadway. De Niro saw the show and approached Palminteri for the film rights. But Palminteri refused to sell the rights unless he was guaranteed the role of Sonny.[1]
Chazz Palminteri based the character of Calogero on himself; his real first name is Calogero.
Lillo Brancato's brother, Vincenzo, has a small part as one of the boys who jump on the back of the bus.
The movie features the song 'Come Together', despite the song not being released by the time the film was taking place.