Chaplin (1992)
75%RT Audience Score: 81%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 3 Oscars
3 wins & 19 nominations total
Chaplin boasts a terrific performance from Robert Downey, Jr. in the title role, but it isn’t enough to overcome a formulaic biopic that pales in comparison to its subject’s classic films
If you’re looking for a movie that’s a perfect blend of slapstick comedy and heartwarming drama, then Chaplin might not be the one for you. Critics seem to be divided on this biopic, with some praising Robert Downey Jr.’s performance as the titular character, while others criticize the clunky storytelling and lack of inspired moments. But hey, if you’re a fan of Chaplin and just want to see RDJ nail that accent, then give it a watch. Who knows, you might even enjoy it more than the critics did!
Production Company(ies)
Pathé Renn Productions, France 3 Cinéma
Distributor
Columbia Tristar
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Chaplin Studios – 1416 N. La Brea Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for nudity and language
Year of Release
1993
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby SR
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 24m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 8, 1993 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 14, 2008
Genre(s)
Biography
Keyword(s)
starring Robert Downey Jr, Dan Aykroyd, Geraldine Chaplin, Kevin Dunn, Anthony Hopkins, Milla Jovovich, directed by Richard Attenborough, written by William Boyd, Bryan Forbes, William Goldman, produced by Mario Kassar, Richard Attenborough, biography, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Anthony Lane, Owen Gleiberman, Angie Errigo, Duane Byrge, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Dan Fienberg, Grant Watson, Roger Moore, Vanessa Letts, Malcolm Johnson, PG-13, Charlie Chaplin, silent movies, British vaudeville, marriages, exile, honorary Oscar, Robert Downey Jr performance, slapstick, Cockney accent, J Edgar Hoover, George Hayden, Mildred Harris, Hannah Chaplin, sound mix, Columbia Tristar
Worldwide gross: $9,493,259
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $19,719,921
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,718
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,150,482
US/Canada gross: $9,493,259
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $19,719,921
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,419
US/Canada opening weekend: $84,669
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $175,879
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,713
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $31,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $64,394,911
Production budget ranking: 642
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $34,676,659
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$79,351,649
ROI to date (est.): -80%
ROI ranking: 1,878
Dan Aykroyd – Mack Sennett
Geraldine Chaplin – Hannah Chaplin
Kevin Dunn – J. Edgar Hoover
Anthony Hopkins – George Hayden
Milla Jovovich – Mildred Harris
Self – Richard Attenborough (Director, Producer)
Mario Kassar – Producer
Director(s)
Richard Attenborough
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Mario Kassar, Richard Attenborough
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
3 wins & 19 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (52) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (31) | Rotten (21)
Downey has a perfect ear for the Chaplin accent, the way it climbed from Cockney to minced posh, and a perfect boot and fist for the slapstick; the one thing he doesn’t have is an eye on his own brilliance.
January 3, 2018
Anthony Lane
Independent on Sunday
TOP CRITIC
September 7, 2011 | Rating: D+
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
For all the movie’s undisputed competence, grand and inspired moments are thin on the ground.
February 27, 2008 | Rating: 3/5
Angie Errigo
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
With this reverential biopic, director Richard Attenborough has cranked out a many-reel, talky talkie.
February 27, 2008
Duane Byrge
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
A lot of loving care (but not much thought) went into this white elephant, and considering how fascinating a figure Chaplin is it’s never exactly boring, but your time would be much better spent looking at any of Chaplin’s pictures.
February 27, 2008
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Actually, it’s a pretty bad movie, but Robert Downey Jr. is so great that you can forget nearly all of the clunky storytelling.
October 21, 2005 | Rating: 3/5
Dan Fienberg
Zap2it.com
TOP CRITIC
Chaplin remains a broadly effective and enjoyable film because of its stunning cast.
June 4, 2021 | Rating: 6/10
Grant Watson
Fiction Machine
The decades haven’t erased the sense that “the longer it goes on, the worse it gets.”
April 23, 2020 | Rating: 2/4
Roger Moore
Movie Nation
What is stunningly good about Chaplin, despite the script, is the central performance by Robert Downey Jr.
July 24, 2018
Vanessa Letts
The Spectator
Robert Downey, Jr.’s performance in extreme youth and decrepitude carries Attenborough’s vainglorious project through scene after sketchy scene.
May 2, 2018
Malcolm Johnson
Hartford Courant
Might be of interest to fans of the great comic, but as entertainment it ultimately fails.
September 25, 2012 | Rating: 2.5/4
Scott Nash
Three Movie Buffs
Robert Downey Jr. gives a strong, Oscar-nominated performance, but Attenborough’s disappointingly formulaic biopic doesn’t capture Chaplin’s genius as artist or his complex life
August 16, 2011 | Rating: C
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com…
Plot
The biography of Charlie Chaplin, filmmaker extraordinaire. From his formative years in England to his highest successes in America, Chaplin’s life, work, and loves are followed. While his screen characters were extremely hilarious, the man behind “The Little Tramp” was constantly haunted by a sense of loss.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Robert Downey Jr. gives a “terrific” performance as Charlie Chaplin in the film.
Richard-Attenborough.jpg
