Private Parts (1997)
82%RT Audience Score: 79%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 3 nominations
A surprisingly endearing biopic about the controversial shock-jock Howard Stern that is equally funny and raunchy
Private Parts is a movie that straddles the line between being a hilarious comedy and a bit of hogwash. It’s like Revenge of the Nerds meets Father Knows Best meets Network, but with a lot more nudity. If you’re a fan of Howard Stern, you’ll love this movie. If you’re not, you might still enjoy it, but you’ll probably barf at all the fake humility. Either way, it’s worth a watch for the laughs and the hard truths about why Howard Stern is still fascinating in an era where ribaldry is just a clickable GIF away. Plus, there’s gratuitous nudity, so that’s always a plus.
Production Company(ies)
Aurum Film Canal+ Polska W F S Walter Film Studio,
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Bronx, New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong language, nudity and crude sexual humor
Year of Release
1997
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 49m
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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): Mar 7, 1997 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 15, 1998
Genre(s)
Biography/Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Howard Stern, Mary McCormack, Fred Norris, Paul Giamatti, Robin Quivers, directed by Betty Thomas, written by Howard Stern, Len Blum, Michael Kalesniko, biography, comedy, R rating, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Lisa Schwarzbaum, Rita Kempley, Marc Savlov, Don Irvine, Peter Travers, Janet Maslin, Sean Collier, Barbara Shulgasser, Dennis Schwartz, Nick Rogers, Rob Gonsalves, Michael Dequina, produced by Ivan Reitman, Howard Stern’s autobiography, shock-jock, radio personality, Howard Stern’s life and career, Alison Stern, Robin Quivers as long-time partner, NBC executives, strong language, nudity, crude sexual humor, Washington D.C., New York, cameos by Ozzy Osbourne, Mia Farrow, AC/DC
Worldwide gross: $41,230,799
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $76,857,543
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,146
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 8,381,411
US/Canada gross: $41,230,799
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $76,857,543
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 875
US/Canada opening weekend: $14,616,333
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $27,246,027
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 505
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $28,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $52,194,264
Production budget ranking: 758
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $28,106,611
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$3,443,332
ROI to date (est.): -4%
ROI ranking: 1,422
Robin Quivers – Self
Mary McCormack – Alison Stern
Fred Norris – Fred Norris
Paul Giamatti – Kenny ‘Pig Vomit’ Rushton
Gary Dell’Abate – Self
Director(s)
Betty Thomas
Writer(s)
Howard Stern, Len Blum, Michael Kalesniko
Producer(s)
Ivan Reitman
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 3 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (51) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (13)
September 7, 2011 | Rating: B
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
A choppy amalgram of Revenge of the Nerds, Father Knows Best and Network.
November 7, 2002
Rita Kempley
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
It may just be grand Stern propaganda, but it’s impossible to deny the film’s deft comic charm, its sincerely romantic heart, and all that gratuitous nudity.
June 2, 2002 | Rating: 3/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
People who wouldn’t be able to distinguish Howard Stern from G. Gordon Liddy will be entertained by something like an off-colour — and quite funny — version of Coal Miner’s Daughter.
March 19, 2002 | Rating: 2.5/4
Don Irvine
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
A comic firecracker with a surprising human touch.
May 11, 2001
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
TOP CRITIC
[A] sure-fire hit comedy.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 4/5
Janet Maslin
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
There are some genuinely funny moments, but it’s nothing for casual viewers to bother with.
September 9, 2019 | Rating: 4/10
Sean Collier
Box Office Prophets
Tale of shock-jock superstar has sex, nudity, language.
September 6, 2018 | Rating: 2/5
Barbara Shulgasser
Common Sense Media
Enough fake humility to make you barf if not a fan.
June 4, 2017 | Rating: C+
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
Straddles the line between hagiography and hogwash as expertly as possible. But in between the surplus of hilarity and hokum, it chips away at hard truths about why Howard Stern remains fascinating in an era where ribaldry is a clickable GIF away.
March 31, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
Nick Rogers
The Film Yap
[Stern] may be the master of his domain on the radio, but he doesn’t necessarily have a future in movies.
September 22, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
There are some huge laughs here spread consistently through the picture, and screenwriters Len Blum and Michael Kalesniko put virtually no lulls between laughs.
September 17, 2005 | Rating: 3.5/4
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com…
Plot
Having always wanted to be a disc-jockey, Howard Stern works his way painfully from radio at his 1970’s college to a Detroit station. It is with a move to Washington that he hits on an outrageous off-the-wall style that catches audience attention. Despite his on-air blue talk, at home he is a loving husband. He needs all the support he can get when he joins NBC in New York and comes up against a very different vision of radio.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Howard Stern playing himself, along with Mary McCormack as his supportive wife and Paul Giamatti as his nemesis at WNBC.
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