Tagline: Not made to be broken.
In 1985 Brooklyn, three boyhood friends come of age on the streets where the violent have power. When one becomes enamored by the mafia lifestyle, all three friends are placed in grave danger as relationships and lives are threatened.
Written by three-time Emmy winner Terence Winter (The Sopranos), Brooklyn Rules is a powerful story of loyalty, friendship, and sacrifice. Set in Brooklyn circa 1985 against the backdrop of John Gotti’s rise to power, the film revolves around three lifelong friends whose different ambitions threaten to shake their enduring bond.
Michael (Freddie Prinze Jr.), the narrator, is a lovable charmer with the soul of a con man who successfully scams his way into the pre-law program at Columbia University. In contrast to Michael’s desire to leave the Brooklyn streets behind, his close friend Carmine (Scott Caan), a handsome lady-killer enamored by the Mafia lifestyle, wants nothing more than to stay there. Rounding out the trio is Bobby an endearing cheapskate who longs for a simple life of working at the Post Office and settling down with his fiancée.
While at Columbia, Michael falls for a beautiful young student named Ellen (Mena Suvari), a society girl whom he initially wins over with his preppy schoolboy cover. As their relationship blossoms, leaving the streets behind seems increasingly possible, but when Carmine catches the eye of Caesar (Alec Baldwin), a feared mobster who controls their Brooklyn neighborhood, Michael and Bobby are drawn into that world despite their reluctance to get involved. Brooklyn Rules comes down to the choices faced by three young men when the right path is not always the easiest to follow, and when being a loyal friend can mean making the ultimate sacrifice.
About the Production
“Though I had been advised time and again to ‘write what you know,’ I began working on several high-concept feature scripts that I felt were designed to sell—buddy action movies, broad comedies, etc. My enthusiasm would always fade around page 30 and I’d shelve the script.” — Terence Winter, writer Brooklyn Rules
In 1999, Winter started playing around, writing a scene that was based on him and his two best friends just sitting around bullshitting. (The characters Bobby and Carmine are based on his life-long friends Bobby Canzoneri and Chris Caldovino, respectively; “We all grew up on the same block. Chris, incidentally, has since become an actor and plays Alec Baldwin’s henchman “Philly” in Brooklyn Rules said Winter.)
The dialogue flowed effortlessly—because he knew these “characters” and their dynamics so well, it was less like writing and more like taking dictation. Winter wrote almost stream-of-consciousness, letting the characters talk, argue and break each other’s balls. Slowly, conflicts presented themselves and a story started to take shape. “I realized I was on to something and started outlining the story that became Brooklyn Rules.”
The main characters and their relationships to one another are all 100% accurate. Winter worked in a delicatessen after school just like Michael’s character, hanging out with his friends in Brooklyn while attending college in the city, yearning for a better life. The real-life Bobby Canzoneri (for some reason his name is the same in the script) is in fact the nicest guy in the world (and still alive). The real-life Carmine (Chris Caldovino) is still obsessed with his hair.
“Where the story strays into fiction is with the hardcore crime stuff. Though we grew up in Brooklyn and certainly rubbed elbows with mob guys, I never once saw anyone get their ear cut off.”
The script, originally entitled Nailed Right In, made the rounds. Feedback was always good, but the story was not picked up until Southpaw Entertainment optioned it in September 2000. Movies about making the literal and figurative move across ‘the bridge’ from places like Brooklyn to Manhattan usually worked and stayed with people for years to come. Richard B. Lewis, Rachel Rothman and Akiva Goldsman began searching for the necessary funds and talent.
The initial assembly of talent started with Sanford Bookstaver and Joel Schummacher as possible directors. Then it moved to Griffin Dunne, which segued into Amanda Mackey and Cathy Sandrich agreeing to cast the movie, due to their previous work with Dunne on Practical Magic. The casting of the main characters, three best friends, had agents scrambling to get their unknown stars cast as “Michael,” “Carmine,” and “Bobby.” However, without a major star as an anchor for foreign sales and Southpaw’s financier backing out, the project could not get off the ground.
In the summer of 2003, Southpaw was back to square one. They needed to find new financing, before pursuing the cast. With Dunne still attached, the project eventually reached the doorstep of Michael Corrente through Lewis’ agent at the Creative Artist Agency. Corrente had just completed producing a slate of films and was looking for new material. Michael had not directed a project since A Shot At Glory, his soccer collaboration with Robert Duvall, and was eager to find a script he could produce and direct. “The thought was, if ever there was a guy who would get this material, it would be Michael Corrente,” Rothman confides.
After all, Michael’s debut film, Federal Hill, had the same genre and feel. Corrente based that story on friends, similar to how Winters wrote his story. Southpaw and CAA’s intuition paid off. Michael loved the script and agreed to help find financing. Ultimately, it felt like something Michael would like to direct. When Griffin Dunne found out Corrente was interested, he graciously stepped aside.
Michael indeed had the vision for this project and connected immediately with Terry Winter, who was in his fifth year of writing for HBO’s The Sopranos. Almost immediately Michael had a commitment from Alec Baldwin to play the role of “Caesar Manganaro,” which took care of the major star needed for foreign sales. Terry and Michael, with the guidance of Mackey-Sandrich casting, went on to assemble an outstanding cast. They met Freddie Prinze Jr. for the first time and immediately felt he would be perfect for the role of “Michael”, the character based on Terry himself. Scott Caan pursued the role of “Carmine” following his wrap on the action thriller Into the Blue. One meeting with Caan convinced them that there was no better Carmine out there.
Brooklyn native, Jerry Ferrara, from HBO’s Entourage, was then cast as “Bobby” and proved he was a natural for the role. Mena Suvari received a copy of the script and pursued the role of “Ellen.”
With the cast in place and financing secured by Corrente, the tale of three Brooklyn friends was ready for film. On Monday, October 4, 2004, four years after Southpaw’s original option, Brooklyn Rules was on its first day of filming. Alec Baldwin’s scenes, during the first week, had the production off to a great start. The production remained local, shooting in New York City and Brooklyn during the entire 29-day shoot. Unfortunately, the production had to deal with loosing one of its financiers halfway through. “It’s an unfortunate scenario when making independent films,”
When describing Michael, Rachel Rothman comments, “Michael is the embodiment of ‘if there’s a will, there’s a way.” The final funds were raised while filming and the production wrapped on Saturday, November 20, 2004.
Production notes provided by City Life Pictures.
Brooklyn Rules
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Freddie Prinze Jr, Scott Caan, Jerry Ferrara, Mira Sorvino
Directed by: Michael Corrente
Screenplay by: Terence Winter
Release Date: May 18th, 2007
MPAA Rating: R for violence, pervasive language, sexual content.
Studio: City Lights Pictures
Box Office Totals
Domestic: $458,232 (100.0%)
Foreign: —
Total: $458,232 (Worldwide)