Scent of a Woman
Who'd have thought that tough-guy Al Pacino and baby-faced Chris O'Donnell would have such great chemistry? Their odd-couple pairing not only led to a great real-life friendship, but earned Pacino a well-deserved accolade: his first Academy Award.
The Synopsis: Although he may be attending a swanky prep school, Charlie Simms (Chris O'Donnell) isn't exactly a member of the country club set. He's there on scholarship, possibly embroiled in some serious trouble, and completely financially strapped. Charlie's got some serious problems, and since extra cash is good cash, he'll jump at any money-making opportunity--even if it's babysitting a curmudgeonly old veteran (Al Pacino) over Thanksgiving weekend.
But what happens when the weekend is less about watching "Matlock" reruns, and more about fast cars, beautiful women, and the real dangers of a loose cannon on a three-day bender in New York City?
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Ten Things You Didn't Know About Scent of a Woman
1.Scent of a Woman is loosely based on the 1974 Italian film Profumo di Donna.
2.Screenwriter Bo Goldman based the ‘Lt. Col. Frank Slade’ character (played by Al Pacino) on three different people: Goldman's father, one of his brothers, and a sergeant he served under in the Army.
3.Jack Nicholson was initially approached to play ‘Lt. Col. Slade,’ but he declined the role after reading the script.
4.In an attempt to create tension between their characters, director Martin Brest tried to separate Al Pacino and Chris O’Donnell. The sequestering was not meant to be; the actors liked each other so much that they soon became almost inseparable.
5.Philip Seymour Hoffman, who plays one of Chris O’Donnell’s schoolmates, describes the film as being his big acting break. “If I hadn’t gotten into Scent of a Woman, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’ve never had a non-acting job since,” says Hoffman.
6.The film’s glamorous filming locations include the Waldorf-Astoria’s lobby, the Plaza Hotel’s Oak Room and the Pierre Hotel’s Grand Ballroom.
7.Al Pacino worked on his tango skills for two months to prepare for the ballroom sequence.
8.When he starred in Scent of a Woman, Chris O’Donnell was still trying to complete his marketing degree at Boston College. The day after the film's premiere, he had a term paper due and three finals looming.
9.Al Pacino won his first Oscar for Scent of a Woman. He had been nominated six times previously, and that same year, he was honored with a seventh supporting actor nomination for Glengarry Glen Ross.
10.Since actress Gabrielle Anwar studied ballet as a teenager, it only took her a few practice sessions to master the tango.
AL PACINO IS GREAT IN SCENT OF A WOMAN.IN THIS MOVIE HE DISPLAYS HIS GREAT RANGE AS AN ACTOR.
Scent of a women is a 5 star movie. I was Eleven when It was made. I still watch it today as if I relate to it when I was younger, I related more to Charlie as I first watched it. As I got older and served in the US navy I related more to Frank Slade. The movie is a masterpiece and Is my number one movie. The speech at the end is one that we all wish we could make. I can resight that entire speech word for word. Great film regardless of the ritacule.
I like Al, but am I the only one who found the whole hoo-ah thing incredibly annoying?
I want to know the name of the turkey dish that Cnl. Slade's sister-in-law cooked at Thanksgiving. Sounds like Turkey Marbeia ?? I can't find that word anywhere by trying to spell it like it sounds. Can you please tell me what Al Pacino says in that scene?