Tower Heist
Encyclopedia
Tower Heist is a 2011 crime
comedy film
directed by Brett Ratner
and written by Ted Griffin
and Jeff Nathanson
based on a story by Bill Collage, Adam Cooper
, and Griffin. It was released on November 2, 2011 in the United Kingdom, with a United States release following two days later. Tower Heist follows Josh (Ben Stiller
), Charlie (Casey Affleck
), Dev'reaux (Michael Peña
), and Odessa (Gabourey Sidibe
), employees of an exclusive apartment building who lose their pensions in the Ponzi scheme
of Wall Street
businessman Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda
). The group enlist the aid of criminal Slide (Eddie Murphy
) and bankrupt businessman Mr. Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick
) to break into Shaw's apartment and steal back their money while avoiding the FBI Agent in charge of his case, Claire Denham (Téa Leoni
).
Tower Heist began development as early as 2005 based on an idea by Murphy that would star himself and an all-black cast of comedians as a heist group who rob Trump Plaza. As the script developed and changed into an Ocean's Eleven
–style caper, Murphy left the project. Ratner continued to develop the idea into what would eventually become Tower Heist, with Murphy later rejoining the production.
Prior to release, the film was involved in a controversy over plans by Universal to release it for home viewing on video on demand
to 500,000 Comcast
customers, only three weeks after its theatrical debut. Concern over the implementation harming ticket sales and inspiring further films to follow suit resulted in several theater chains refusing to show the film at all if the plan went ahead, forcing Universal to abandon the idea.
. The most noteworthy tenant is wealthy businessman Arthur Shaw, who has a strong rapport with Josh and the building staff. One day, Shaw is caught by Josh and FBI agent Claire Denham trying to flee the city, and it is revealed that Shaw is being accused of a Ponzi scheme. Josh had offered Shaw his and the other building employees' pensions for an investment opportunity which are therefore lost as a result. Shaw is sentenced to house arrest in his penthouse apartment until his guilt or innocence can be proved. Lester, the building's retiring doorman, attempts to commit suicide by jumping in front of a subway, but is saved at the last minute and taken to a hospital. Lester reveals that he not only lost his pension in Shaw's scheme, but his other sources of capital as well. Josh goes to Shaw's apartment with Charlie Gibbs, the concierge and Josh's brother-in-law, and Enrique Dev'reaux, the bellhop and newest tower employee. When Josh mentions Lester's suicide attempt, Shaw appears insincere, suggesting his guilt, and Josh responds by destroying the windows of Shaw's prized Ferrari 250
. Josh, Charlie, and Enrique are fired by Mr. Simon, their boss, as a result.
Josh and Claire meet at a bar and after a few drinks, Claire drunkenly mentions that Shaw has a safety net of around $20 million in cash and suggests they should break in and take it. Josh gathers Charlie and Enrique, along with Mr. Fitzhugh, a former Merrill Lynch
employee who was recently evicted from the Tower and divorced from his wife, to discuss stealing Shaw's money. Everyone agrees except Charlie, who states they don't know how to steal. Josh hires his neighbor Slide, whom he was friends with in daycare, to assist them with the robbery. Slide teaches them how to perform various crimes. However, Slide realizes he cannot perform the robbery as he only performs petty thefts and doesn't know how to crack the safe Shaw's money is supposedly hidden. They decide to bring in Odessa Montero, the Tower's maid whose family ran a locksmith business.
Charlie has a change of heart when he is asked to be the building manager of the Tower, Josh's old job, and warns Josh to stay away or he will have him and his team arrested. Claire also warns Josh that Shaw is set to walk free and is planning to charge Josh for the damage done to his Ferrari, stating that his hearing had been pushed up to Thanksgiving
during the Macy's Day Parade. Josh tells his team that they will break into Shaw's apartment then.
On Thanksgiving, Josh, Enrique, and Fitzhugh spot Slide going in without them, realizing he is going to steal the money for himself. Enrique texts Charlie using Charlie's pregnant wife's cell phone, saying she is going into labor to get him to leave. Meanwhile, Odessa distracts the other employees by feigning one employee's birthday. Josh, Enrique, and Fitzhugh sneak into the building but find Slide and Mr. Simon going up in the elevator. Josh and the others climb up the stairs to Shaw's apartment. Slide has Mr. Simon show him Mr. Fitzhugh's old apartment which is under renovation and locks him in a closet while he continues upstairs. Josh and his team are confronted by Slide at gunpoint, but Odessa points a gun at Slide and convinces him to work together. They find Shaw's safe inside a wall which was left during a renovation.
Meanwhile, Charlie realizes the text message was faked and rushes up to the apartment. Likewise, Claire realizes the court date was faked by Josh and his team when they find the courthouse locked and ride back to The Tower. Back at Shaw's apartment, Odessa opens his safe but finds nothing in it. Slide struggles with Fitzhugh for his gun; the gun goes off and hits the car. Josh notices the bullet hole in the car took off some of the paint and sees gold underneath. They realize that Shaw invested his cash in gold, had it melted down, and recast it as car parts in his apartment, and is worth around $45 million. They decide to lower the car out the window of Shaw's and down into Fitzhugh's old apartment. Fitzhugh nearly falls trying to bring the car inside but is saved by Charlie, who rejoins them. They decide to ride the car down the top of an elevator. Before going down, Josh finds the ledger which contains all of Shaw's illegal finances. They ride the elevator down but are taken back up by Claire and Shaw. In his apartment, Claire notices Shaw's safe, which he had failed to mention to her, and officially arrests him.
Looking at the security cameras, Claire notices Lester using Slide's stolen truck supposedly trying to escape with the car. She and other agents catch up to him, but find the truck empty. Claire arrests him and the other accomplices except Slide, and secretly congratulates Josh for what he did. In the police van with Shaw, Josh tells him he has the ledger and that Shaw will spend the rest of his life in prison. Shaw offers to make a deal, but they refuse, stating he deserves to go to prison. During Josh's questioning with Claire and FBI Director Mazin, Miss Iovenko, a Tower employee who recently passed the bar exam, arrives posing as Josh's attorney and gives Claire and Mazin Shaw's ledger. She requests that Josh and his team go free in exchange for the Ledger. Mazin agrees to let the others go, but Josh, being the primary conspirator to the robbery, must serve a 2 year sentence, to which they agree.
The rest of the team, minus Charlie, meet with Slide at Shaw's rooftop pool where the car is hidden. They then send the various parts of the car to Tower employees to compensate for their lost pensions. Shaw begins his life sentence and the final shot is of Josh beginning his 2 year sentence, as a satisfied grin slowly forms on his face.
Judd Hirsch
plays Mr. Simon, the building staff's boss, and Stephen Henderson
plays Lester, the tower's retiring doorman. Henderson was cast after the filmmakers saw his performance in August Wilson's Fences on Broadway. The cast is rounded out by Nina Arianda
as Miss Iovenko, attorney-in-training, Juan Carlos Hernandez as Manuel the security guard, Harry O'Reilly as FBI Agent Dansk, Marcia Jean Kurtz as Rose, Peter Van Wagner as attorney Marty Klein, and Željko Ivanek
as FBI Director Mazin. Jessica Szohr
plays Sasha Gibbs, Charlie's wife. Heavy D has a cameo appearance as a guard at a courthouse.
and Ratner concerning an all-star cast of black comedians including Chris Tucker
, Kevin Hart
, Dave Chapelle, Tracy Morgan
, and Martin Lawrence
, as a group of disgruntled employees who plan to rob Donald Trump
and Trump Tower
. The film was originally titled Trump Heist under this concept. A script was developed by Adam Cooper and Bill Collage and over the course of the next five years, the script was rewritten by several writers including Russell Gewirtz, Rawson Marshall Thurber, Ted Griffin, Leslie Dixon, Noah Baumbach, and Jeff Nathanson, with the bulk of the work – and credit – going to Griffin and Nathanson.
Rewrites of the script gradually moved away from the ensemble of comedians and began to focus on two central characters, at which point Murphy left the project. For Ratner however, the modified script reminded him of the Ocean's Eleven
remake, a project he had developed but for which he was unavailable due to his commitment to directing Rush Hour 2
.
The project remained in development for a period of years but Ratner remained committed to the project, having enjoyed the heist films of the 1970s including The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The Hot Rock, and The Anderson Tapes
, turning down the opportunity to direct other films such as Horrible Bosses
, which he instead produced. Ratner would also claim that he wanted to work with Murphy, to whom Ratner partially credited for inspiring his Rush Hour films. As the script began to be finalized, Murphy was drawn back into the much-changed project after being informed of Stiller's participation, with Murphy being offered the role of Slide. Murphy rejoined as both a cast member and producer, alongside Grazer and Kim Roth. In later October 2010, the film was finally scheduled for release, being given a November 4, 2011 release date.
-like businessman who has embezzled their pensions. Ratner enjoyed the pitch and brought it to Grazer who gave his approval. After taking the script to Stiller and bringing him into the project, Ratner had Noah Baumbach
perform specific rewrites for Stiller's character. Nathanson then came aboard the project and performed the final rewrites to Griffin's screenplay in October 2010, adding "the obstacles, complexities and specificities of the characters."
To help develop the script, the filmmakers and writers spoke with the resident managers of several high-profile New York hotels to learn of their experiences interacting with their clientele. This research gave Griffin the idea for Shaw possessing a vehicle in his apartment, which Grazer and Ratner eventually decided would be a rare 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso which once belonged to Steve McQueen. On his research, Nathanson said:
in Columbus Circle
. Zea populated the apartment with an assortment of art pieces to represent Shaw's status, based on specific artists and works that Ratner suggested. Zea decided to use modern-classic reproduction designs by artists such as Pablo Picasso
, Francis Bacon
, Cy Twombly
, and Andy Warhol
. Explaining her decision, Zea said "These days, it seems wealthy people want to have wall power. They want to have art on their walls that means something and shows people, just like a car, that, 'I'm rich, I'm smart and I know what I'm doing.'"
Donald Trump allowed the production to use several of his own properties to portray the luxurious locales with the Trump International Hotel & Tower being used for exterior shots of the tower. A foot and car chase sequence was filmed on Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. Some vehicle filming occurred on sound stages in Brooklyn
. The burglary itself takes place during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, requiring the crew to film parts of the actual parade itself, and then recreate the event one week later for further filming.
For Shaw's Ferrari, it was decided that purchasing an actual model – of which only 350 exist and would cost at least $1 million – would be too expensive and the vehicle would be unsuitable for filming purposes. Instead, two replicas were commissioned, a process which took three months under the supervision of prop master Peter Gelfman. The replicas then received additional reinforcement for filming purposes from Steve Kirshoff and the special effects crew. After running camera tests on several authentic Ferrari colors, it was decided to paint the replicas bright red in order to create a lasting impression instead of using the actual metallic brown muted-coloring of McQueen's vehicle.
Sidibe and Murphy performed the only improvised scene in which they are cracking a safe together. Test screenings did not result in any scenes being cut from the film, with Ratner claiming that the theatrical version is his "director's cut". However, he did remove scenes which he felt "didn't fit," or did not match the PG-13 rating the filmmakers were targeting.
In post-production, Universal decided to film a new scene for the ending that would feature a reunion between Stiller and Murphy's characters. Murphy however refused to return unless he was paid a further $500,000 on top of his $7.5M salary. The studio declined to pay the additional money and the scene was not shot.
s Christophe Beck
. The Tower Heist Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released on November 1, 2011, by Varèse Sarabande
. It consists of 22 tracks with a runtime of 40 minutes.
of Tower Heist took place on October 24, 2011, at the Ziegfeld Theatre
in New York City.
United States and Canada
Pre-release audience tracking in the United States indicated that the film had strong awareness among males of all ages, followed by older women. Universal Pictures projected opening takings of $25–30 million during the opening weekend – aiming below expectations due to a slow marketplace – with rival studios claiming that the film would need to make at least $30 million to be a success.
In the United States and Canada, Tower Heist opened in 3,367 theaters. The film took $85,000 from midnight screenings and a total of $8.5M opening Friday, becoming the number one grossing film for the day. Although the film had been expected to be the number one film for the weekend, it took $10.5M on the opening Saturday, falling behind the animated film Puss in Boots
($15.3M). Tower Heist became the number two film for the weekend with $24M, behind Puss in Boots ($34M). with 70% of the audience being over the age of 25—the largest segment, 27%, being over 50—and 56% male. The opening audience was ethnically diverse consisting of 48% Caucasian, 21% African American, and 21% Hispanic.
Markets elsewhere
Tower Heist was released on November 2, 2011, in the United Kingdom and opened in a total of 23 countries, including Germany, Spain, Hong Kong, and India, by November 4, 2011, at a total of 1,948 theaters. The opening weekend saw the film gross $9.5M –an average of $5,000 per theater – with the largest earnings coming from the United Kingdom ($2.3M at 416 theaters) where it was the number three film for the weekend, and Spain ($1.6M at 300 theaters) where it was the number two film.
, whose consensus reads: "Tower Heist is a true Brett Ratner joint: little brains to this caper, but it's fun fluff, exciting to watch, and showcases a welcome return to form for Eddie Murphy." Metacritic
provides a score of 59 out of 100 from 39 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews." CinemaScore
polls reported that the average grade moviegoers gave the film was a "B" on an A+ to F scale.
Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph
called the film "a tolerably enjoyable Brett Ratner movie," labeling it " brash, forgettable fun." However, Robey criticized Ratner for having the mostly white characters require the aid of a black character for the heist, saying "it's a little embarrassing that they can't conceive of doing this without bailing a black criminal out of jail...but cultural sensitivity has never been Ratner's strong suit." The Hollywood Reporter
Todd McCarthy said that the film is "snappy, well cast and streetwise" but felt that it ignored the "contemporary economic issues at its core." McCarthy said that Murphy's performance was a return to form as "the rude, confrontational, wiseass Murphy audiences have nearly forgotten after all the silly kid comedies and heavy-makeup outings of recent years," and said that with his introduction "the film's energy and amusement level kick up a few notches," but that the enjoyment ebbs during the actual break-in, in which "Murphy becomes neutered...and the logistics of the heist become too far-fetched and laborious."
New York
s David Edelstein called it "a shameless but exuberantly well-done caper comedy," and praised the performances of Stiller, Murphy and Leoni, saying "Ben Stiller...and Eddie Murphy... show off two of the best fastballs in comedy, and Téa Leoni's best scene as an FBI agent – drunk, both sloppy and blunt – makes you wish she had more." Emanuel Levy
called Tower Heist a "formulaic, haphazardly plotted action comedy... whose best asset is its strong ensemble." Levy said "What makes the picture... work is not its plot, which is overly familiar and utterly implausible, but the socio-psychological dynamics that prevail among the [characters]." Levy singled out Stiller as "well cast" and Sidibe as having "some of the picture's best lines," but gave individual praise to Murphy saying that he "dominates the second half of the picture," rendering "a joyous performance that recalls his witty, charming, streetwise roles of the 1980s."
Empire
s Nick de Semlyen awarded the film three out of five stars, calling it "fun if uneven stuff from Ratner," with a "fairly dull" opening act. Semlyen said it was "a welcome return to form for Eddie Murphy," but was critical that he is "sorely underused." Semlyen praised Alda, saying that it is his "smarm offensive that turns out to be the primary pleasure." The Village Voice
s Nick Pinkteron said that the film "deserves credit as a clean, well-turned job, fleet and funny and inconsequential," and appreciated the cast, praising Leoni as the "best thing going," and Murphy's "inspired" contributions. However, Pinkerton was critical of the script, describing it as "amateur as its crooks: The audience isn't even fully aware of who's in on the job when it kicks off, while other threads are left dangling."
Roger Ebert
awarded the film 2.5 out of 4, saying "This isn't a great heist movie for a lot of reasons, beginning with the stupidity of its heist plan and the impossibility of these characters ever being successful at anything more complex than standing in line," but appreciated that the comedy did not "go heavy on the excremental, the masturbatory and symphonies of four-letter words", calling it "funny in an innocent screwball kind of way." Entertainment Weekly
s Lisa Schwarzbaum called the film "overblinged, eye-catching, and essentially tacky," and praised Murphy, saying "when Murphy is on screen, his comedic vigor... gooses the movie's energy level... but whenever Murphy wanders off, the movie's pulse rate drops. Tower Heist is in effect two movies: One belongs to Murphy, the other to the rest of the cast." Time Out Londons Trevor Johnston said that "though it's hard to get excited by this amiable potboiler, Tower Heist is so at home with its limitations it's equally hard to dislike," but criticized the finale "which might have been a bit more tense had we been able to take it remotely seriously." Conversely, Time Out New Yorks David Fear gave it 2 out of 5 stars, saying "one nail-biting moment and some much-misssed Murphy mouthiness won't keep you from feeling like you're the one being ripped off."
The New Yorker
Anthony Lane criticized the plot, saying "toss everything you can find, starting with roughly diced plots, into the blender: such appears to be the method behind Tower Heist." Lane called the characters "unlikable people" but offered praise to Broderick, saying he "underplays [the character] so well." Lane lamented that "the notion of a theft from the thieves – from those who are lapped in lofty, screw-you wealth – is a tempting one right now, but Tower Heist passes the buck." Variety
s Peter Debruge was also critical, saying the film "goes wonky on the way to the bank, due to its lackluster pacing and shortage of the qualities that typically earn stars Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy their paychecks – namely, laughs." Debruge felt that the opening 40 minutes were "a dull blue-collar drama populated entirely by stereotypes," and while the film "picks up some much-needed momentum" with the actual heist, the "resolution feels rushed." However, Debruge echoed praise for Murphy, calling his performance "a welcome return to the comic's irreverent, '80s-era persona," and lamenting his limited screen-time.
's video on demand
system three weeks after its theatrical debut at the rental cost of $59.99. The move was announced as a test case, to be conducted only in Atlanta and Portland. The move met with criticism from cinema chains over concern that the test and any further future implementation would impact ticket sales. The following day, Cinemark Theatres
– the third largest cinema chain in the United States – threatened to not show the film at all if Universal proceeded with the test. On October 11, 2011, several independent theater chains, including Galaxy Theatres, Regency Theatres and Emagine Theatres, and small cinema houses representing approximately 50 screens across the country, also threatened not to play Tower Heist. The following day the chains were joined by 950-screen National Amusements
theater chain. In response, Universal Pictures released a statement saying that they would no longer pursue the proposed test.
Crime film
Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Brett Ratner
Brett Ratner
Brett Ratner is an American film director, film producer and music video director. He is best known for directing the Rush Hour film series, The Family Man, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Tower Heist. He was also a producer on the Fox drama series, Prison Break.- Early life :Ratner was...
and written by Ted Griffin
Ted Griffin
Ted Griffin is an American screenwriter whose credits include Ravenous, Matchstick Men, and Ocean's Eleven.Born in Pasadena, California, Griffin graduated from Colgate University in 1993...
and Jeff Nathanson
Jeff Nathanson
Jeff Nathanson is an American film writer, film producer, and director.He is best known for his work on the Rush Hour series, Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal, and The Last Shot, and has also co-written a story draft for the film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull with George Lucas...
based on a story by Bill Collage, Adam Cooper
Adam Cooper
Adam Bryce Cooper was a fictional character in the Australian police drama series Blue Heelers. He joined the cast in late 1994 while the programme was still in its first season...
, and Griffin. It was released on November 2, 2011 in the United Kingdom, with a United States release following two days later. Tower Heist follows Josh (Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
), Charlie (Casey Affleck
Casey Affleck
Caleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt , better known as Casey Affleck, is an American actor and film director. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, he played supporting roles in mainstream hits like Good Will Hunting and Ocean's Eleven as well as in critically acclaimed independent films such as...
), Dev'reaux (Michael Peña
Michael Peña
Michael Anthony Peña is an American film and television actor. He is probably best known for his roles in the films Crash, World Trade Center, Observe and Report, 30 Minutes or Less and Tower Heist...
), and Odessa (Gabourey Sidibe
Gabourey Sidibe
Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe is an American actress who made her acting debut in the 2009 film Precious, a role that brought her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.-Early life:...
), employees of an exclusive apartment building who lose their pensions in the Ponzi scheme
Ponzi scheme
A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to its investors from their own money or the money paid by subsequent investors, rather than from any actual profit earned by the individual or organization running the operation...
of Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
businessman Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda
Alan Alda
Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo , better known as Alan Alda, is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H...
). The group enlist the aid of criminal Slide (Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
) and bankrupt businessman Mr. Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
) to break into Shaw's apartment and steal back their money while avoiding the FBI Agent in charge of his case, Claire Denham (Téa Leoni
Téa Leoni
Elizabeth Téa Pantaleoni , better known by her stage name Téa Leoni, is an American actress. She has starred in a wide range of films including Jurassic Park III, The Family Man, Deep Impact, Fun with Dick and Jane, Spanglish, Bad Boys, and Ghost Town.-Early life:Leoni was born in New York City...
).
Tower Heist began development as early as 2005 based on an idea by Murphy that would star himself and an all-black cast of comedians as a heist group who rob Trump Plaza. As the script developed and changed into an Ocean's Eleven
Ocean's Eleven (2001 film)
Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American comedy-crime caper and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was...
–style caper, Murphy left the project. Ratner continued to develop the idea into what would eventually become Tower Heist, with Murphy later rejoining the production.
Prior to release, the film was involved in a controversy over plans by Universal to release it for home viewing on video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
to 500,000 Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
customers, only three weeks after its theatrical debut. Concern over the implementation harming ticket sales and inspiring further films to follow suit resulted in several theater chains refusing to show the film at all if the plan went ahead, forcing Universal to abandon the idea.
Plot
Josh Kovacs is the building manager of a high-rise luxury apartment complex called The Tower in Columbus CircleColumbus Circle
Columbus Circle, named for Christopher Columbus, is a major landmark and point of attraction in the New York City borough of Manhattan, located at the intersection of Eighth Avenue, Broadway, Central Park South , and Central Park West, at the southwest corner of Central Park. It is the point from...
. The most noteworthy tenant is wealthy businessman Arthur Shaw, who has a strong rapport with Josh and the building staff. One day, Shaw is caught by Josh and FBI agent Claire Denham trying to flee the city, and it is revealed that Shaw is being accused of a Ponzi scheme. Josh had offered Shaw his and the other building employees' pensions for an investment opportunity which are therefore lost as a result. Shaw is sentenced to house arrest in his penthouse apartment until his guilt or innocence can be proved. Lester, the building's retiring doorman, attempts to commit suicide by jumping in front of a subway, but is saved at the last minute and taken to a hospital. Lester reveals that he not only lost his pension in Shaw's scheme, but his other sources of capital as well. Josh goes to Shaw's apartment with Charlie Gibbs, the concierge and Josh's brother-in-law, and Enrique Dev'reaux, the bellhop and newest tower employee. When Josh mentions Lester's suicide attempt, Shaw appears insincere, suggesting his guilt, and Josh responds by destroying the windows of Shaw's prized Ferrari 250
Ferrari 250
The Ferrari 250 is a sports car built by Ferrari from 1953 to 1964. The company's most successful early line, the 250 series included several variants. It was replaced by the 275 and the 330.-Similarities:...
. Josh, Charlie, and Enrique are fired by Mr. Simon, their boss, as a result.
Josh and Claire meet at a bar and after a few drinks, Claire drunkenly mentions that Shaw has a safety net of around $20 million in cash and suggests they should break in and take it. Josh gathers Charlie and Enrique, along with Mr. Fitzhugh, a former Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
employee who was recently evicted from the Tower and divorced from his wife, to discuss stealing Shaw's money. Everyone agrees except Charlie, who states they don't know how to steal. Josh hires his neighbor Slide, whom he was friends with in daycare, to assist them with the robbery. Slide teaches them how to perform various crimes. However, Slide realizes he cannot perform the robbery as he only performs petty thefts and doesn't know how to crack the safe Shaw's money is supposedly hidden. They decide to bring in Odessa Montero, the Tower's maid whose family ran a locksmith business.
Charlie has a change of heart when he is asked to be the building manager of the Tower, Josh's old job, and warns Josh to stay away or he will have him and his team arrested. Claire also warns Josh that Shaw is set to walk free and is planning to charge Josh for the damage done to his Ferrari, stating that his hearing had been pushed up to Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
during the Macy's Day Parade. Josh tells his team that they will break into Shaw's apartment then.
On Thanksgiving, Josh, Enrique, and Fitzhugh spot Slide going in without them, realizing he is going to steal the money for himself. Enrique texts Charlie using Charlie's pregnant wife's cell phone, saying she is going into labor to get him to leave. Meanwhile, Odessa distracts the other employees by feigning one employee's birthday. Josh, Enrique, and Fitzhugh sneak into the building but find Slide and Mr. Simon going up in the elevator. Josh and the others climb up the stairs to Shaw's apartment. Slide has Mr. Simon show him Mr. Fitzhugh's old apartment which is under renovation and locks him in a closet while he continues upstairs. Josh and his team are confronted by Slide at gunpoint, but Odessa points a gun at Slide and convinces him to work together. They find Shaw's safe inside a wall which was left during a renovation.
Meanwhile, Charlie realizes the text message was faked and rushes up to the apartment. Likewise, Claire realizes the court date was faked by Josh and his team when they find the courthouse locked and ride back to The Tower. Back at Shaw's apartment, Odessa opens his safe but finds nothing in it. Slide struggles with Fitzhugh for his gun; the gun goes off and hits the car. Josh notices the bullet hole in the car took off some of the paint and sees gold underneath. They realize that Shaw invested his cash in gold, had it melted down, and recast it as car parts in his apartment, and is worth around $45 million. They decide to lower the car out the window of Shaw's and down into Fitzhugh's old apartment. Fitzhugh nearly falls trying to bring the car inside but is saved by Charlie, who rejoins them. They decide to ride the car down the top of an elevator. Before going down, Josh finds the ledger which contains all of Shaw's illegal finances. They ride the elevator down but are taken back up by Claire and Shaw. In his apartment, Claire notices Shaw's safe, which he had failed to mention to her, and officially arrests him.
Looking at the security cameras, Claire notices Lester using Slide's stolen truck supposedly trying to escape with the car. She and other agents catch up to him, but find the truck empty. Claire arrests him and the other accomplices except Slide, and secretly congratulates Josh for what he did. In the police van with Shaw, Josh tells him he has the ledger and that Shaw will spend the rest of his life in prison. Shaw offers to make a deal, but they refuse, stating he deserves to go to prison. During Josh's questioning with Claire and FBI Director Mazin, Miss Iovenko, a Tower employee who recently passed the bar exam, arrives posing as Josh's attorney and gives Claire and Mazin Shaw's ledger. She requests that Josh and his team go free in exchange for the Ledger. Mazin agrees to let the others go, but Josh, being the primary conspirator to the robbery, must serve a 2 year sentence, to which they agree.
The rest of the team, minus Charlie, meet with Slide at Shaw's rooftop pool where the car is hidden. They then send the various parts of the car to Tower employees to compensate for their lost pensions. Shaw begins his life sentence and the final shot is of Josh beginning his 2 year sentence, as a satisfied grin slowly forms on his face.
Cast
- Ben StillerBen StillerBenjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
as Josh Kovacs
- The building manager. Stiller was paid $15M for the role.
- Eddie MurphyEddie MurphyEdward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
as Slide
- Eddie Murphy
- A petty crook who Josh turns to for help. Murphy joined the cast on October 13, 2010, and also became a producer on the film. He was paid $7.5M for his work.
- Casey AffleckCasey AffleckCaleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt , better known as Casey Affleck, is an American actor and film director. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, he played supporting roles in mainstream hits like Good Will Hunting and Ocean's Eleven as well as in critically acclaimed independent films such as...
as Charlie Gibbs
- Casey Affleck
- The building concierge and Josh's brother-in-law. Affleck wanted to participate in the film as he was interested in playing a comedy role, saying "it sounded like a fun film to do. I wanted to do a comedy, and I thought this was an opportunity to try and be funny." Grazer felt that Affleck would be perfect for the role because of his deadpan timing.
- Alan AldaAlan AldaAlphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo , better known as Alan Alda, is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H...
as Arthur Shaw
- Alan Alda
- A Wall Street billionaire placed under house arrest for stealing $2 billion. On his character, Alda said "Shaw is sometimes described as a Bernie Madoff-like character. I'm not sure. I don't think anyone has ever operated on the scale that Madoff did. And I don't know if what Shaw did technically qualifies as a Ponzi scheme. But in that Shaw was willing to steal money from people who really needed it – who really couldn't afford to lose it – and willing to take everything they had…yes, he's in Bernie territory, with both feet." Ratner initially approached Robert RedfordRobert RedfordCharles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...
to play the role, being a fan of his work in the heist film The Hot RockThe Hot Rock (film)The Hot Rock is a 1972 comic caper film written by William Goldman and directed by Peter Yates, starring Robert Redford, George Segal and Moses Gunn. The film was based upon Donald E...
, but Redford turned him down.- Matthew BroderickMatthew BroderickMatthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
as Mr. Fitzhugh
- Matthew Broderick
- A former Wall Street investor made bankrupt. Broderick joined the cast on October 26, 2010.
- Téa LeoniTéa LeoniElizabeth Téa Pantaleoni , better known by her stage name Téa Leoni, is an American actress. She has starred in a wide range of films including Jurassic Park III, The Family Man, Deep Impact, Fun with Dick and Jane, Spanglish, Bad Boys, and Ghost Town.-Early life:Leoni was born in New York City...
as Claire Denham
- Téa Leoni
- An FBI special agent assigned to Shaw's case. Leoni joined the cast on October 21, 2010. Leoni worked with FBI technical advisor Anne C. Beagan to help her prepare for her role. On her character and work with Beagan, Leoni said "Agent Denham is your standard-issue, ball-breaking FBI agent. She's certainly a very tough lady, and it's not my first waltz with this type of character. However, I was able to spend some time with Anne, a great technical advisor we had on set. She's got this steely gaze that is terrifying, but what's underneath that is a very interesting lady. Beyond the technical aspects of the job, she provided so much more for me to use."
- Michael PeñaMichael PeñaMichael Anthony Peña is an American film and television actor. He is probably best known for his roles in the films Crash, World Trade Center, Observe and Report, 30 Minutes or Less and Tower Heist...
as Enrique Dev'reaux
- Michael Peña
- The bellhop and the newest employee of the building staff. Peña was cast on October 19, 2010.
- Gabourey SidibeGabourey SidibeGabourey "Gabby" Sidibe is an American actress who made her acting debut in the 2009 film Precious, a role that brought her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.-Early life:...
as Odessa Montero
- Gabourey Sidibe
- A Jamaican-born maid threatened with deportation by Shaw's theft. To perform her character's Jamaican accent, Sidibe had three dialect coaches help her prepare and practiced with a friend of Jamaican heritage. Additionally, Sidibe worked with an actual safecracker to accurately portray breaking into locks. Sidibe was cast on October 19, 2010.
Judd Hirsch
Judd Hirsch
Judd Hirsch is an American actor most known for playing Alex Rieger on the television comedy series Taxi, John Lacey on the NBC series Dear John, and Alan Eppes on the CBS series Numb3rs.-Early life and education:...
plays Mr. Simon, the building staff's boss, and Stephen Henderson
Stephen Henderson
Stephen McKinley Henderson is an American actor.-Life and career:Henderson was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Ruby Naomi and Elihue Henderson. He was originally part of Group 1 of the Juilliard Drama School, later finishing his degree at the North Carolina School of the Arts...
plays Lester, the tower's retiring doorman. Henderson was cast after the filmmakers saw his performance in August Wilson's Fences on Broadway. The cast is rounded out by Nina Arianda
Nina Arianda
Nina Arianda is an American theatre and film actress.-Early life and education:Arianda grew up in Clifton, New Jersey and Heidelberg, Germany...
as Miss Iovenko, attorney-in-training, Juan Carlos Hernandez as Manuel the security guard, Harry O'Reilly as FBI Agent Dansk, Marcia Jean Kurtz as Rose, Peter Van Wagner as attorney Marty Klein, and Željko Ivanek
Željko Ivanek
Željko Ivanek is an Emmy award-winning Slovenian American actor best known for his role as Ray Fiske on Damages. He is also known for playing Blake Sterling on short-lived NBC series The Event and Emile Danko on Heroes....
as FBI Director Mazin. Jessica Szohr
Jessica Szohr
Jessica Karen Szohr is an American actress. Szohr began her screen career starring on television shows such as CSI: Miami and What About Brian...
plays Sasha Gibbs, Charlie's wife. Heavy D has a cameo appearance as a guard at a courthouse.
Development
The idea for Tower Heist began development as early as 2005 when Murphy pitched a concept to producer Brian GrazerBrian Grazer
Brian Thomas Grazer is an Academy Award-winning American film and television producer who co-founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. Together they have produced many acclaimed films, including Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind .- Career :Brian Grazer began his career as a producer...
and Ratner concerning an all-star cast of black comedians including Chris Tucker
Chris Tucker
Christopher "Chris" Tucker is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing the role of Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour film series.-Early life:...
, Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart (actor)
Kevin Hart is an American actor and stand-up comedian.-Early life and career:Hart was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was raised by his single mother...
, Dave Chapelle, Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan is an American comedian who is best known for his eight seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and currently known for playing the role of Tracy Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock.-Early life:...
, and Martin Lawrence
Martin Lawrence
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stand up comedian. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably the films Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House...
, as a group of disgruntled employees who plan to rob Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
and Trump Tower
Trump Tower
Trump Tower or Trump Towers may refer to one of several skyscrapers owned and operated by Donald Trump:Trump Tower* Trump Towers * Trump Towers * Trump Tower * Trump Tower...
. The film was originally titled Trump Heist under this concept. A script was developed by Adam Cooper and Bill Collage and over the course of the next five years, the script was rewritten by several writers including Russell Gewirtz, Rawson Marshall Thurber, Ted Griffin, Leslie Dixon, Noah Baumbach, and Jeff Nathanson, with the bulk of the work – and credit – going to Griffin and Nathanson.
Rewrites of the script gradually moved away from the ensemble of comedians and began to focus on two central characters, at which point Murphy left the project. For Ratner however, the modified script reminded him of the Ocean's Eleven
Ocean's Eleven (2001 film)
Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American comedy-crime caper and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was...
remake, a project he had developed but for which he was unavailable due to his commitment to directing Rush Hour 2
Rush Hour 2
Rush Hour 2 is a 2001 martial arts action comedy film. This is the second installment in the Rush Hour film series. A sequel to the 1998 film Rush Hour, the film stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker who respectively reprise their roles as Inspector Lee and Los Angeles police detective James Carter...
.
The project remained in development for a period of years but Ratner remained committed to the project, having enjoyed the heist films of the 1970s including The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The Hot Rock, and The Anderson Tapes
The Anderson Tapes
The Anderson Tapes is a 1971 crime film. It was directed by Sidney Lumet and stars Sean Connery, Dyan Cannon, Martin Balsam, and comedian Alan King. The screenplay was written by Frank Pierson, based upon a best-selling 1970 novel of the same name by Lawrence Sanders...
, turning down the opportunity to direct other films such as Horrible Bosses
Horrible Bosses
Horrible Bosses is a 2011 black comedy film directed by Seth Gordon, written by Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, based on a story by Markowitz. It stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx...
, which he instead produced. Ratner would also claim that he wanted to work with Murphy, to whom Ratner partially credited for inspiring his Rush Hour films. As the script began to be finalized, Murphy was drawn back into the much-changed project after being informed of Stiller's participation, with Murphy being offered the role of Slide. Murphy rejoined as both a cast member and producer, alongside Grazer and Kim Roth. In later October 2010, the film was finally scheduled for release, being given a November 4, 2011 release date.
Writing
Feeling the original concept was too close to Ocean's Eleven, Ratner attempted to recruit Rush Hour screenwriter Nathanson to perform additional work on the Tower Heist script, but at that time Nathanson was unavailable. Ratner instead hired Griffin, a writer on the Ocean's Eleven remake. Griffin "brought the real motivation and the heart to the concept", moving away from the premise of performing an ensemble heist on a rich Donald Trump-type, and focusing instead on a group of blue-collar employees who take on a corrupt, thieving Bernard MadoffBernard Madoff
Bernard Lawrence "Bernie" Madoff is a former American businessman, stockbroker, investment advisor, and financier. He is the former non-executive chairman of the NASDAQ stock market, and the admitted operator of a Ponzi scheme that is considered to be the largest financial fraud in U.S...
-like businessman who has embezzled their pensions. Ratner enjoyed the pitch and brought it to Grazer who gave his approval. After taking the script to Stiller and bringing him into the project, Ratner had Noah Baumbach
Noah Baumbach
Noah Baumbach is an American writer, director and independent filmmaker.-Background and education:Baumbach was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of novelist/film critic Jonathan Baumbach and Village Voice critic Georgia Brown. He graduated from Brooklyn's Midwood High School in 1987 and ...
perform specific rewrites for Stiller's character. Nathanson then came aboard the project and performed the final rewrites to Griffin's screenplay in October 2010, adding "the obstacles, complexities and specificities of the characters."
To help develop the script, the filmmakers and writers spoke with the resident managers of several high-profile New York hotels to learn of their experiences interacting with their clientele. This research gave Griffin the idea for Shaw possessing a vehicle in his apartment, which Grazer and Ratner eventually decided would be a rare 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso which once belonged to Steve McQueen. On his research, Nathanson said:
"It was informative, to say the least, to speak with the people who work in these buildings. I interviewed everyone from doormen to housekeepers to building managers. There's a whole underworld to the New York building scene that exists in the basements that most people are unaware of. They make it all possible, and you just never see it. It's fascinating."
Filming
Filming began on November 2010, taking place entirely in New York City on a budget of $85 million ($75 million after tax rebates). Production designer Kristi Zea visited several upscale hotels and high-rise residences to research the design elements to incorporate into the opulent surroundings of the tower and Shaw's penthouse. Zea created an amalgamation of the elements she saw during her research to create a sophisticated lobby design for the tower. For Shaw's penthouse, Zea took inspiration from a top-floor apartment in the Trump International Hotel and Tower at Central Park WestCentral Park West
Central Park West is an avenue that runs north-south in the New York City borough of Manhattan, in the United States....
in Columbus Circle
Columbus Circle
Columbus Circle, named for Christopher Columbus, is a major landmark and point of attraction in the New York City borough of Manhattan, located at the intersection of Eighth Avenue, Broadway, Central Park South , and Central Park West, at the southwest corner of Central Park. It is the point from...
. Zea populated the apartment with an assortment of art pieces to represent Shaw's status, based on specific artists and works that Ratner suggested. Zea decided to use modern-classic reproduction designs by artists such as Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
, Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
, Cy Twombly
Cy Twombly
Edwin Parker "Cy" Twombly, Jr. was an American artist well known for his large-scale, freely scribbled, calligraphic-style graffiti paintings, on solid fields of mostly gray, tan, or off-white colors...
, and Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
. Explaining her decision, Zea said "These days, it seems wealthy people want to have wall power. They want to have art on their walls that means something and shows people, just like a car, that, 'I'm rich, I'm smart and I know what I'm doing.'"
Donald Trump allowed the production to use several of his own properties to portray the luxurious locales with the Trump International Hotel & Tower being used for exterior shots of the tower. A foot and car chase sequence was filmed on Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. Some vehicle filming occurred on sound stages in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. The burglary itself takes place during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, requiring the crew to film parts of the actual parade itself, and then recreate the event one week later for further filming.
For Shaw's Ferrari, it was decided that purchasing an actual model – of which only 350 exist and would cost at least $1 million – would be too expensive and the vehicle would be unsuitable for filming purposes. Instead, two replicas were commissioned, a process which took three months under the supervision of prop master Peter Gelfman. The replicas then received additional reinforcement for filming purposes from Steve Kirshoff and the special effects crew. After running camera tests on several authentic Ferrari colors, it was decided to paint the replicas bright red in order to create a lasting impression instead of using the actual metallic brown muted-coloring of McQueen's vehicle.
Sidibe and Murphy performed the only improvised scene in which they are cracking a safe together. Test screenings did not result in any scenes being cut from the film, with Ratner claiming that the theatrical version is his "director's cut". However, he did remove scenes which he felt "didn't fit," or did not match the PG-13 rating the filmmakers were targeting.
In post-production, Universal decided to film a new scene for the ending that would feature a reunion between Stiller and Murphy's characters. Murphy however refused to return unless he was paid a further $500,000 on top of his $7.5M salary. The studio declined to pay the additional money and the scene was not shot.
Music
The soundtrack was composed by The HangoverThe Hangover (film)
The Hangover is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha and Jeffrey Tambor...
s Christophe Beck
Christophe Beck
Christophe Beck , also credited as Chris Beck, is a Canadian television and film score composer....
. The Tower Heist Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released on November 1, 2011, by Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums as well as newer releases by artists no longer under a contract...
. It consists of 22 tracks with a runtime of 40 minutes.
Release
The world premierePremiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
of Tower Heist took place on October 24, 2011, at the Ziegfeld Theatre
Ziegfeld Theatre
The Ziegfeld Theatre was a Broadway theater located at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and 54th Street in Manhattan, New York City. It was built in 1927 and, despite public protests, was razed in 1966....
in New York City.
Box office
Tower Heist has earned $65,953,350 (64.6%) in the United States and Canada, and a further $36,100,000 (35.4%) elsewhere, for a worldwide box-office gross of $102,053,350 as of December 1, 2011.United States and Canada
Pre-release audience tracking in the United States indicated that the film had strong awareness among males of all ages, followed by older women. Universal Pictures projected opening takings of $25–30 million during the opening weekend – aiming below expectations due to a slow marketplace – with rival studios claiming that the film would need to make at least $30 million to be a success.
In the United States and Canada, Tower Heist opened in 3,367 theaters. The film took $85,000 from midnight screenings and a total of $8.5M opening Friday, becoming the number one grossing film for the day. Although the film had been expected to be the number one film for the weekend, it took $10.5M on the opening Saturday, falling behind the animated film Puss in Boots
Puss in Boots (2011 film)
Puss in Boots is a 2011 computer-animated adventure Western film produced by DreamWorks Animation, directed by Chris Miller , executive produced by Guillermo del Toro, and written by Brian Lynch, with screenplay by Tom Wheeler. It stars Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob...
($15.3M). Tower Heist became the number two film for the weekend with $24M, behind Puss in Boots ($34M). with 70% of the audience being over the age of 25—the largest segment, 27%, being over 50—and 56% male. The opening audience was ethnically diverse consisting of 48% Caucasian, 21% African American, and 21% Hispanic.
Markets elsewhere
Tower Heist was released on November 2, 2011, in the United Kingdom and opened in a total of 23 countries, including Germany, Spain, Hong Kong, and India, by November 4, 2011, at a total of 1,948 theaters. The opening weekend saw the film gross $9.5M –an average of $5,000 per theater – with the largest earnings coming from the United Kingdom ($2.3M at 416 theaters) where it was the number three film for the weekend, and Spain ($1.6M at 300 theaters) where it was the number two film.
Critical reception
The film received a generally positive reception from critics, garnering 69% approval from 159 critics – an average rating of 6.2 out of 10 – on review aggregate website Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, whose consensus reads: "Tower Heist is a true Brett Ratner joint: little brains to this caper, but it's fun fluff, exciting to watch, and showcases a welcome return to form for Eddie Murphy." Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
provides a score of 59 out of 100 from 39 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews." CinemaScore
CinemaScore
CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.-Background:...
polls reported that the average grade moviegoers gave the film was a "B" on an A+ to F scale.
Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
called the film "a tolerably enjoyable Brett Ratner movie," labeling it " brash, forgettable fun." However, Robey criticized Ratner for having the mostly white characters require the aid of a black character for the heist, saying "it's a little embarrassing that they can't conceive of doing this without bailing a black criminal out of jail...but cultural sensitivity has never been Ratner's strong suit." The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
Todd McCarthy said that the film is "snappy, well cast and streetwise" but felt that it ignored the "contemporary economic issues at its core." McCarthy said that Murphy's performance was a return to form as "the rude, confrontational, wiseass Murphy audiences have nearly forgotten after all the silly kid comedies and heavy-makeup outings of recent years," and said that with his introduction "the film's energy and amusement level kick up a few notches," but that the enjoyment ebbs during the actual break-in, in which "Murphy becomes neutered...and the logistics of the heist become too far-fetched and laborious."
New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
s David Edelstein called it "a shameless but exuberantly well-done caper comedy," and praised the performances of Stiller, Murphy and Leoni, saying "Ben Stiller...and Eddie Murphy... show off two of the best fastballs in comedy, and Téa Leoni's best scene as an FBI agent – drunk, both sloppy and blunt – makes you wish she had more." Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy is an American film critic and professor.-Life:Emanuel Levy began his studies at Tel Aviv University, where he received B.A. in sociology, anthropology and political science. He did graduate work in sociology, film, and culture studies at Columbia University, where he earned a Ph.D...
called Tower Heist a "formulaic, haphazardly plotted action comedy... whose best asset is its strong ensemble." Levy said "What makes the picture... work is not its plot, which is overly familiar and utterly implausible, but the socio-psychological dynamics that prevail among the [characters]." Levy singled out Stiller as "well cast" and Sidibe as having "some of the picture's best lines," but gave individual praise to Murphy saying that he "dominates the second half of the picture," rendering "a joyous performance that recalls his witty, charming, streetwise roles of the 1980s."
Empire
Empire (magazine)
Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. From the first issue in July 1989, the magazine was edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Bauer purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008...
s Nick de Semlyen awarded the film three out of five stars, calling it "fun if uneven stuff from Ratner," with a "fairly dull" opening act. Semlyen said it was "a welcome return to form for Eddie Murphy," but was critical that he is "sorely underused." Semlyen praised Alda, saying that it is his "smarm offensive that turns out to be the primary pleasure." The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
s Nick Pinkteron said that the film "deserves credit as a clean, well-turned job, fleet and funny and inconsequential," and appreciated the cast, praising Leoni as the "best thing going," and Murphy's "inspired" contributions. However, Pinkerton was critical of the script, describing it as "amateur as its crooks: The audience isn't even fully aware of who's in on the job when it kicks off, while other threads are left dangling."
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
awarded the film 2.5 out of 4, saying "This isn't a great heist movie for a lot of reasons, beginning with the stupidity of its heist plan and the impossibility of these characters ever being successful at anything more complex than standing in line," but appreciated that the comedy did not "go heavy on the excremental, the masturbatory and symphonies of four-letter words", calling it "funny in an innocent screwball kind of way." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s Lisa Schwarzbaum called the film "overblinged, eye-catching, and essentially tacky," and praised Murphy, saying "when Murphy is on screen, his comedic vigor... gooses the movie's energy level... but whenever Murphy wanders off, the movie's pulse rate drops. Tower Heist is in effect two movies: One belongs to Murphy, the other to the rest of the cast." Time Out Londons Trevor Johnston said that "though it's hard to get excited by this amiable potboiler, Tower Heist is so at home with its limitations it's equally hard to dislike," but criticized the finale "which might have been a bit more tense had we been able to take it remotely seriously." Conversely, Time Out New Yorks David Fear gave it 2 out of 5 stars, saying "one nail-biting moment and some much-misssed Murphy mouthiness won't keep you from feeling like you're the one being ripped off."
The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
Anthony Lane criticized the plot, saying "toss everything you can find, starting with roughly diced plots, into the blender: such appears to be the method behind Tower Heist." Lane called the characters "unlikable people" but offered praise to Broderick, saying he "underplays [the character] so well." Lane lamented that "the notion of a theft from the thieves – from those who are lapped in lofty, screw-you wealth – is a tempting one right now, but Tower Heist passes the buck." Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
s Peter Debruge was also critical, saying the film "goes wonky on the way to the bank, due to its lackluster pacing and shortage of the qualities that typically earn stars Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy their paychecks – namely, laughs." Debruge felt that the opening 40 minutes were "a dull blue-collar drama populated entirely by stereotypes," and while the film "picks up some much-needed momentum" with the actual heist, the "resolution feels rushed." However, Debruge echoed praise for Murphy, calling his performance "a welcome return to the comic's irreverent, '80s-era persona," and lamenting his limited screen-time.
Video on demand boycott
On October 5, 2011, Universal Pictures announced that Tower Heist would be made available for home viewing via parent company ComcastComcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
's video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
system three weeks after its theatrical debut at the rental cost of $59.99. The move was announced as a test case, to be conducted only in Atlanta and Portland. The move met with criticism from cinema chains over concern that the test and any further future implementation would impact ticket sales. The following day, Cinemark Theatres
Cinemark Theatres
Cinemark Theatres is a chain of movie theatres owned by Cinemark Holdings, Inc. in North and South America and Taiwan. It has its headquarters in Plano, Texas.Cinemark's Missions Statement Reads as follows:...
– the third largest cinema chain in the United States – threatened to not show the film at all if Universal proceeded with the test. On October 11, 2011, several independent theater chains, including Galaxy Theatres, Regency Theatres and Emagine Theatres, and small cinema houses representing approximately 50 screens across the country, also threatened not to play Tower Heist. The following day the chains were joined by 950-screen National Amusements
National Amusements
National Amusements, Inc. is a privately owned theatre company based in Dedham, Massachusetts, USA. The company was founded in 1936 as the Northeast Theatre Corporation by Michael Redstone....
theater chain. In response, Universal Pictures released a statement saying that they would no longer pursue the proposed test.