Scent of a Woman

DVD Features:

Major Awards:

Academy Awards - Best Actor (1992)

Product Description:

Chris O'Donnell stars as Charlie Simms, a young and innocent scholarship student at an exclusive prep school in New Hampshire who agrees to look after Lt. Col. Frank Slade (Al Pacino), a blind retired army officer, to earn extra money over the Thanksgiving holiday. Frank is a cantankerous and cynical bully who completely suprises Charlie with his plans for their weekend. He has bought them tickets to New York, booked a suite at the Waldorf, rented a limousine, and has big plans for a wild weekend in the Big Apple. Before Charlie realizes what he has gotten into, he is accompanying the colonel around Manhattan as they begin their wild and eye-opening adventures that include a fast-paced test drive in a Ferrari and a tango with a beautiful woman (Gabrielle Anwar). Frank's passion is women; he waxes lyrically on their bodies, scent, and sensuality, and gradually Charlie becomes aware of the sentimental romantic buried deep within the lonely man's heart. Charlie and Frank's growing relationship is the core of the film; Frank teaches Charlie how to see, and Charlie teaches Frank how to feel in this heart-wrenching and heartwarming comedy. Al Pacino is simply stunning as Frank Slade, relying on his vocal power and strong physicality to carry across a complex range of emotions. He is both intolerable and completely lovable in this Oscar-winning role of a lifetime.

Plot Synopsis:

Hoping to earn some extra money, a relatively underprivileged prep school student agrees to look after a cantankerous, blind, retired lieutenant colonel during his holiday. Thrown off guard by his charge's bullying style, the student's in for even more surprises when the two take off for a wild weekend in New York City.

Plot Keywords:

Adventure | Character Study | Drama | Friends | Physically Impaired | Recommended | Romance | Tear Jerker | Theatrical Release

Exerpts:

"[A] bunch of runny-nosed snots in tweed jackets, all studying to be George Bush." -- Slade (Al Pacino) to Charlie Simms (Chris O'Donnell), referring to his Charlie's boarding school classmates

"You're not bad. You're just in pain." -- Simms to Frank Slade (Al Pacino)

"Hoo-hah!" -- Slade

"You can dance the tango and drive a Ferrari better than anyone I've ever seen." -- Charlie to Slade
"You've never seen anyone do either." -- Slade to Charlie

"If I were the man I was ten years ago, I'd take a flamethrower to this place!" -- Slade to Simms's school authorities

Production Notes:

• Theatrical release: December 1, 1992.
• Filmed in New York City and at Kaufman Astoria Studios, Queens, using a widescreen process.
• Bo Goldman's screenplay was suggested by a character in PROFUM DI DONNA, an Italian film written by Ruggero Maccari and directed by Dino Risi. PROFUMA was based on the novel IL BUIO E IL MIELE by Giovanni Arpino.

Cast and Crew: