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91-519: Mickey Blue Eyes is a 1999 American romantic comedy crime film directed by Kelly Makin . Hugh Grant stars as Michael Felgate, an English auctioneer living in New York City who becomes entangled in his soon-to-be father-in-law's mafia connections. Several of the minor roles are played by actors later featured in The Sopranos . The film's title comes from Michael being forced to impersonate

182-588: A New Jersey -based Italian-American mobster who struggles to balance his family life with his role as the leader of a criminal organization, which he reluctantly explores during therapy sessions with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi ( Lorraine Bracco ). The series also features Tony's various family members, Mafia colleagues, and rivals in prominent roles —most notably his wife Carmela ( Edie Falco ) and his protégé and distant cousin Christopher Moltisanti ( Michael Imperioli ). Having been greenlit in 1997,

273-572: A panic attack , he begins therapy with Dr. Jennifer Melfi . Details of Tony's upbringing—with his father's influence looming large on his development as a gangster, but more so that of Tony's mother, Livia , who is vengeful, narcissistic, and possibly psychopathic —are revealed. His complicated relationship with his wife Carmela is also explored, as well as her feelings regarding her husband's cosa nostra ties. Meadow and Anthony Jr. , Tony's children, gain increasing knowledge of their father's mob dealings. Later, federal indictments are brought as

364-410: A romantic comedy is that two characters meet , part ways due to an argument or other obstacle, then ultimately, realize their love for one another and reunite. Sometimes the two leads meet and become involved initially, then must confront challenges to their union. Sometimes they are hesitant to become romantically involved because they believe they do not like each other. This could be because one of

455-424: A Brand New Badge ", a variation on the sequence is used, with Fat Tony leaving a Springfield tunnel instead of Tony. Fat Tony then continues to drive through Springfield to the same soundtrack as the original. The Sopranos features a large cast of characters, many of whom get significant amounts of character development. Some only appear in certain seasons, while others appear (sporadically or constantly) throughout

546-458: A feature film. In December 1997, HBO decided to produce the series and ordered 12 more episodes for a 13-episode season. The show premiered on HBO on January 10, 1999, with the pilot, The Sopranos . North Jersey prosecutor and municipal judge Robert Baer filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Chase in Trenton, New Jersey , federal court, alleging that he helped to create the show. Baer lost

637-668: A federal jury found against Baer, dismissing all of his claims. Many of the actors on The Sopranos are Italian American from the New York metropolitan area , like the characters they portray, and many appeared together in films and television series before joining the cast of The Sopranos . The series has 27 actors in common with the 1990 Martin Scorsese gangster film Goodfellas , including main cast members Lorraine Bracco , Michael Imperioli , and Tony Sirico . The casting directors were Georgianne Walken and Sheila Jaffe . The main cast

728-476: A financing agreement with one of the film's producers Castle Rock Entertainment , but it ended up being released by Universal Pictures International instead. This is one of a handful of films, and among the last, until 2007, to be self-released by Universal internationally, and shortly afterwards, the theatrical distribution arm was merged into United International Pictures . The film earned $ 10.2 million in its opening weekend. It went on to gross $ 33.9 million in

819-424: A gangster, who is spontaneously named "Kansas City Little Big Mickey Blue Eyes"; coincidentally, it is also a play on "Jimmy Blue Eyes," nickname of real-life mobster Vincent Alo . Later on, the film served as an inspiration for 2007 Bollywood film Welcome . The film was released on August 20, 1999. It received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $ 54.3 million against its $ 20 million budget. Michael Felgate

910-464: A result of someone in his organization talking to the FBI . Tony's uncle Corrado "Junior" Soprano , who controls his own crew, orders the murder of Brendan Filone and the mock execution of Christopher Moltisanti , associates of Tony's, as a reprisal for repeated hijackings of trucks under Corrado's protection. Tony defuses the situation by allowing his uncle to be installed as boss of the family (following

1001-493: A result. Charmaine also had a brief sexual encounter with Tony (when he and Carmela had temporarily broken-up) when all four were teenagers. John "Johnny Sack" Sacramoni ( Vince Curatola ), Phil Leotardo ( Frank Vincent ) and "Little" Carmine Lupertazzi Jr. ( Ray Abruzzo ) are all significant characters from the New York City–based Lupertazzi crime family , which shares a good amount of its business with

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1092-799: A sense of awkwardness between the two potential partners by depicting an initial clash of personalities or beliefs, an embarrassing situation, or by introducing a comical misunderstanding or mistaken identity situation. Sometimes, the term is used without a hyphen (a "meet cute"), or as a verb ("to meet cute"). Roger Ebert describes the "concept of a Meet Cute" as "when boy meets girl in a cute way." As an example, he cites "The Meet Cute in Lost and Found [which] has Jackson and Segal running their cars into each other in Switzerland. Once recovered, they Meet Cute again when they run into each other while on skis. Eventually, they fall in love." In many romantic comedies,

1183-567: A shot of the World Trade Center towers in the right side-view mirror. After the September 11 attacks , beginning with the show's fourth season, this shot was removed and replaced with a more generic view. In a 2010 issue of TV Guide , the show's opening title sequence ranked No. 10 on a list of TV's top 10 credits sequences, as selected by readers. A parody of the opening sequence was used in an episode of The Simpsons . In " Poppa's Got

1274-407: A single story credit, and eight others are credited with writing a sole episode. The most prolific writers of the series were Chase (30 credited episodes, including story credits), Winter (25 episodes), Green and Burgess (22 episodes), Weiner (12 episodes), and Renzulli (9 episodes). Many of the directors had previously worked on television series and independent films. The most frequent directors of

1365-538: A soft-spoken soldier with a head for figures, and Furio Giunta ( Federico Castelluccio ), an Italian national who joins the family later in the series, who serves as Tony's violent enforcer and bodyguard. Other significant characters in the DiMeo family include Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri ( Steven R. Schirripa ); Richie Aprile ( David Proval ); Ralph Cifaretto ( Joe Pantoliano ); Eugene Pontecorvo ( Robert Funaro ); and Vito Spatafore ( Joseph R. Gannascoli ). Bobby

1456-412: A television writer and producer for more than 20 years before creating The Sopranos . He had been employed as a staff writer or producer for several television series, including Kolchak: The Night Stalker , Switch , The Rockford Files , I'll Fly Away , and Northern Exposure . He had also co-created the series Almost Grown in 1988. He made his television directorial debut in 1986 with

1547-634: A young Tony Soprano. The series follows Tony Soprano , a North Jersey -based Italian-American mobster, who tries to balance his family life with his role as the boss of the Soprano family . Suffering from anxiety -induced panic attacks , he reluctantly engages in therapy sessions with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi throughout the series. He puts his life at risk on multiple occasions and finds himself at odds with his uncle Junior , his wife Carmela , other Mafia members and non-Mafia criminals, and New York City 's Lupertazzi family . David Chase had worked as

1638-528: Is " Woke Up This Morning " (Chosen One Mix), written by, remixed and performed by British band Alabama 3 . With few exceptions, a different song plays over the closing credits of each episode. Many songs are repeated multiple times through an episode, such as " Living on a Thin Line " by The Kinks in the season three episode " University " and "Glad Tidings" by Van Morrison in the season five finale " All Due Respect ". Other songs are heard several times throughout

1729-435: Is a subordinate of Uncle Junior's whom Tony initially bullies, but later accepts into his inner circle. Ralph is a clever, ambitious top-earner, but his arrogant, obnoxious, disrespectful, and unpredictably violent tendencies turn Tony resentful. Richie Aprile is released from prison in season 2 and quickly makes waves. Pontecorvo is a young soldier who becomes a "made" man alongside Christopher. Spatafore works his way up through

1820-511: Is an English auctioneer living in New York City where he manages the Cromwell auction house. He proposes marriage to his girlfriend Gina Vitale, but is disheartened to be turned down. Gina tearfully explains that her father Frank and most of her cousins and uncles are gangsters deeply involved in a Mafia crime family, and she is concerned that Michael will be forced into their world. Michael assures her that he will not let this happen, but barely

1911-480: Is arrested for ordering Michael's execution. As Frank and Michael mourn Gina's apparent death in the back of her ambulance, it is revealed that her death was faked as well, and that Vinnie and Gina were also involved with the FBI as a back-up plan. On November 4, 1997, Hugh Grant was announced as a cast member of the film. The film was originally set to be released internationally by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment , through

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2002-883: Is chronically frustrated by having not been made boss of the DiMeo family, despite old-school mob traditions entitling him to the position by seniority. He feels his authority is perpetually undermined by Tony's greater influence in the organization and barely contains his seething jealousy at having to watch both his younger brother (Tony's father) and now Tony leapfrog him in the organization. As their professional tensions escalate, Uncle Junior employs increasingly desperate behind-the-scenes measures to solve his problems with Tony, who still idolizes his uncle, and wants to retain Junior's affection and approval. Uncle Junior and Christopher are fixtures in Tony's real family, as well as his crime family, so their actions in one realm often create further conflicts in

2093-531: Is closer to tragicomedy ." It was not until the development of the literary tradition of romantic love in the western European medieval period, though, that "romance" came to refer to "romantic love" situations. They were previously referred to as the heroic adventures of medieval Romance . Those adventures traditionally focused on a knight's feats on behalf of a lady, so the modern themes of love were quickly woven into them, as in Chrétien de Troyes 's Lancelot,

2184-408: Is his relationship with his wife Carmela ( Edie Falco ), which is strained by his constant infidelity and her struggle to reconcile the reality of Tony's business, of which she is often in denial, with the affluent lifestyle and higher social status it brings her. Tony and Carmela default to anger, criticism and yelling in their parenting, and so have challenging relationships with their two children:

2275-501: Is nominal boss of the crime family following the death of then-acting boss Jackie Aprile Sr. ( Michael Rispoli ), Christopher Moltisanti ( Michael Imperioli ) his immature and hot-headed cousin and protégé and his maternal cousin Tony Blundetto ( Steve Buscemi ). Both Livia and Janice are scheming treacherous shrewd manipulators with major unaddressed psychological issues of their own. The single-mindedly ambitious Uncle Junior

2366-438: Is noted for being a very controlling, demanding, and specific producer. He wrote or co-wrote between two and seven episodes per season and would oversee all the editing, consult with episode directors, give actors character motivation, approve casting choices and set designs, and do extensive but uncredited rewrites of episodes written by others. Brad Grey served as executive producer alongside Chase but had no creative input on

2457-555: Is noted for its eclectic music selections and has received considerable critical attention for its effective use of previously recorded songs. Chase personally selected all of the show's music with producer Martin Bruestle and music editor Kathryn Dayak, sometimes also consulting Steven Van Zandt . The music was usually selected once the production and editing of an episode was completed, but on occasion sequences were filmed to match preselected pieces of music. The show's opening theme

2548-645: Is their engagement party over before he is unwittingly involved in a money laundering scam, and soon the FBI takes an interest in him. When one of the money laundering scams at Michael's auction house goes wrong, Gina's cousin Johnny confronts and attacks Michael. Gina takes his gun and fires a warning shot into the ceiling, which ricochets and accidentally kills Johnny. Johnny's father Vito finds out, and he tells Frank he will kill Gina unless Frank kills Michael during his wedding speech. Having grown fond of Michael, Frank confesses what Vito has ordered him to do to Michael and

2639-529: Is triggered to violent, angry outbursts. Melfi is usually thoughtful, rational, and humane, which is a stark contrast to Tony's personality. Tony, a serial womanizer, occasionally divulges his sexual attraction to Dr. Melfi. Melfi harbors some degree of attraction to Tony too, but rarely admits it and never acts on it. Melfi is drawn to the challenge of helping such an unusual client and naively assumes that their doctor–patient relationship will not affect her personal life in any way. Adding to Tony's complicated life

2730-523: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, and invited him to audition. Van Zandt, a guitarist in Bruce Springsteen 's E Street Band , had never acted before. He auditioned for the role of Tony Soprano, but HBO felt that the role should go to an experienced actor, so Chase wrote a new part for him. Van Zandt eventually agreed to star on the show as consigliere Silvio Dante , and his real-life spouse Maureen

2821-514: The film ends on a happy note . Even though it is implied that they live happily ever after, it does not always state what that happy ending will be. The couple does not necessarily get married for it to be a "happily ever after". The conclusion of a romantic comedy is meant to affirm the primary importance of the love relationship in the protagonists' lives, even if they physically separate in the end (e.g., Shakespeare in Love , Roman Holiday ). Most of

Mickey Blue Eyes - Misplaced Pages Continue

2912-474: The "Enough Rope for Two" episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents . He also directed episodes of Almost Grown and I'll Fly Away in 1988 and 1992, respectively. In 1996, he wrote and directed the television film The Rockford Files: Punishment and Crime . He served as showrunner for I'll Fly Away and Northern Exposure in the 1990s. Chase won his first Emmy Award in 1978 for his work on The Rockford Files (shared with fellow producers) and his second for writing

3003-516: The 1980 television film Off the Minnesota Strip . By 1996, he was a coveted showrunner. I want to tell a story about this particular man. I want to tell the story about the reality of being a mobster—or what I perceive to be the reality of life in organized crime. They aren't shooting each other every day. They sit around eating baked ziti and betting and figuring out who owes who money. Occasionally, violence breaks out—more often than it does in

3094-580: The DiMeo crime family include Silvio Dante ( Steven Van Zandt ), Tony's consigliere and best friend who runs the family's strip club headquarters and other businesses, Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri ( Tony Sirico ), a tough, short-tempered, aging soldier who is fiercely loyal to Tony, and Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero ( Vincent Pastore ), a veteran gangster who runs an automotive body shop . Paulie "Walnuts" and "Big Pussy" (often called just "Pussy") have worked with Tony and his father. Also in Tony's criminal organization are Patsy Parisi ( Dan Grimaldi ),

3185-548: The Knight of the Cart . The contemporary romantic comedy genre was shaped by 18th-century Restoration comedy and 19th-century romantic melodrama . Restoration comedies were typically comedies of manners that relied on knowledge of the complex social rules of high society, particularly related to navigating the marriage-market, an inherent feature of the plot in many of these plays, such as William Wycherley 's The Country Wife . While

3276-597: The Soprano organization. Although the Lupertazzis' and DiMeos' interests are often at odds, Tony maintains a cordial, business-like relationship with "Johnny Sack", preferring to make mutually beneficial deals, not war. Johnny Sack's second-in-command and eventual successor, Phil Leotardo, is less friendly and harder for Tony to do business with. Little Carmine is the son of the family's first boss and vies for power with its other members. When Tony Soprano collapses after suffering

3367-537: The Sopranos, and owners of the popular restaurant Vesuvio. Charmaine wishes to have no association with Tony and his crew due to fears that Tony's criminal ways will ultimately ruin everything she and Artie have achieved. Artie, however—a law-abiding, hard-working man—is drawn to his childhood friend Tony's glamorous, seemingly carefree lifestyle. Charmaine bitterly resents Artie's chronic tendency to disregard her wishes while catering to Tony's; their marriage suffers greatly as

3458-645: The United States and a total of $ 54.3 million worldwide. According to the Los Angeles Times the film was a "marginal money loser". On Rotten Tomatoes , the film holds an approval rating of 45% based on 78 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10. The site's critics consensus states: "High-brow humorists doing low-brow humor never hit their stride." At Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 49 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave

3549-450: The back room. The club is called Satin Dolls and was an existing business before the show started. The club continued to operate during the eight years that the show was filmed there, and a business arrangement was worked out with the owner. Locations manager Mark Kamine recalls that the owner was "very gracious" as long as the shooting did not "conflict with his business time". Scenes set at

3640-641: The banking world, perhaps. The story of The Sopranos was initially conceived as a feature film about "a mobster in therapy having problems with his mother". Chase got some input from his manager Lloyd Braun and decided to adapt it into a television series. He signed a development deal in 1995 with production company Brillstein-Grey and wrote the original pilot script. He drew heavily from his personal life and his experiences growing up in an Italian-American family in New Jersey, and has stated that he tried to apply his own "family dynamic to mobsters". For instance,

3731-620: The best television series of all time. In 2016 and 2022, the series came in first place on the Rolling Stone list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time. In March 2018, New Line Cinema announced that they had purchased a film detailing the show's background story, set in the 1960s and 1970s during and after the Newark riots . The film, The Many Saints of Newark (2021), was written by Chase and Lawrence Konner and directed by Alan Taylor . It starred Gandolfini's son Michael Gandolfini as

Mickey Blue Eyes - Misplaced Pages Continue

3822-471: The characters already has a partner or because of social pressures. However, the screenwriters leave clues that suggest that the characters are attracted to each other and that they would be a good love match. The characters often split or seek time apart in order to sort out their emotions or deal with external obstacles to being together, which they eventually overcome. While the two protagonists are separated, one or both of them usually realizes that they love

3913-460: The conflicting requirements of his family with those of the Mafia family he controls. Because he is prone to bouts of clinical depression and reflex syncope , after a fainting spell (triggered by a panic attack ), Tony's physician refers him for treatment by psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi ( Lorraine Bracco ) in the show's first episode . She treats Tony to the best of her ability, even when he

4004-467: The crime series The Untouchables . The series is partly inspired by the Richard Boiardo family, a prominent New Jersey organized crime family when Chase was growing up, and partly on New Jersey's DeCavalcante family . He has mentioned American playwrights Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams as influences on the show's writing, and Italian director Federico Fellini as an important influence on

4095-421: The death of the previous boss Jackie Aprile from cancer), while Tony retains actual control of most dealings from behind the scenes. Corrado discovers the subterfuge, after talking to Livia and falling for her subtle manipulation, and he orders an attempt on Tony's life. The assassination is botched and Tony responds violently, before confronting his mother for her role in plotting his downfall; she appears to have

4186-708: The decades. We can see this through the screwball comedy in response to the censorship of the Hays Code in the 1920s–1930s, the career woman comedy (such as George Stevens' Woman of the Year , starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy ) post-WWII, and the sex comedy made popular by Rock Hudson and Doris Day in the 1950s–1960s. Over the years, romantic comedies have slowly been becoming more popular to both men and women. They have begun to spread out of their conventional and traditional structure into other territory, and to explore more complex topics. These films still follow

4277-467: The entire series. All characters were created by David Chase unless otherwise noted. Tony Soprano ( James Gandolfini ) is the series' protagonist . Tony is one of the capos of the New Jersey–based DiMeo crime family at the beginning of the series; he eventually becomes its undisputed boss. He is also the patriarch of the Soprano household. Throughout the series, Tony struggles to balance

4368-587: The exterior and some interior shots of the Soprano residence were filmed on location at a private residence in North Caldwell, New Jersey . Tony Soprano is seen emerging from the Lincoln Tunnel out of Manhattan and passing through the tollbooth for the New Jersey Turnpike . Numerous landmarks in and around Newark and Jersey City, New Jersey , are then shown passing by the camera as Tony drives down

4459-574: The exterior scenes took place in New Jersey and were filmed on location, with the majority of the interior shots filmed at Silvercup Studios in New York City, including most indoor shots of the Soprano residence, the back room of the strip club Bada Bing! , and Dr. Melfi 's office. The pork store was called Centanni's Meat Market in the pilot episode, an actual butchery in Elizabeth, New Jersey . After

4550-460: The fact that these films are still romantic comedies. One of the conventions of romantic comedy films is the entertainment factor in a contrived encounter of two potential romantic partners in unusual or comic circumstances, which film critics such as Roger Ebert or the Associated Press's Christy Lemire have called a " meet-cute " situation. During a "meet-cute", scriptwriters often create

4641-467: The film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale. The film is notable for the number of actors who would go on to appear in the HBO TV series, The Sopranos , including: The film is mentioned in the season 2 Sopranos episode " D-Girl ", when Amy Safir explains to Christopher Moltisanti that there isn't a demand for mob-related scripts because of this film. Romantic comedy The basic plot of

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4732-436: The follies and misunderstandings of young lovers, in a light‐hearted and happily concluded manner which usually avoids serious satire". This reference states that the "best‐known examples are Shakespeare's comedies of the late 1590s, A Midsummer Night's Dream , Twelfth Night , and As You Like It being the most purely romantic, while Much Ado About Nothing approaches the comedy of manners and The Merchant of Venice

4823-720: The gender role that society has imposed upon them, as seen in Forgetting Sarah Marshall , in which the male protagonist is especially in touch with his emotions. It can also be seen in Made of Honor , in which the female bridesmaids are shown in a negative and somewhat masculine light in order to advance the likability of the male lead. Other remakes of romantic comedies involve similar elements, but they explore more adult themes such as marriage, responsibility, or even disability. Two films by Judd Apatow , This Is 40 and Knocked Up , deal with these issues. This Is 40 chronicles

4914-402: The highway. The sequence ends with Tony pulling into the driveway of his suburban home. Chase has said that the goal of the title sequence was to show that this particular mafia show was about New Jersey , as opposed to New York, where most similar dramas have been set. In the first three seasons, between Tony leaving the tunnel and passing through the toll plaza, the title sequence included

5005-561: The intelligent, but rebellious, Meadow ( Jamie-Lynn Sigler ) and underachiever Anthony Jr. ("A.J.") ( Robert Iler ), whose everyday teenage issues are further complicated by their eventual knowledge of their father's criminal activities and reputation. The starring cast includes members of Tony's extended family, including his narcissistic, disapproving, manipulative mother, Livia ( Nancy Marchand ), his aimless, histrionic older sister Janice ( Aida Turturro ), his crafty, paternal uncle Corrado "Junior" Soprano ( Dominic Chianese ) who

5096-557: The melodramas of the Romantic period had little to do with comedy, they were hybrids incorporating elements of domestic and sentimental tragedies, pantomime "with an emphasis on gesture, on the body, and the thrill of the chase," and other genres of expression such as songs and folk tales. In the 20th century, as Hollywood grew, the romantic comedy in America mirrored other aspects of society in its rapid changes, developing many sub-genres through

5187-429: The mid-life crisis of a couple entering their 40s, and Knocked Up addresses unintended pregnancy and the ensuing assuming of responsibility. Silver Linings Playbook deals with mental illness and the courage to start a new relationship. All of these go against the stereotype of what romantic comedy has become as a genre. Yet, the genre of romantic comedy is simply a structure, and all of these elements do not negate

5278-436: The other person. Then, one character makes some extravagant effort (sometimes called a grand gesture ) to find the other character and declare their love. However, this is not always the case; sometimes, there is a coincidental encounter where the two characters meet again. Alternatively, one character plans a romantic gesture to show that they still care. Then, with some comic friction, they declare their love for each other, and

5369-524: The other zombies and even starts to cure them. With the zombie cure, the two main characters can now be together since they do not have a barrier between them anymore. Another strange set of circumstances is in Zack and Miri Make a Porno where the two protagonists are building a relationship while trying to make a pornographic film together. Both these films take the typical story arc and then add strange circumstances to add originality. Other romantic comedies flip

5460-416: The other. Christopher, an entitled, insecure DiMeo associate who is as ambitious as he is insubordinate and incompetent, is also a chronic substance abuser. Tony Blundetto is a well-respected DiMeo family soldier who returns after completing a lengthy prison sentence; he leaves prison committed to "going straight" (to Tony's dismay), but also has an intense violent streak. Those in Tony's closest circle within

5551-463: The part of the highly educated Dr. Melfi would be more of a challenge for her. Tony Sirico had a criminal history, and he signed on to play Paulie Walnuts so long as his character was not to be a " rat ". Sirico had originally auditioned for the role of Uncle Junior with Frank Vincent , but Dominic Chianese landed the role. Chase was impressed with Steven Van Zandt 's humorous appearance and presence after seeing him induct The Rascals into

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5642-487: The potential couple comprises polar opposites, two people of different temperaments, situations, social statuses, or all three ( It Happened One Night ), who would not meet or talk under normal circumstances, and the meet cute's contrived situation provides the opportunity for these two people to meet. The Sopranos The Sopranos is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase . The series revolves around Tony Soprano ( James Gandolfini ),

5733-456: The ranks to become top earner of the Aprile crew but is secretly gay. Friends of the Soprano family include Herman "Hesh" Rabkin ( Jerry Adler ); Adriana La Cerva ( Drea de Matteo ); Rosalie Aprile ( Sharon Angela ); Angie Bonpensiero ( Toni Kalem ), along with Artie ( John Ventimiglia ) and Charmaine Bucco ( Kathrine Narducci ). Hesh is an invaluable adviser and friend to Tony, as he

5824-472: The realities of what that is. He's anxious; he's depressed; he starts to see a therapist because he's searching for the meaning of his own life. I thought: the only difference between him and everybody I know is he's the Don of New Jersey. Chase and producer Brad Grey pitched The Sopranos to several networks; Fox showed interest but passed on it after Chase presented them the pilot script. They eventually pitched

5915-518: The restaurant Vesuvio, owned and operated in the series by character Artie Bucco , were filmed at a restaurant called Manolo's located in Elizabeth for the first episode. After the destruction of Vesuvio within the context of the series, Artie opened a new restaurant called Nuovo Vesuvio; exterior scenes set there were filmed at an Italian restaurant called Punta Dura located in Long Island City . All

6006-496: The series as writers and producers from the first to the fifth season; they had previously worked with Chase on Northern Exposure . Terence Winter joined the writing staff during the production of the second season and served as executive producer from season five onwards. He practiced law for two years before deciding to pursue a career as a screenwriter, and he caught the attention of Chase through writer Frank Renzulli . Matthew Weiner served as staff writer and producer for

6097-542: The series have been released. The first, titled The Sopranos: Music from the HBO Original Series , was released in 1999. It contains selections from the show's first two seasons and reached No. 54 on the U.S. Billboard 200 . A second soundtrack compilation titled The Sopranos – Peppers & Eggs: Music from the HBO Series , was released in 2001. This double-disc album contains songs and selected dialogue from

6188-410: The series was broadcast on HBO from January 10, 1999, to June 10, 2007, spanning six seasons and 86 episodes . Broadcast syndication followed in the United States and internationally. The Sopranos was produced by HBO, Chase Films, and Brad Grey Television. It was primarily filmed at Silvercup Studios in New York City , with some on-location filming in New Jersey. The executive producers throughout

6279-596: The series was picked up by HBO, the producers leased a building with a storefront in Kearny, New Jersey which served as the shooting location for exterior and interior scenes for the remainder of production; renamed Satriale's Pork Store . After the series ended, the building was demolished. The strip club Bada Bing! was owned and operated by Silvio Dante on the show, and is an actual strip club on Route 17 in Lodi, New Jersey . Exteriors and interiors were shot on location except for

6370-402: The series were Tim Van Patten (20 episodes), John Patterson (13 episodes), Allen Coulter (12 episodes), and Alan Taylor (9 episodes), all of whom have a background in television. Recurring cast members Steve Buscemi and Peter Bogdanovich also directed episodes of the series intermittently. Chase directed the pilot episode and the series finale . Both episodes were photographed by

6461-402: The series. A notable example is " Con te partirò ", performed by Italian singer Andrea Bocelli , which plays several times in relation to the character of Carmela Soprano . While the show utilizes a wealth of previously recorded music, it is also notable for its lack of originally composed incidental music , compared with other television programs. Two soundtrack albums containing music from

6552-565: The show to Chris Albrecht , president of HBO Original Programming, who decided to finance a pilot episode which was shot in 1997. Chase directed it himself. They finished the pilot and showed it to HBO executives, but the show was put on hold for several months. During this time, Chase, who had experienced frustration for a long period with being unable to break out of the TV genre and into film, considered asking HBO for additional funding to shoot 45 more minutes of footage and release The Sopranos as

6643-465: The show's cinematic style. The series was named after high school friends of his. I said to myself, this show is about a guy who's turning 40. He's inherited a business from his dad. He's trying to bring it into the modern age. He's got all the responsibilities that go along with that. He's got an overbearing mom that he's still trying to get out from under. Although he loves his wife, he's had an affair. He's got two teenage kids, and he's dealing with

6734-887: The show's fifth and sixth seasons. He wrote a script for the series Mad Men in 2000 which was passed on to Chase, who was so impressed that he immediately offered Weiner a job as a writer for The Sopranos . Cast members Michael Imperioli and Toni Kalem portray Christopher Moltisanti and Angie Bonpensiero respectively, and they also wrote episodes for the show. Imperioli wrote five episodes of seasons two through five, and Kalem wrote one episode of season five. Other writers included Frank Renzulli, Todd A. Kessler (co-creator of Damages ), writing team Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider who worked with Chase on Northern Exposure , and Lawrence Konner , who co-created Almost Grown with Chase in 1988. In total, 20 writers or writing teams are credited with writing episodes of The Sopranos . Of these, Tim Van Patten and Maria Laurino receive

6825-405: The show's first three seasons. It reached No. 38 on the U.S. Billboard 200. The ending to the show has drawn attention and sparked controversy. The song " Don't Stop Believin' " by Journey plays at the end of the series finale. While Journey granted the rights to use the song in the ending of the series, their one request was that the scene not contain any violence or deaths. The majority of

6916-403: The show's original director of photography Alik Sakharov , who later alternated episodes with Phil Abraham . The show's photography and directing is noted for its feature film quality. This look was achieved by Chase collaborating with Sakharov. "From the pilot, we would sit down with the whole script and break the scenes down into shots. That's what you do with feature films." The Sopranos

7007-592: The show's run were Chase, Brad Grey , Robin Green , Mitchell Burgess , Ilene S. Landress , Terence Winter , and Matthew Weiner . Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential television series of all time, The Sopranos has been credited with kickstarting the Second Golden Age of Television . The series won multiple awards , including Peabody Awards for its first two seasons, 21 Primetime Emmy Awards , and five Golden Globe Awards . It has been

7098-403: The show. Many members of the creative team behind The Sopranos were handpicked by Chase, some being old friends and colleagues of his; others were selected after interviews conducted by producers of the show. Many of the show's writers had worked in television before joining the writing staff of The Sopranos . The writing team and married couple Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess worked on

7189-469: The standard conventions of the romantic comedy genre. In films like 500 Days of Summer , the two main interests do not end up together, leaving the protagonist somewhat distraught. Other films, like Adam, have the two main interests end up separated but still content and pursuing other goals and love interests. Some romantic comedies use reversal of gender roles to add comedic effect. These films contain characters who possess qualities that diverge from

7280-624: The starring cast, along with well-known actors in recurring roles such as Peter Bogdanovich , John Heard , Robert Patrick , Peter Riegert , Annabella Sciorra , and David Strathairn . Numerous well-known actors appeared in one or two episodes, such as Lauren Bacall , Daniel Baldwin , Annette Bening , Polly Bergen , Sandra Bernhard , Paul Dano , Charles S. Dutton , Jon Favreau , Janeane Garofalo , Hal Holbrook , Tim Kang , Elias Koteas , Ben Kingsley , Linda Lavin , Ken Leung , Julianna Margulies , Sydney Pollack , Wilmer Valderrama , Alicia Witt , and Burt Young . Ray Liotta , who

7371-473: The subject of critical analysis, controversy, and parody; it has also spawned books, a video game , soundtrack albums, podcasts, and merchandise. Several members of the show's cast and crew were largely unknown to the public when it began, but have since had successful careers. In 2013, the Writers Guild of America named The Sopranos the best-written TV series of all time, while TV Guide ranked it

7462-574: The suit, but he won a ruling that a jury should decide how much he should be paid for services as a location scout, researcher, and story consultant. Baer argued that he had introduced Chase to Tony Spirito, a restaurateur and gambler with alleged mob ties, and Thomas Koczur, a homicide detective for the Elizabeth, New Jersey police department. Chase had conducted interviews and tours with both, which strongly inspired some characters, settings, and storylines portrayed in The Sopranos . On December 19, 2007,

7553-401: The time the ending gives the audience a sense that if it is true love, it will always prevail, no matter what the two characters have to overcome. Comedies, rooted in the fertility rites and satyr plays of ancient Greece , have often incorporated sexual or social elements. The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms defines romantic comedy as "a general term for comedies that deal mainly with

7644-468: The tumultuous relationship between series protagonist Tony Soprano and his mother Livia is partially based on Chase's relationship with his own mother. He was also in psychotherapy at the time and modeled the character of Jennifer Melfi after his own psychiatrist. Chase had been fascinated by organized crime and the mafia from an early age, witnessing such people growing up. He also was raised on classic gangster films such as The Public Enemy and

7735-490: The two of them turn to the FBI in return for protection. The FBI set up an elaborate operation in which Michael's execution will be faked at the wedding reception. Michael is given a hidden recording device and is tasked with trying to record Vito into admitting his criminal activity on tape before he is "executed". Michael's plan fails, and when Vito realises that his execution is a set-up, he orders Vinnie to kill Michael. Vinnie shoots Gina in what appears to be an accident. Vito

7826-462: The typical plot of "a light and humorous movie, play, etc., whose central plot is a happy love story" but with more complexity. Some romantic comedies have adopted special circumstances for the main characters, as in Warm Bodies where the protagonist is a zombie who falls in love with a human girl after eating her boyfriend. The effect of their love towards each other is that it starts spreading to

7917-426: Was cast as his on-screen wife Gabriella . The cast of the debut season of the series consisted of largely unknown actors, with the exception of Bracco, Chianese, and Nancy Marchand , but many cast members were noted for their acting ability and received mainstream attention for their performances. Subsequent seasons saw established actors Joe Pantoliano , Robert Loggia , Steve Buscemi , and Frank Vincent join

8008-545: Was eventually cast as two of the Moltisanti brothers in The Many Saints of Newark film prequel , was approached by Chase at one point to appear in the third or fourth seasons of the show, but the plan didn't work out. Series creator and executive producer David Chase served as showrunner and head writer for the production of all six seasons of the show. He was deeply involved with the general production of every episode and

8099-468: Was invited to audition for the part of Tony Soprano after casting director Susan Fitzgerald saw a short clip of his performance in the 1993 film True Romance . Lorraine Bracco played the role of mob wife Karen Hill in Goodfellas , and she was originally asked to play the role of Carmela Soprano . She took the role of Dr. Jennifer Melfi instead because she wanted to try something different and felt that

8190-501: Was put together through a process of auditions and readings. Actors often did not know whether Chase liked their performances or not. Michael Imperioli beat out several actors for the part of Christopher Moltisanti ; he said that Chase had "a poker face, so I thought he wasn't into me, and he kept giving me notes and having me try it again, which often is a sign that you're not doing it right." Chase said that he wanted Imperioli because of his performance in Goodfellas. James Gandolfini

8281-496: Was when Tony's father ran things. Adriana is Christopher's loyal and long-suffering girlfriend; the two have a volatile relationship but appear destined to stay together. Christopher often ignores Adriana's advice and winds up regretting it. Rosalie is the widow of previous DiMeo boss Jackie Aprile Sr. and a very close friend of Carmela. Angie is Salvatore Bonpensiero's wife. She later goes into "business" for herself, and quite successfully. Artie and Charmaine are childhood friends of

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