Terry Gilliam

The Fisher King

The Fisher King

A fairy tale grounded in poignant reality, Terry Gilliam’s magnificent, Manhattan-set The Fisher King features Jeff Bridges and Robin Williams in two of their most brilliant roles. Bridges plays a former radio shock jock reconstructing his life after a scandal, and Williams a homeless man on a quest for the Holy Grail—which he believes to be hidden somewhere on the Upper East Side. Unknowingly linked by their pasts, the two men aid each other on a fanciful journey toward their own humanity. This singular American odyssey features a witty script by Richard LaGravenese, evocative cinematography by Roger Pratt, and superb supporting performances by Amanda Plummer and an Oscar-winning Mercedes Ruehl, all harnessed by Gilliam into a compassionate, funny modern-day myth.

Film Info

  • United States
  • 1991
  • 138 minutes
  • Color
  • 1.85:1
  • English
  • Spine #764

DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • New 4K digital restoration, approved by director Terry Gilliam, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
  • One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
  • Audio commentary featuring Gilliam
  • Interviews with Gilliam, producer Lynda Obst, screenwriter Richard LaGravenese, and actors Jeff Bridges, Amanda Plummer, and Mercedes Ruehl
  • Interviews with artists Keith Greco and Vincent Jefferds on the creation of the film’s Red Knight
  • Interview from 2006 with actor Robin Williams
  • Video essay featuring Bridges’s on-set photographs
  • Footage from 1991 of Bridges training as a radio personality with acting coach Stephen W. Bridgewater
  • Deleted scenes, with audio commentary by Gilliam
  • Costume tests
  • Trailers
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by critic Bilge Ebiri

    Cover by LA2

Purchase Options

DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • New 4K digital restoration, approved by director Terry Gilliam, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
  • One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
  • Audio commentary featuring Gilliam
  • Interviews with Gilliam, producer Lynda Obst, screenwriter Richard LaGravenese, and actors Jeff Bridges, Amanda Plummer, and Mercedes Ruehl
  • Interviews with artists Keith Greco and Vincent Jefferds on the creation of the film’s Red Knight
  • Interview from 2006 with actor Robin Williams
  • Video essay featuring Bridges’s on-set photographs
  • Footage from 1991 of Bridges training as a radio personality with acting coach Stephen W. Bridgewater
  • Deleted scenes, with audio commentary by Gilliam
  • Costume tests
  • Trailers
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by critic Bilge Ebiri

    Cover by LA2
The Fisher King
Cast
Jeff Bridges
Jack
Mercedes Ruehl
Anne
Robin Williams
Parry
Amanda Plummer
Lydia
Michael Jeter
Homeless cabaret singer
David Pierce
Lou Rosen
Lara Harris
Sondra
Kathy Najimy
Crazed video customer
Harry Shearer
Sitcom actor Ben Starr
Melinda Culea
Sitcom wife
Chris Howell
Red Knight
William Jay Marshall
Jamaican bum
Tom Waits
Grand Central bum
Credits
Director
Terry Gilliam
Produced by
Debra Hill
Produced by
Lynda Obst
Written by
Richard LaGravenese
Music
George Fenton
Director of photography
Roger Pratt
Production designer
Mel Bourne
Editor
Lesley Walker
Costume designer
Beatrix Pasztor
Casting
Howard Feuer

Current

Three Reasons: The Fisher King
Three Reasons: The Fisher King
Those are our three reasons. What are yours?
The Fisher King: In the Kingdom of the Imperfect
The Fisher King: In the Kingdom of the Imperfect

Terry Gilliam touches down in the real world for the first time with this fanciful tale of blurred class boundaries in New York City.

By Bilge Ebiri

Gilliam’s Manhattan in London

Repertory Picks

Gilliam’s Manhattan in London
Next Wednesday evening, moviegoers across the pond will have a chance to take in Terry Gilliam’s 1991 The Fisher King, the first entry in a monthly screening series at London’s historic Regent Street Cinema cosponsored by Criterion. After imagini…
Ana Lily Amirpour’s Top 10
Ana Lily Amirpour’s Top 10

Ana Lily Amirpour is an Iranian-American director, writer, producer, and actor best known for her award-winning debut film, the Persian-language vampire western A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014).

Michael’s Turn: Michael Jeter in The Fisher King

Performances

Michael’s Turn: Michael Jeter in The Fisher King
The late character actor Michael Jeter had a profound effect on me as a child, but as with so many things, I didn’t realize it until I was an adult. Twenty-five years ago this month, I saw my first Tony Awards broadcast. Amid all the spectacle—os…

By Michael Koresky