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Analyze That
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Analyze That
Theatrical release poster
Directed byHarold Ramis
Written byPeter Tolan
Peter Steinfeld
Harold Ramis
Based onCharacters
by Kenneth Lonergan
Peter Tolan
Produced byPaula Weinstein
Jane Rosenthal
Starring
CinematographyEllen Kuras
Edited byAndrew Mondshein
Music byDavid Holmes
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • December 6, 2002 (2002-12-06)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$60 million[1]
Box office$55 million[1]

Analyze That is a 2002 American crime comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and produced by Paula Weinstein and Jane Rosenthal. It is a sequel to the 1999 film Analyze This. The film stars Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal, who reprise their roles as mobster Paul Vitti and psychiatrist Ben Sobel, respectively.

Following the success of the first film, Warner Bros. developed a follow-up to the film, with much of the same cast and crew returning. Analyze That was released on December 6, 2002, and failed to achieve the critical and commercial success of the first film, grossing only $55 million worldwide against its $60 million budget.

Plot

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Near the completion of his sentence in Sing Sing, Paul Vitti's life is threatened by assassins and corrupt guards while incarcerated. He starts singing showtunes from West Side Story to get the attention of Ben Sobel, who previously hung up on him while attending his father's funeral.

The FBI assigns Ben to perform psychiatric tests on Paul to determine if he is feigning insanity. After the tests, it appears that Paul's mental state is deteriorating, and the FBI approves Paul's release into Ben's custody for one month of further therapy. As Ben drives Paul from prison, Paul immediately reveals that he was faking.

Ben persuades Paul to find a regular job, as requested by the FBI. Paul attempts to find a legitimate job—in a car dealer, a restaurant and a jewelry store—but his rude manners and paranoia complicate things, ending in his getting fired from each job.

At the same time, Paul is told by de facto boss Patti LoPresti that the Rigazzi family wants him dead. He responds by telling the Rigazzis that he is "out" and is seeking a new line of employment. He eventually finds employment working as a technical advisor on the set of a TV series based on the Mafia.

Meanwhile, FBI agents inform Ben that Paul has gathered his old crew and may be planning something major. This rouses Ben's suspicion, and he visits Paul. They both become involved in a car chase with Rigazzi hitmen, which ends with Paul escaping. The FBI blames Ben and gives him 24 hours to locate Paul.

After tracking down Paul through Ben's son Michael, who is now working as Paul's chauffeur, Ben discovers that Paul is planning a big, armored car heist, with LoPresti as a partner. He attempts to intervene and talk Paul out of it, but Paul proceeds, and Ben is forced to go along.

The crew ambushes the armored car with smoke grenades and lifts it over a fence in the midst of the confusion. They extract more than $22 million of gold bullion, but LoPresti's thugs take over, revealing themselves to have been working for Rigazzi.

Ben, in a fit of anger, beats one of them, and Paul's men arrest the others. They use the gold bullion to frame the Rigazzi family, leaving three Rigazzi goons locked in the armored truck, which is suspended from the crane. This leads to the arrest of the entire Rigazzi family, preventing a mob war.

Ben meets with Paul and Jelly near bridges on the New York waterfront, and they part ways as friends, singing another West Side Story showtune.

Cast

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Production

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Pre-production

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Initially, there was no plan to create a sequel to Analyze This, but the critical acclaim and box-office success generated by the first film encouraged the producers to consider a sequel and discuss it with the studio and actors. They believed, according to Billy Crystal, that "there was an unfinished relationship between Ben Sobel and Paul Vitti from the first film" and that "there was a good story to tell", so the sequel was commissioned.[5]

The story of the sequel was inspired by an article in The New York Times about the psychotherapy used in the Mafia series The Sopranos. Harold Ramis said that the article "raised questions about human nature and morality...Can the criminal mind be turned?", so he became interested in what would happen if "Paul Vitti got out of jail and committed himself to going straight".[5]

The production arranged for Dr. Stephen A. Sands, a psychiatrist and faculty member of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, to be a technical adviser for the film, and he remained on set during the filming of scenes that involved psychiatric issues. Sands was very familiar with the details of mobster Vincent "The Chin" Gigante's alleged mental illness after studying the case during his post-doctoral training. Sands also arranged for Robert De Niro to visit Bellevue Hospital's psychiatric unit to meet patients and psychiatrists to discuss the character's symptoms, and De Niro sometimes participated in group therapy sessions during these visits.[5]

Filming

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Filming began in April 2002, and most of the scenes were shot in and around New York City, 7 months after the 9/11 attacks. Producer Jane Rosenthal said that they decided to shoot the film there because "[i]t would have been unpatriotic not to shoot the picture in New York... As a New Yorker it was extremely important for me to get back to work and business as usual after 9/11."[6]

Filming locations for Vitti's attempts at lawful employment include an Audi dealership on Park Avenue in Manhattan, a jewelry store in the Diamond District on West 47th Street, and Gallagher's Steak House on West 52nd Street. The prison scenes were filmed at the Riker's Island prison in Queens, with the prison-release scene shot outside of the entrance to Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York. The funeral for Ben's father was filmed at Riverside Memorial Chapel on Manhattan's Upper West Side, and the Sobel household scenes were shot in Montclair, New Jersey. The dinner at Nogo restaurant was filmed at West 13th Street, in a restaurant that had closed and had been refurbished by the film's art department. The scenes of Patty LoPresti's home were filmed in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and the Little Caesar was set in Washington Square Park, Manhattan.[6]

Car chases were filmed on New Jersey Turnpike service roads in Kearney.[6] The heist-planning scenes were shot in two locations: a derelict building in the meat-packing district near West 14th Street, and a club called Exit on West 56th Street. The majority of the heist scenes were shot in an empty lot in West 57th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues, and below a West Side Highway underpass. While filming part of the heist sequence at the New York State 369th Regiment Armory on 145th Street and Fifth Avenue, the film set was visited by former President Bill Clinton, who was pleased that the movie was being filmed in New York. The scene at a drive-through bank before the police chase was filmed in Carlstadt, New Jersey.[6]

During filming in Manhattan's Chelsea district on June 14, Amanda Winklevoss, the older sister of Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, died from a cardiac arrest due to a drug overdose after climbing into a camera truck.[7][8][9]

Cinematographer Ellen Kuras said that in shooting the film, the intention was to highlight the contrast between Vitti and Sobel's environments, because the film "exists in two different worlds... We wanted to evoke the contrast so we made Vitti's world cool, blue and blue-green, whereas Ben's world has a brighter, warmer palette, yellows and oranges that provide a neutral tone."[6]

Reception

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Box office

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Analyze That opened in 2,635 theaters and grossed $11 million in its opening weekend, ranking second behind Die Another Day.[10][1] The film went on to gross $32 million at the domestic box office and a further $23 million at the international box office, for a worldwide total of $55 million against its $60 million budget.[11]

Critical reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 26% of 149 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "The one joke premise is stretched a bit thin in this messy sequel, but a few laughs can be had here and there."[12] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 37 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[13] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on a scale of A+ to F.[14]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 2 stars out of 4, and wrote, "If the first film seemed to flow naturally from the premise, this one seems to slink uneasily onto the screen, aware that it feels exactly like a facile, superficial recycling job."[15]

The film won the award for Worst Sequel at the 2002 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards.[16]

References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Analyze That is a 2002 American crime comedy film directed by Harold Ramis. It serves as a sequel to the 1999 film Analyze This. The story follows mob boss Paul Vitti, who, while imprisoned in Sing Sing, feigns mental instability by singing show tunes to secure release into the custody of his therapist, Dr. Ben Sobel. Starring Robert De Niro as Paul Vitti and Billy Crystal as Dr. Ben Sobel—reprising their roles from the original film—the movie also features Lisa Kudrow as Sobel's wife, Laura, and Joe Viterelli as Vitti's loyal henchman, Jelly. Released theatrically on December 6, 2002, by Warner Bros. Pictures, Analyze That has a runtime of 96 minutes and is rated R for language and some sexual content. Produced on a budget of $60 million, the film grossed $32.1 million in the United States and Canada and $55 million worldwide. Critically, Analyze That received mixed to negative reviews, earning a 26% approval rating from critics on based on 149 reviews, with the consensus noting, "The one joke premise is stretched a bit thin in this messy , but a few laughs can be had here and there." awarded it two out of four stars, praising the performances of De Niro and but criticizing the script for feeling formulaic. Despite its commercial underperformance compared to the first film's $176.9 million worldwide gross, the movie has garnered a for its comedic take on mobster tropes and psychiatric dynamics.

Narrative and characters

Plot

Analyze That is the sequel to the 1999 film Analyze This, reuniting mob boss Paul Vitti and psychiatrist Dr. Ben Sobel as they navigate Vitti's post-prison life. The film opens in Sing Sing prison, where Paul Vitti, facing threats from assassins and corrupt guards, fakes insanity to secure an early release; he dramatically sings "I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story while perched on a table, convincing authorities of his mental breakdown. Under FBI supervision, Vitti is paroled into the custody of Dr. Ben Sobel, who reluctantly agrees to house him and oversee his rehabilitation, though Vitti quickly reveals his act was a ploy to escape the dangers of mob life. Sobel attempts to integrate Vitti into legitimate society by securing him jobs, but these efforts fail comically: Vitti's intimidating presence as a salesman leads to aggressive tactics and , while his stint as a waiter at a ends in chaos after he mishandles a confrontation. Meanwhile, escalating threats from the rival Rigazzi , led by the ruthless Lou "The " Rigazzi, put Vitti's life at risk again, including a botched attempt that underscores the FBI's failures in protecting him. These dangers prompt Vitti to orchestrate a daring armored heist targeting a carrying 40 bars valued at approximately $18 million from a Federal Depository, using a movie set filming a Godfather-style production as cover for the operation. Sobel becomes reluctantly involved in the heist after Vitti manipulates him into serving as a lookout, straining Sobel's amid preparations for his and interactions with his disapproving father, who questions his career choices, and his young son Michael, who idolizes Vitti's tough persona. Key twists reveal Vitti's ongoing feigned mental breakdowns as ruses to evade detection, while the FBI's agents, including the persistent Agent Cerrone, repeatedly fail to anticipate his schemes despite constant monitoring. The climax unfolds during the heist execution on the movie set, where Vitti's crew uses a crane and bus to hijack the armored vehicle, but complications arise from betrayals within the mob alliances, including tensions with the LoPresti family; Sobel intervenes decisively, subduing a traitor and helping secure the gold, which they plant to frame the Rigazzis for the crime. In the resolution, with the Rigazzis arrested and Vitti cleared of further threats, he and Sobel part ways amicably on a waterfront, sharing a heartfelt moment by singing "There's " from , symbolizing the end of their unconventional partnership.

Cast

Robert De Niro reprises his role as Paul Vitti, the neurotic mob boss navigating post-prison challenges and ongoing therapy sessions. returns as Dr. Ben Sobel, the reluctant entangled in Vitti's unpredictable while managing his own obligations. portrays Laura MacNamara-Sobel, Sobel's spouse who injects humor into the narrative through her reactions to the ensuing domestic strains. plays Jelly, Vitti's steadfast bodyguard who contributes to the film's physical humor and underscores themes of unwavering allegiance. In supporting roles, as Patti LoPresti, a mob boss who adds to the tensions and alliances in the criminal . is cast as Sobel's , offering additional comedic interplay in family interactions. serves as the wedding officiant, facilitating a key ceremonial moment with his distinctive presence. Notable cameos include Jerry Grayson as the armored car driver, providing a brief but pivotal interaction in a high-stakes sequence, and Will Ryan as the armored car guard, enhancing the tension in the same scene.

Production

Pre-production

Following the commercial success of Analyze This, which grossed $176.9 million worldwide against an $80 million budget, Warner Bros. greenlit its sequel, Analyze That, in 1999. The screenplay was written by Peter Steinfeld, , and . To ensure authenticity in portraying , the production team consulted with Dr. Stephen A. Sands, a faculty member at and pediatric neuropsychologist. Sands was on set daily during filming of psychological scenes and arranged for to visit ’s psychiatric unit, where he met patients and psychiatrists and participated in group therapy sessions. The film was assigned a $60 million budget, with principal production commencing in early 2002. In late 2001, confirmed his return as Paul Vitti, while negotiations continued for to reprise Dr. Ben Sobel and for Ramis to direct again.

Filming

Principal photography for Analyze That commenced in April 2002 and concluded in July 2002, with the majority of scenes captured in and around . To achieve authenticity in depicting the prison setting, exterior shots were filmed at in the , north of , where the production utilized the facility's barge and surrounding areas previously featured in other films. Interior prison sequences, including mess hall scenes, were also shot on location at 's James A. Thomas Center during spring 2002. Chase scenes unfolded on Manhattan streets and bridges, such as the Brooklyn and Bridges, as well as in , and along the . Additional New York locations included the dealership at 250 and East 47th Street in for employment sequences, and Gallagher's Steak House at 228 West 52nd Street and Broadway. The production took place approximately seven months after the , 2001, attacks, amid the city's ongoing recovery efforts led by producer through initiatives like the Film Festival. The heist-planning elements, informed by pre-production script revisions, were captured in derelict buildings in Manhattan's Meatpacking District and a warehouse in , , emphasizing practical setups for the comedic action.

Music

Score

The original score for Analyze That was composed by David Holmes, incorporating a blend of electronic, , Latin, , and elements to underscore the film's mob comedy narrative. The score features several key instrumental tracks, including "Opening Credits" (4:07), "Guard Shoots Vitti" (0:42) accompanying the sequence, and "Getting the Gold" (2:06) for the heist buildup. It was recorded at RPM Sound Studios in New York, NY, and layered into the film during . The soundtrack album, Analyze That (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), was released by TVT Soundtrax on December 3, 2002, with a total runtime of 30:35.

Songs

The film prominently features songs from the 1957 musical West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics), integrating them to parody the gangster genre through unexpected musical outbursts that heighten the comedic tension between mob life and vulnerability. In a key early scene set in Sing Sing prison, mob boss Paul Vitti (Robert De Niro) feigns insanity by singing "I Feel Pretty" diegetically in his padded cell, twirling and performing exaggerated choreography to convince psychiatrist Ben Sobel (Billy Crystal) of his mental breakdown, thereby securing an early release. Similarly, Vitti bursts into the "Jet Song" during a prison brawl, using the number's rhythmic choreography to dodge attacks in a humorous fusion of gang warfare and Broadway dance. Background cues of "Maria" and references to "Tonight" underscore Vitti's erratic behavior in therapy sessions, evoking the musical's romantic and territorial themes to mirror his chaotic reintegration into society. The film's climax culminates in a diegetic duet of "Somewhere" on the waterfront, where Vitti, Sobel, and associate Jelly () join voices in an uplifting, ironic rendition that resolves their partnership amid the heist aftermath, blending optimism with the story's absurd mob dynamics. These musical interludes serve diegetic purposes, with characters actively performing to propel the plot's humor—contrasting brutal violence with show tunes to lampoon mafia tropes and highlight Vitti's suppressed emotional side. The original score by David Holmes occasionally underscores these sequences with subtle swells to amplify the without overpowering the vocals. Beyond the integrations, the incorporates licensed pop tracks for lighter moments, such as ' "" (2001) playing non-diegetically during a tense drive sequence involving Vitti and his crew, adding ironic cheer to their criminal escapades. Various contemporary pop songs also appear in festive sequences, like family gatherings, to inject levity and underscore the film's blend of domestic normalcy with chaos. The official soundtrack album, Analyze That (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture), was released on December 3, 2002, by TVT Soundtrax, compiling 16 tracks that mix Holmes' instrumental score excerpts with select featured songs, providing a curated overview of the film's musical parody elements.

Release

Theatrical release

Analyze That had its world premiere at the Ziegfeld Theatre in on December 2, 2002. distributed the film for a wide theatrical release in the United States on , 2002, opening in 2,635 theaters. The strategy targeted a broad holiday season audience, leveraging the sequel's connection to the successful 1999 original . Internationally, the rollout commenced in early 2003, beginning with markets including and on January 9, 2003, followed by the on February 28, 2003, and further expansion across and . This phased approach allowed for localized promotion while capitalizing on the stars' global appeal. Marketing emphasized the reunion of and , spotlighting their on-screen chemistry through trailers that highlighted comedic mob tropes and buddy dynamic scenes, such as Vitti's chaotic therapy sessions. The campaign positioned the film as lighthearted in the comedy genre. The of America rated Analyze That R for and some , directing it toward viewers. It earned $11 million in its opening weekend.

Home media

The release of Analyze That began with its DVD debut on May 13, 2003, distributed by Warner Home Video in both and full screen editions. The single-disc releases included special features such as an audio commentary track by director and a gag reel featuring outtakes. A double-feature DVD edition pairing Analyze That with its predecessor Analyze This was released on March 21, 2006, also by Warner Home Video, offering combined runtime and shared bonus materials for fans of the franchise. The film made its Blu-ray debut on February 23, 2010, exclusively as a with Analyze This from Warner Home Video, presented in video resolution with a 5.1 soundtrack. Digital distribution followed, with availability for rental and purchase on starting in 2006 and streaming on HBO Max (later rebranded as Max) beginning in October 2020. As of 2025, no standalone 4K UHD edition has been released.

Reception

Box office

Analyze That was produced on a of $60 million. The film premiered in 2,635 theaters across on December 6, 2002, generating $11.0 million during its opening weekend and securing the number two position at the , behind . This debut yielded a per-theater average of $4,188. Over its entire domestic run, Analyze That earned $32.1 million. Internationally, it added $22.9 million, bringing the worldwide total to $55.0 million. In its second weekend from December 13–15, 2002, the film experienced a 50.5% decline to $5.5 million, dropping to seventh place amid competition from new releases like Star Trek: Nemesis, which opened at number one with $18.5 million. The sequel underperformed relative to its predecessor, , which grossed $176.9 million worldwide on a $30 million budget.

Critical reception

Analyze That received mixed to negative reviews from critics upon its release. On , the film has a 26% Tomatometer approval rating based on 149 reviews, with an average rating of 4.8/10; the site's consensus states that "the one joke premise is stretched a bit thin in this messy sequel, but a few laughs can be had here and there." On , it scores 37 out of 100 based on 34 critic reviews, signifying "generally unfavorable" reception. Roger gave the film 2 out of 4 stars in his December 2002 review, commending the "undeniable pleasure" in the banter between and while faulting the "contrived and unconvincing" plot, including an "idiotic" heist subplot that lacked natural flow. Variety's review described it as a "lame affair" with "contrived and silly hijinx," noting that the novelty of the original premise had worn off, though the leads' chemistry offered some light laughs for undemanding audiences. The New York Times called it an "amiably sloppy mob show," highlighting its lightheaded tone but lack of fresh material. Critics praised the enduring chemistry between De Niro and , along with humorous cameos that provided sporadic laughs, but commonly criticized the film's overreliance on sequel tropes from and the underdeveloped heist storyline, which felt forced and uninspired. Initial audience reception was modest, reflected in a 39% audience score on based on over 100,000 ratings. The mixed critical response contributed to the film's underperformance at the .

Legacy

Accolades

Analyze That garnered few accolades following its release, with recognition largely confined to satirical or niche categories that underscored its mixed reception as a sequel. The film won the Stinker Award for Worst Sequel at the 2002 , an honor presented by the Bad Cinema to highlight perceived flaws in film quality, including sequel fatigue in this case. In terms of positive mentions, the film's —composed by Holmes and featuring a mix of original score and licensed tracks—was nominated for Best Movie at the 2003 DanceStar Awards, recognizing excellence in dance and electronic contributions to , though it ultimately did not secure the win. The movie received no nominations from prestigious industry bodies such as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences or the for the Golden Globes, reflecting its absence from contention in major dramatic or comedic categories despite the genre's occasional eligibility. Overall, these sparse and predominantly negative accolades contributed to the film's reputation as a lesser follow-up to its predecessor.

Cultural impact

Analyze That reinforced the therapy-in-crime trope that had gained traction with its predecessor and HBO's , both of which debuted in 1999 and depicted mob figures grappling with emotional vulnerabilities through psychiatric sessions. This sequel extended the comedic exploration of a mafia boss's neurotic breakdowns, influencing later works in the mob genre. Retrospective analyses in the 2020s have viewed Analyze That as a "flawed but fun sequel" that captures the chaotic energy of early comedies, with renewed appreciation driven by its availability on streaming platforms. For instance, a article from The Mob Museum highlighted how the film continued the satirical take on psychology, noting its role in sustaining interest in the subgenre despite mixed initial responses. The film's portrayal of Robert De Niro's comically aggrieved mob boss has permeated pop culture. As the capstone to the Analyze duology, Analyze That concluded the franchise without spawning further sequels, unlike more extended buddy comedy series such as Rush Hour, leaving it as a contained entry in 1990s-2000s mob humor. Its modern accessibility was enhanced by a 2010 Blu-ray double feature release pairing it with Analyze This, which has contributed to a modest cult following among fans of era-specific comedies through physical media and digital streaming options.

References

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