He is one of the most legendary actors in Hollywood! For 20 years, Gene Hackman has been going for peaceful days far from the spotlight. The latter unfortunately gained his bow on a last film … very disappointing. Back on this bitter failure.
Gene Hackman, who celebrates his 95th birthday on January 30, is one of the most adored American actors. The latter has a phenomenal career, with a hundred films. The actor also rewarded twice at the Oscars.
A Hollywood legend
In 1972, he won the best actor statuette for his performance in French Connection. 21 years later, he won that of the best supporting role for his memorable role as bad in the ruthless western of Clint Eastwood.
After a busy career, Gene Hackman retired in 2004, after a last film … Not really up to her fame. Like Sean Connery, which finished on the extraordinary gentlemen league, a little brilliant feature film noted 2.3 out of 5 on Allociné, Gene Hackman has bowed out on a disappointing work.
With the score of 2 out of 5, welcome to Mooseport is the last film in which Gene Hackman played before being definitively withdrawing from the shooting sets. The feature film is distinguished by an intrigue which surprisingly resonates with the news. Hackman performs Monroe Cole, a former president of the United States wishing to spend the rest of his days in the city of Mooseport, in Maine.
But Cole not only seeks to escape the pressures of the government, he also wants to escape his ex-wife Charlotte (Christine Baranski). An opportunity arises when the inhabitants of Mooseport ask him to come to the town hall, which he does by learning that he can transform his house into an office, sheltering him from Charlotte.
However, Cole has to face improbable competition: Harold Harrison (Ray Romano), nicknamed “Handy” because of the odd jobs he makes in town. Handy is at the antipodes of Cole because he presents himself to win back his girlfriend Sally (Maura Tierney).

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The reasons for a failure
According to Colliderif the welcome intrigue in Mooseport does not work, it is because of the betrayal of its initial proposal. The pitch suggests a confrontation between two visions carried by Hackman and Romano, which could have resulted in a relevant political satire. Instead, the film changes quickly in romantic comedy without great flavor.
“The intrigue betrays the fundamental problem of welcome to Mooseport. Rather than a political satire, the spectators were entitled to a barely veiled romantic comedy. It becomes obvious when Cole calls on his political team, including his former manager of Safety, Grace Sutherland (Marcia Gay Harden), to have one step ahead of Handy “explains Collider Jennings Collier.
“Sparks are starting to spring between Grace and Cole, to finally succeed at a time when the two protagonists make their marriage proposal to their lovers. It is a shame, because the idea of a confrontation between a man in the street and An unscrupulous politician could have been satire in 2004 “regrets the American media.
At the time, criticism destroyed the film, deploring the fact that Gene Hackman found himself playing in such a mediocre work. Result: Welcome to Mooseport was a bitter failure, garnering only $ 14 million internationally for a budget of 30 million!
Chaotic production
Collider brings an explanation to this fiasco by evoking behind the scenes of production. “While the scenario is the work of Tom Schulmanauthor of Circle of missing poetsthe story is signed Doug Richardsona screenwriter whose main title of glory is to have worked on scenarios full of action such as 58 minutes to live And Bad boys. “
“As if that were not enough, the director Donald Petrie was best known for his romantic comedies, especially Miss detective And How to be dumped in 10 lessonswhich may explain why welcome to Mooseport is so largely oriented towards romantic comedy “underlines Collider.

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The media then indicates that Gene Hackman was not supposed to play in the film for health reasons. “Originally, welcome to Mooseport was to be produced by Rod Lurie (Manipulation) and stage Dustin Hoffman in the role of Monroe Cole. Time conflicts finally led Lurie and Hoffman to leave the project, Hackman and Petrie embarking soon after. “
“The drop of water that overflowed the vase is actually an effort test that I went through in New York. The doctor told me that my heart was not able to undergo any stress”had entrusted Gene Hackman, quoted by Collider. “It would be easy to award Hackman’s retreat to the poor performance in the film, but reason is actually linked to your health”, concluded the media.
Indeed, after this final feature film, Gene Hackman has definitively withdrew plateaus at the age of 74. Since then, Hollywood legend has been flowing for peaceful days, far from the spotlight, devoting itself to literature and writing. He notably published several novels, exploring his creative side.