# Gone Fishin'
**Gone Fishin'** is a 1997 American slapstick comedy film directed by Christopher Cain and starring [Joe Pesci](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-pesci) and [Danny Glover](https://www.edgepedia.org/danny-glover) as two lifelong fishing buddies from [Newark, New Jersey](https://www.edgepedia.org/newark-new-jersey), whose prize vacation to the Florida Everglades turns into a chase after a con artist. It was produced by Hollywood Pictures in association with Caravan Pictures and released on May 30, 1997.[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/gone-fishin-film/) • [2](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/60748-)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | May 30, 1997 (wide, United States), distributed by Buena Vista Pictures[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0119214/) |
| Director / writers | Christopher Cain; screenplay by Jill Mazursky Cody and Jeffrey Abrams[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/60748-) |
| Lead cast | Joe Pesci (Joe Waters), Danny Glover (Gus Green), Rosanna Arquette (Rita), Lynn Whitfield (Angie), Nick Brimble (Dekker Massey)[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/gone-fishin-film/) |
| Budget / gross | $53 million budget against a domestic gross of $19,745,922, with no international release[4](https://cinegraph.org/movies/gone-fishin-1997) • [3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0119214/) |
| Opening weekend | $5,784,123 from 1,841 theaters, 29.3% of the total gross[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0119214/) • [5](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Gone-Fishin) |
| Rating / runtime | PG for mild violence and language; 94 minutes[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0119214/) |
| Critical reception | 4% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer from 26 reviews; 4.9/10 on IMDb[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gone_fishin) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Best friends Gus and Joe leave their wives and problems at home for a fishing trip, having won a grand prize vacation to the Florida Everglades from Bait & Tackle magazine with an essay titled "How Come We Fish." They never get close enough to the water to bait a hook. The con artist Dekker Massey speeds off in their '68 [Plymouth Barracuda](https://www.edgepedia.org/plymouth-barracuda), leaving them with their fishing boat and trailer. When two women, Rita and Angie, arrive in pursuit of Dekker, Gus and Joe hitch a ride and become entangled in the chase; despite leaving disaster in their wake, they prove ingenious and daring on the trail of the criminal and return home as heroes.[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/gone-fishin-film/)
The characters are established as famous for mishap. As children, Gus's attempt to dispose of one of Joe's cigars touched off a fire at a chemical plant and a 48-hour urban blackout that made them front-page news; as adults they cause mayhem while remaining blissfully unaware of it, with gas stations burning down, boats flying through restaurant windows, and hotel rooms exploding around them.[7](https://www.deseret.com/1997/6/6/20087656/film-review-gone-fishin/) Joe and Gus become involved with the killer when he steals Joe's Barracuda; they retrieve the car but find a murder weapon and a treasure map, and cat-and-mouse games follow.[7](https://www.deseret.com/1997/6/6/20087656/film-review-gone-fishin/)
## Cast and crew
Joe Pesci and Danny Glover head the cast as Joe Waters and Gus Green, reuniting on screen after appearing together in two [Lethal Weapon](https://www.edgepedia.org/lethal-weapon) sequels; they would appear in a third sequel the following year.[8](https://cinemaretro.com/index.php?%2Farchives%2F10707-REVIEW-GONE-FISHIN-1997-STARRING-JOE-PESCI-AND-DANNY-GLOVER%3B-KINO-LORBER-BLU-RAY-RELEASE.html=) [Rosanna Arquette](https://www.edgepedia.org/rosanna-arquette) plays Rita, Lynn Whitfield plays Angie, Nick Brimble plays Dekker Massey, and [Willie Nelson](https://www.edgepedia.org/willie-nelson) has a small role as the boys' fishing hero, Billy "Catch" Pooler.[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/gone-fishin-film/) • [9](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-06-02-ca-64734-story.html) Gary Grubbs, Carol Kane, and Edythe Davis appear in supporting roles.[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gone_fishin/cast-and-crew)
Behind the camera, Roger Birnbaum and Julie Bergman Sender produced, Dean Semler was the cinematographer, Jack Hofstra edited, Lawrence Miller was production designer, and [Randy Edelman](https://www.edgepedia.org/randy-edelman) composed the score.[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/60748-) The screenplay is credited to Jill Mazursky Cody and Jeffrey Abrams, the latter better known as J.J. Abrams.[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/60748-)
## Production
The project had a long development. It was initially developed as a vehicle for [John Candy](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-candy) and [Rick Moranis](https://www.edgepedia.org/rick-moranis), but after Candy's death in 1994 it moved forward with Pesci and Glover.[11](https://bombreport.com/yearly-breakdowns/1997-2/gone-fishin/) The script had circulated for some time as Disney approached various other actors before settling on its leads.[8](https://cinemaretro.com/index.php?%2Farchives%2F10707-REVIEW-GONE-FISHIN-1997-STARRING-JOE-PESCI-AND-DANNY-GLOVER%3B-KINO-LORBER-BLU-RAY-RELEASE.html=)
**A director change mid-shoot.** The original director, Oscar winner [John G. Avildsen](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-g-avildsen), filmed for the first two weeks before he was fired by the studio and replaced by Christopher Cain.[8](https://cinemaretro.com/index.php?%2Farchives%2F10707-REVIEW-GONE-FISHIN-1997-STARRING-JOE-PESCI-AND-DANNY-GLOVER%3B-KINO-LORBER-BLU-RAY-RELEASE.html=) The British Film Institute credits both Cain and Avildsen as directors on the finished film.[12](https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/3336f3e5-0033-5c09-85da-552ae3fc9b93/gone-fishin)
**A fatal stunt.** During production, a stunt went awry and killed the stuntwoman Janet Wilder and injured her team members, her husband Scott and her father-in-law Glenn; the end credits carry a dedication to her.[8](https://cinemaretro.com/index.php?%2Farchives%2F10707-REVIEW-GONE-FISHIN-1997-STARRING-JOE-PESCI-AND-DANNY-GLOVER%3B-KINO-LORBER-BLU-RAY-RELEASE.html=) • [7](https://www.deseret.com/1997/6/6/20087656/film-review-gone-fishin/) The Los Angeles Times review noted that the crash sequence of boats was among the stunts involved.[9](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-06-02-ca-64734-story.html)
Disney shelved the finished production for almost a year before transferring distribution to its [Hollywood Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/hollywood-pictures) branch, and the film moved on and off the studio's release schedule several times.[8](https://cinemaretro.com/index.php?%2Farchives%2F10707-REVIEW-GONE-FISHIN-1997-STARRING-JOE-PESCI-AND-DANNY-GLOVER%3B-KINO-LORBER-BLU-RAY-RELEASE.html=) • [7](https://www.deseret.com/1997/6/6/20087656/film-review-gone-fishin/) Location filming took place in the [Everglades](https://www.edgepedia.org/everglades) and nearby towns, including Everglades City, a community of about 700 people.[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/gone-fishin-film/)
## Box office
The film opened wide on May 30, 1997 in 1,841 theaters, earning $5,784,123 over its opening weekend and ranking third for the frame.[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0119214/) • [5](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Gone-Fishin) Weekly grosses fell steeply, dropping 49 percent in the second weekend, and the film ran an average of 5.4 weeks per theater before leaving release in mid-September.[5](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Gone-Fishin) It finished with a domestic gross of $19,745,922 and no international release, so the domestic total equaled the worldwide total.[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0119214/) Against a reported $53 million budget, the film returned well under its production cost.[4](https://cinegraph.org/movies/gone-fishin-1997) • [13](https://bdcbcl.wordpress.com/2019/12/19/feature-films-made-in-beaufort-county-gone-fishin-1997/) Inflation-adjusted, the domestic gross corresponds to about $48.7 million in later dollars.[5](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Gone-Fishin)
## Reception
Critics reviewed the film harshly. Rotten Tomatoes records a 4 percent Tomatometer from 26 reviews, with a critics consensus calling it "sloppy, formulaic, and unfunny" and "a painful low point in the careers of its two talented leads"; the audience Popcornmeter stood at 37 percent.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gone_fishin) Gene Seymour's Los Angeles Times review called it "a mirthless, graceless slapstick comedy" and speculated that the film existed because someone liked the Pesci-Glover chemistry in the Lethal Weapon movies.[9](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-06-02-ca-64734-story.html) The Deseret News critic Chris Hicks wrote that Pesci and Glover, trying to make like [Stan Laurel](https://www.edgepedia.org/stan-laurel) and [Oliver Hardy](https://www.edgepedia.org/oliver-hardy), had no comic chemistry, and judged the destruction comedy tedious.[7](https://www.deseret.com/1997/6/6/20087656/film-review-gone-fishin/) Leonard Maltin's guide rated the film a BOMB.[14](https://thengamer.com/AxZ/Pics%20%26%20Stuff/Litt/Leonard%20Maltin%27s%202010%20Movie%20Guide.pdf) Pesci was nominated for a Stinkers Bad Movie Award for Worst Actor for 1997.[13](https://bdcbcl.wordpress.com/2019/12/19/feature-films-made-in-beaufort-county-gone-fishin-1997/)
Audience ratings have been more forgiving than the critics': IMDb users give the film 4.9 out of 10 from about 11,000 votes, and some later viewers describe it as a lighthearted family slapstick movie.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gone_fishin) • [15](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119214) The film was released on home video in late 1997 and has since appeared on streaming services and on a Kino Lorber Blu-ray.[16](https://videolibrarian.com/reviews/film/gone-fishin/) • [8](https://cinemaretro.com/index.php?%2Farchives%2F10707-REVIEW-GONE-FISHIN-1997-STARRING-JOE-PESCI-AND-DANNY-GLOVER%3B-KINO-LORBER-BLU-RAY-RELEASE.html=)
## References
1. [Gone Fishin' (film), D23 (Official Disney Archives)](https://d23.com/a-to-z/gone-fishin-film/)
2. [Gone Fishin' (1997), AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/60748-)
3. [Gone Fishin' (1997), Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0119214/)
4. [Gone Fishin', Cinegraph](https://cinegraph.org/movies/gone-fishin-1997)
5. [Gone Fishin' (1997), The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Gone-Fishin)
6. [Gone Fishin', Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gone_fishin)
7. [Film review: Gone Fishin', Deseret News, June 6, 1997](https://www.deseret.com/1997/6/6/20087656/film-review-gone-fishin/)
8. [Review: Gone Fishin' (1997), Cinema Retro](https://cinemaretro.com/index.php?%2Farchives%2F10707-REVIEW-GONE-FISHIN-1997-STARRING-JOE-PESCI-AND-DANNY-GLOVER%3B-KINO-LORBER-BLU-RAY-RELEASE.html=)
9. ['Gone Fishin' Only Hooks the Stars, Los Angeles Times, June 2, 1997](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-06-02-ca-64734-story.html)
10. [Gone Fishin': Full Cast & Crew, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gone_fishin/cast-and-crew)
11. [Gone Fishin' (1997): A Troubled and Tragic Production, Bomb Report](https://bombreport.com/yearly-breakdowns/1997-2/gone-fishin/)
12. [Gone Fishin' (1997), British Film Institute](https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/3336f3e5-0033-5c09-85da-552ae3fc9b93/gone-fishin)
13. [Feature Films Made in Beaufort County: Gone Fishin' (1997), Beaufort County Library](https://bdcbcl.wordpress.com/2019/12/19/feature-films-made-in-beaufort-county-gone-fishin-1997/)
14. [Leonard Maltin's 2010 Movie Guide](https://thengamer.com/AxZ/Pics%20%26%20Stuff/Litt/Leonard%20Maltin%27s%202010%20Movie%20Guide.pdf)
15. [Gone Fishin' (1997), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119214)
16. [Gone Fishin', Video Librarian](https://videolibrarian.com/reviews/film/gone-fishin/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Comedy and romantic films (individual works) › Comedies of 1995 to 1999 › Black and satirical comedies › Released 1995 to 1998*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license