A Fish Called Wanda (1988): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
A Fish Called Wanda is a 1988 crime comedy directed by Charles Crichton, starring John Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis. It runs 1 hour 48 minutes and earned $62.5 million worldwide. It won 1 Oscar, including Actor in a Supporting Role, and 3 awards in all. Critics gave it 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and 80 on Metacritic.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 48m (108 min)
- Director
- Charles Crichton
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- MGM/UA Distribution Company
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is A Fish Called Wanda About?
The premise of A Fish Called Wanda without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A group of criminals find themselves at odds after a diamond heist gone wrong. A seductive con artist pursues a prim and proper lawyer, complicating the already chaotic situation. Meanwhile, another accomplice becomes fixated on eliminating a bothersome witness who threatens to expose their scheme. Tensions rise and hilarious mishaps ensue as the thieves struggle to keep their plans from unraveling.
A Fish Called Wanda Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- stuttering man
- heist
- ugly american
- fish tank
- homophobic slur
- stutter
- stutterer
- stuttering character
- plan gone wrong
- hitman
- comedic sex scene
- british justice
+38 more Show fewer
- dog killed
- fake brother sister relationship
- animal killing
- gangster
- sawed off shotgun
- jewelry heist
- jewelry
- seduction
- gay slur
- seductress
- american in europe
- stuttering
- barrister
- torture
- reference to friedrich nietzsche
- excuse
- american in the uk
- american abroad
- necklace
- pretending to be gay
- jewel theft
- lovers posing as siblings
- character name in title
- sex scene
- male nudity
- nudity
- cult comedy
- accomplice
- scheme
- death by heart attack
- feet in concrete
- neo screwball comedy
- leper colony
- happy ending
- hidden camera
- home aquarium
- shotgun
- safe
A Fish Called Wanda Cast
John Cleese leads the cast, with Jamie Lee Curtis. Directed by Charles Crichton.
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Director Charles Crichton
More from Charles Crichton
More films directed by Charles Crichton, best-rated first: The Lavender Hill Mob, Birdman of Alcatraz, Cosmic Princess and Alien Attack.
A Fish Called Wanda Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave A Fish Called Wanda 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and 80 on Metacritic.
-
Rotten Tomatoes 96% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 84%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 80 Metascore
User score 7.9
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 72% User score
See on TMDB
A Fish Called Wanda Plot Summary
What happens in A Fish Called Wanda from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
London-based gangster George Thomason finds himself embroiled in a complex jewel heist with his loyal right-hand man, Ken Pile, who happens to be an animal lover with a pronounced stutter. To pull off this ambitious plan, they enlist the help of two Americans: the witty con artist Wanda Gershwitz and the aggressive weapons expert Otto West, an anglophobe with a short fuse. Although Wanda and Otto pretend to be siblings, their romantic involvement is clear, and Wanda uses her charm to manipulate both Ken and George to serve their own interests.
Full summary
The whole story of A Fish Called Wanda, scene by scene
A Fish Called Wanda Box Office
A Fish Called Wanda grossed $62.5 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$62.5M
- US & Canada
- $62.5M
A Fish Called Wanda Awards & Nominations
A Fish Called Wanda won 1 Oscar, including Actor in a Supporting Role, and 3 awards in all. Its biggest night was the BAFTA 1989, with 2 wins from 9 nominations.
3 wins15 nominations3 ceremonies
-
BAFTA 1989 2 wins · 9 nominations- Won Best Actor in a Leading Role – John Cleese
- Won Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Michael Palin
- Nominated Best Actor in a Leading Role – Kevin Kline
- Nominated Best Actress in a Leading Role – Jamie Lee Curtis
- Nominated Best Actress in a Supporting Role
-
Oscars 1989 1 win · 3 nominations- Won Actor in a Supporting Role – Kevin Kline
- Nominated Directing – Charles Crichton
- Nominated Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) – John Cleese
-
Golden Globes 1989 3 nominations- Nominated Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
- Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical (Actor) – John Cleese
- Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical (Actress) – Jamie Lee Curtis
A Fish Called Wanda Trailers & Videos
3 videos: 2 trailers and 1 clip.
- Trailer Official Trailer
- Clip A FISH CALLED WANDA (1988) | Don't Call Me Stupid | MGM
How Well Do You Know A Fish Called Wanda?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What role does Ken Pile play in the heist?
Cars in A Fish Called Wanda
43 cars on screen, including the 1980 Bedford HA and the 1986 Honda H100 SG.
-
1980 Bedford HA Important role -
1986 Honda H100 SG Important role -
1982 Jaguar XJ12 Series III Important role -
1972 Lincoln Continental Important role
A Fish Called Wanda Also Known As
34 alternative titles, including “笨贼一箩筐” and “En fisk ved navn Wanda”.
- Also known as
-
- 笨贼一箩筐
- En fisk ved navn Wanda
- Un pez llamado Wanda
- Ein Fisch namens Wanda
- Un pesce di nome Wanda
- Fisken de kaldte Wanda
- Un poisson nommé Wanda
- Kala nimeltä Wanda
- Um Peixe Chamado Wanda
- En fisk som heter Wanda
- A hal neve: Wanda
- Ryba jménem Wanda
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- Риба звана Ванда
- 一条叫旺达的鱼
- דג ושמו וונדה
- Rybka zwana Wandą
- Рыбка по имени Ванда
- Ένα Ψάρι που το Έλεγαν Γουάντα
- Un pește chemat Wanda
- 완다라는 이름의 물고기
- Un ange dénommé Wanda
- Рибка на ім'я Ванда
- Wanda Adında Bir Balık
- Риба, наречена Уанда
- Ryba menom Wanda
- ワンダとダイヤと優しい奴ら
- 靚女大賊神仙魚
- 笨賊一籮筐
- Riba po imenu Wanda
- Riba zvana Wanda, თევზი სახელად ვანდა
- Un peix anomenat Wanda
- ماهی به نام واندا
- รักน้องต้องปล้น
- سمكة تدعى وندا
Seen A Fish Called Wanda?
Movies Like A Fish Called Wanda
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Avida and Dead Fish.
A Fish Called Wanda FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of A Fish Called Wanda, each answered in a sentence.
How long is A Fish Called Wanda?
A Fish Called Wanda runs 1 hour 48 minutes (108 minutes).
When was A Fish Called Wanda released?
A Fish Called Wanda was released on July 29, 1988.
Who directed A Fish Called Wanda?
A Fish Called Wanda was directed by Charles Crichton.
More films by Charles Crichton Who is in the cast of A Fish Called Wanda?
A Fish Called Wanda stars John Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis.
How much did A Fish Called Wanda make at the box office?
A Fish Called Wanda grossed $62.5 million worldwide.
How is A Fish Called Wanda rated?
A Fish Called Wanda has 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, 80 on Metacritic and 72% on TMDB.
What awards did A Fish Called Wanda win?
A Fish Called Wanda won 3 awards from 15 nominations, including Best Actor in a Leading Role at the BAFTA 1989.
Does A Fish Called Wanda have a post-credit scene?
No. A Fish Called Wanda has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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