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Family comedy

Bogus (1996): Cast, Box Office & Plot

Bogus (1996) movie poster

Bogus is a 1996 family comedy directed by Norman Jewison, starring Gérard Depardieu as Bogus, Haley Joel Osment and Nancy Travis. It runs 1 hour 50 minutes and earned $4.4 million worldwide.

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Bogus (1996) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 50m (110 min)
Director
Norman Jewison
Genres
Comedy , Family , Fantasy
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Bogus About?

The premise of Bogus without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A whimsical comedy that follows a recently orphaned boy placed with his godmother, who discovers she can actually see his imaginary companion—a flamboyant French magician named Bogus. As they navigate grief, the boy learns to reconnect with his inner child, while confronting the unexpected friendship he’s always tried to avoid.

Bogus Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • magic
  • loss of mother
  • las vegas nevada
  • death of mother
  • close up of eyes
  • character name as title
  • slimehouse
  • boy
  • 7 year old
  • 7 year old boy
  • car wreck
  • businesswoman
+38 more
  • boy wears pajamas
  • gravesite
  • boy's bedroom
  • airplane
  • bubble bath
  • bathtub
  • school
  • classroom
  • teacher
  • cartoon becomes a real person
  • sentimentality
  • magic revue
  • dancer
  • grief
  • mother son relationship
  • killed in a car accident
  • surrogate mother surrogate son relationship
  • alienation
  • bathtub scene
  • dancing
  • frenchman
  • secret friend
  • precocious boy
  • plowing through an intersection
  • drawing comes to life
  • restaurant supply company
  • coloring book
  • whimsy
  • airplane bathroom
  • abandonment of logic
  • boy takes a bath
  • vuilnability
  • anachronism
  • sleight of hand artist
  • bathing
  • metaphor
  • panic attack
  • drawing
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Cast & crew

Bogus Cast & Characters

Gérard Depardieu leads the cast as Bogus, with Haley Joel Osment as Albert and Nancy Travis as Lorraine Franklin. Directed by Norman Jewison; 60 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Bogus

· 56 more
Show all 60 cast members
From the director

More from Norman Jewison

More films directed by Norman Jewison, best-rated first: Moonstruck, In the Heat of the Night, The Hurricane and Fiddler on the Roof.

Full filmography
Plot

Bogus Plot Summary

What happens in Bogus from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Albert [Haley Joel Osment] lives with his mum Lorraine [Nancy Travis] in Nevada, where she works as a showgirl, giving him a unique sense of companionship and a glimpse into a world—bright stage lights and sudden departures—that feels both magical and fragile. One evening, Lorraine is killed in a car accident, leaving Albert to navigate an abrupt, adults-heavy world without her warmth or guidance.

Lorraine’s will names her foster sister Harriet [Whoopi Goldberg] Franklin as Albert’s godmother, a role Harriet initially resists with a blunt honesty about her own limits. Yet the moment she learns that Albert would otherwise drift into foster care, she grudgingly accepts the responsibility and begins to confront the difficult balance of care, patience, and belief in a child who insists on his invisible friend.

Full summary

The whole story of Bogus, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Bogus Box Office

Bogus grossed $4.4 million worldwide.

1996 box office

Worldwide gross

$4.4M

US & Canada
$4.4M
Videos

Bogus Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Bogus.

Bogus - Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Bogus?

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

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is the name of the young boy who befriends the imaginary companion Bogus?

Cars

Cars in Bogus

40 cars on screen, including the 1966 Ford Mustang and the 1991 Volvo 240.

All 40 cars
  • 1966 Ford Mustang in Bogus 1966 Ford Mustang Important role
  • 1991 Volvo 240 in Bogus 1991 Volvo 240 Important role
  • 1992 Chevrolet Caprice in Bogus 1992 Chevrolet Caprice Minor role
  • 1988 Chevrolet K-Series in Bogus 1988 Chevrolet K-Series Minor role
Details

Bogus Also Known As

14 alternative titles, including “Přelud” and “Bogus, l'amico immaginario”.

Also known as
  • Přelud
  • Bogus, l'amico immaginario
  • Bogus - Mein phantastischer Freund
  • Segíts, mumus!
  • Богус
  • Фантасмагор
  • 보거스
  • Bogus: Meu Amigo Secreto
  • Bogus: Mi Mejor Amigo
  • Bogus, mój przyjaciel na niby
  • 妈咪也疯狂
  • L’amic invisible
+2 more
  • Боґус
  • Hayal Arkadaşım

Seen Bogus?

FAQ

Bogus FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of Bogus, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Bogus?

Bogus runs 1 hour 50 minutes (110 minutes).

When was Bogus released?

Bogus was released on September 6, 1996.

Who directed Bogus?

Bogus was directed by Norman Jewison.

More films by Norman Jewison

Who is in the cast of Bogus?

Bogus stars Gérard Depardieu as Bogus, Haley Joel Osment as Albert and Nancy Travis as Lorraine Franklin, among 60 credited actors.

How much did Bogus make at the box office?

Bogus grossed $4.4 million worldwide.

Does Bogus have a post-credit scene?

No. Bogus has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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