Christmas Countdown Day #11: A Fish Called Wanda

December saw the release of A Fish Called Wanda on Amazon Prime Video. It’s the movie you need to watch tonight as part of the Christmas Countdown.

Throughout December, Amazon Adviser is bringing you a movie to watch a night. All movies come from the December releases on Amazon Prime Video and Day #11 is all about a Dec. 1 drop. A Fish Called Wanda is a must watch right now.

Starring Michael Palin, John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more, the British-American crime comedy is one for the ages. Created in 1988, it’s become a basis for many crime dramas, including the Oceans franchise.

What is A Fish Called Wanda about?

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The movie is a comedy classic. When a group believes they have managed the perfect crime, it all goes wrong when one of them decides to take the whole loot. That sets up a story that sees the rest of them try to find out where the loot has been hidden.

Oh, and along the way, Ken (Michael Palin) focuses on taking out an elderly woman who had seen the original bank robbery. I’m sure you can guess how that plays out!

It’s full of British and American stereotypes and never once takes itself seriously. That’s the allure of the movie and why you need to watch it. Also, don’t expect to know who is on which side of the whole situation. The loyalties are as fluid as water.

Critical and financial success

A Fish Called Wanda is certainly one to watch, even if you’re not following the Christmas Countdown. With a 93% Tomatometer score and 84% Audience Rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s a movie that is loved by the majority of people.

It also gained critical success in terms of awards. Kevin Kline won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. The movie was nominated for two other Oscars: Best Director and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. John Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis were also nominated for Golden Globes, among other awards.

With a budget of an estimated $7,500,000, it was definitely a financial success. While it only made $115,418 at opening weekend thanks to a limited release, it grossed $63,493,712 in the United States alone.

While Cleese is given co-director credit, he has always said that this was Charles Crichton’s movie. The only reason he stepped into the co-director chair was to make sure the studio greenlit the project. The studio execs were worried that Crichton’s advanced age would cause problems and Crichton also hadn’t directed a theatrical movie for 23 years. Cleese took over the final scenes, only so that Crichton could oversee the editing.

Will you watch A Fish Called Wanda tonight on Amazon Prime? What are you watching each night to countdown to Christmas? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

A Fish Called Wanda is now available on Amazon Prime Video.