Mistress

An American comedy-drama film from 1992, marking the directorial debut of Barry Primus, who co-wrote the screenplay with J. F. Lawton. The story follows Marvin Landisman (Robert Wuhl), a down-and-out Hollywood screenwriter and director who makes a living producing low-budget instructional videos. His old script catches the attention of Jack Roth (Martin Landau), a has-been producer who offers to help Marvin find investors to bring the script to life. They secure funding from three men: ruthless businessman Evan Wright (Robert De Niro), mentally unstable war veteran Carmine Rasso (Danny Aiello), and eccentric millionaire George Lieberhoff (Eli Wallach). Each investor insists that his mistress be cast in the film: the talented Beverly Dumont (Sheryl Lee Ralph), alcoholic flight attendant Patricia Riley (Jean Smart), and the naive but untalented Peggy Pauline (Tuesday Knight). Under pressure, Marvin is forced to rewrite his script, compromising its original vision, which strains his relationship with his wife Rachel (Laurie Metcalf). Further complications arise with the involvement of young screenwriter Stuart Stratland Jr. (Jace Alexander), who not only makes unwanted changes to the script but also has an affair with Peggy. Ultimately, the project collapses, leaving Marvin disillusioned and alone, having lost faith in Hollywood. The film also features Christopher Walken (Warren Zell) and Ernest Borgnine (as himself). With a budget of $1.1 million, the film grossed approximately $1.1 million and received positive reviews, holding a 72% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.