Ray Liotta’s final film,1992, is dividing critics but impressing audiences. The heist drama, set in L.A. following the Rodney King verdict, was not the last film Liotta worked on, but it is the last of his projects to be released.1992landed in select theaters on August 30th. The film follows a shopkeeper whomust save his son from an angry mob during the 1992 L.A. uprising after the Rodney King verdictand centers around two families.
The film currently holds a 68% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with its audience score sitting much higher at 92%. While its score still lands the film in the fresh category, there is a significant difference between the two. So why the disparity? Critics' opinions of the film range from love for its cast to criticism of a generic plot and the fact that, despite being set during the L.A. riots, those events “take place in the backdrop.” The audience reviews, on the other hand, praise the film’s action sequences and its message.Liotta’s presence helps, too, as viewers commend the actor’s portrayal.
Despite the film’s shortcomings, it’s not hard to see why fans of Liotta would embrace the film.The actor’s decades-long careerincludes beloved characters like Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese’sGoodfellasand Shoeless Joe Jackson in Phil Alden Robinson’sField of Dreams. The actor, whose career spans back to the 1980s, also had memorable roles in movies, includingSomething Wild(which earned the actor a Golden Globe nod),John Q., Killing Them Softly, The Place Beyond the Pines, andMarriage Story.
Liotta unexpectedly passed away in the Dominican Republic in 2022while working onDangerous Waters(released last year). His other posthumous credits includeCocaine Bear, Fool’s Paradise, and the seriesBlack Bird.
1992 Stars Remember Ray Liotta
1992is directed by Ariel Vromen, who worked with Liotta in 2012’sThe Iceman. Alongside Liotta, the film stars Tyrese Gibson and Scott Eastwood. During a recent interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, Gibson and Eastwood reminisced about their time working alongside Liotta. Gibson recalls Liotta’s last words to him, following the late actor’s last day on set:
“When Ariel announced that it was a wrap for Ray Liotta, we were all clapping and cheering. He put on his jogging suit to head to the airport. I got the last hug as he was getting in his car. He said, ‘You were great, man.’ I was, like, ‘Oh shit, you were great, man. I didn’t know you had anything good to say about anything.’ (Laughs.)He said, ‘You were great, man. Just stay at it. You’re doing your thing.’ And we laughed and we hugged, and I walked off without ever knowing that it would be my last hug.”
1992 Star Scott Eastwood Breaks Down His Heist Movie with Tyrese Gibson & Bonding with Ray Liotta
Scott Eastwood discusses his new heist thriller with Ray Liotta and if dad Clint Eastwood will retire after Juror No. 2.
Eastwood called Liotta a “no-bulls— kind of guy” and noted the intensity he brought to set before adding:
“On a personal note, it was an incredible experience to get to spend a summer with him, getting to know him and hear about his experiences and his journey in film. He worked with Martin Scorsese. It was such a great thing to hear his stories.”
