Synopsis

English auctioneer Michael Felgate proposes to his girlfriend, Gina, but discovers that her family is deeply involved in organized crime. His attempt to stay clear of their affairs collapses when a money-laundering scheme draws him into the Mafia's orbit. Forced to adopt a gangster persona, Michael becomes entangled in a dangerous FBI operation that threatens both his wedding and his future with Gina.

Factoids & Trivia

• Elizabeth Hurley served as a producer through Simian Films, the production company she shared with Hugh Grant at the time.

• Hurley said Grant had a substantial hand in rewriting his dialogue, helping shape Michael Felgate's awkward, distinctly British comic voice.

• The movie features a notable cluster of performers who later appeared in The Sopranos. Its connection to the HBO series was eventually acknowledged in the second-season episode "D-Girl," which jokes about the lack of demand for mob-related screenplays after the film's disappointing reception.

• The wedding-reception music is the same piece heard during the wedding reception in The Godfather, making the scene an overt homage to the classic Mafia drama.

• The house used for Uncle Vito's engagement-party sequence had previously appeared as Paulie's house in Rocky IV. Burt Young played Paulie in that film and appears here as Vito.

• The title comes from Michael's improvised gangster identity: "Kansas City Little Big Mickey Blue Eyes."

• Principal photography took place in New York City, including Manhattan locations and studio work at Silvercup Studios.

• The film opened in the United States on August 20, 1999. It earned mixed reviews and grossed approximately $54.3 million worldwide against a reported $36 million budget.