Scent of a Woman (1992 film)

Charlie Simms is a scholarship student at Baird, an exclusive New England preparatory school. He accepts a temporary job over Thanksgiving weekend so he can buy a plane ticket home to Oregon for Christmas. The woman who hires him asks Charlie to watch over her uncle, retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, a blind, highly decorated Vietnam War veteran whom Charlie discovers to be a cantankerous alcoholic. Charlie and another student, George Willis Jr., witness three students setting up a prank to publicly humiliate the headmaster, Mr. Trask. After falling victim to the prank, Trask quickly learns of the witnesses and unsuccessfully presses them to name the perpetrators. Trask privately offers Charlie a bribe: a letter of recommendation to attend Harvard University.

Frank unexpectedly takes Charlie on a trip to New York City, where they stay at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. During dinner at the Oak Room, Frank glibly states his intention to commit suicide. They pay an uninvited visit to Frank's brother's home in White Plains for Thanksgiving dinner, where the cause of Frank's blindness is revealed: while drunk, he juggled live grenades to show off for a group of younger officers, and one exploded. Frank deliberately provokes everyone at dinner, which ends after a heated confrontation with his brother.

As they return to New York City, Charlie tells Frank about his problem at school. Frank advises Charlie to turn informant and go to Harvard, warning him that George will probably submit to Trask’s pressure, so he should act before George does. While at a restaurant, Frank notices Donna, a young woman waiting for her date. He leads her to the dance floor, where they perform a spectacular tango ("Por una Cabeza").

Deeply despondent the next morning, Frank is initially uninterested in Charlie's suggestions for that day’s activities until he brings up test driving a new Ferrari. Frank talks the reluctant salesman into letting them take the car. Once on the road, Frank is unenthusiastic until Charlie allows him to drive, which results in a traffic stop, but Frank talks the police officer into letting them go without revealing that he is blind.

After returning the car and waiting to cross the street, Frank grows impatient and walks into the middle of Park Avenue, where he narrowly avoids being struck by multiple cars. When they return to the hotel, Frank sends Charlie to run several errands. Charlie initially leaves but quickly becomes suspicious. He returns to find Frank in his dress uniform and preparing to commit suicide with his service pistol. Charlie intervenes and they fight over the gun, but Frank backs down after Charlie convinces him he has more to live for.

At school, Charlie and George are subjected to a formal inquiry by the student/faculty disciplinary committee, with the rest of the student body on hand to observe. As Trask opens the proceedings, Frank unexpectedly appears and sits with Charlie. George enlists the help of his wealthy father and they name the three perpetrators. When pressed for details, the Willises claim George Jr.'s poor vision prevented him from seeing more and defer to Charlie. Charlie refuses to inform, so Trask recommends his expulsion. Frank launches into a passionate speech defending Charlie and reminds the audience to value qualities like loyalty and integrity.

The disciplinary committee places the students named by George on probation. Charlie is not punished and is excused from further participation in the proceedings. As Charlie escorts Frank to his limousine, Frank flirts with a young political science professor. Charlie returns Frank to his home, where he happily greets his niece's young children.

Scent of a Woman was filmed in the following US locations.[7]

• Brooklyn, New York City, New York
• Dumbo, Brooklyn, New York City, New York
• Emma Willard School, 285 Pawling Avenue, Troy, New York
• Hempstead House, Sands Point Preserve, 95 Middleneck Road, Port Washington, Long Island, New York (school)
• Kaufman Astoria Studios, 34-12 36th Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York (studio)
• Long Island, New York
• Manhattan, New York City, New York
• Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark, New Jersey
• Pierre Hotel, Fifth Avenue & 61st Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York (ballroom where Frank and Donna dance the tango)
• Port Washington, Long Island, New York
• Prince's Bay, Staten Island, New York City, New York
• Princeton, New Jersey
• Queens, New York City, New York
• Rockefeller College—Upper Madison Hall, Princeton University , Princeton, New Jersey (Scene at the Library)
• Staten Island, New York City, New York
• The Oak Room, The Plaza Hotel, 5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York (where Frank and Charlie have dinner)
• Troy, New York
• Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, 301 Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York

Pacino painstakingly researched his part in Scent of a Woman. To understand what it feels like to be blind, he met clients of New York's Associated Blind, being particularly interested in seeing from those who had lost their sight due to trauma. Clients traced the entire progression for him—from the moment they knew they would never see again to the depression and through to acceptance and adjustment. The Lighthouse, also in New York, schooled him in techniques a blind person might use to find a chair and seat themselves, pour liquid from a bottle and light a cigar.[8]

Screenplay writer for Scent of a Woman, Bo Goldman, said, "If there is a moral to the film, it is that if we leave ourselves open and available to the surprising contradictions in life, we will find the strength to go on."[8]

• Scent of a Woman (soundtrack)

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