# Krippendorf's Tribe > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Krippendorf's_Tribe > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Krippendorf's_Tribe.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krippendorf's_Tribe > Source revision: 1354317910 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1998 American film Krippendorf's Tribe Theatrical release poster Directed by Todd Holland Screenplay by Charlie Peters Based on Krippendorf's Tribe by Frank Parkin Produced by Larry Brezner Ross Canter Whitney Green Starring Richard Dreyfuss Jenna Elfman Natasha Lyonne Gregory Smith Stephen Root Elaine Stritch Lily Tomlin Cinematography Dean Cundey Edited by Jon Poll Music by Bruce Broughton Production company Touchstone Pictures Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution Release date February 27, 1998 (1998-02-27) Running time 94 minutes Country United States Language English Box office $7.5 million ***Krippendorf's Tribe*** is a 1998 American [comedy film](/source/Comedy_film) directed by [Todd Holland](/source/Todd_Holland) and based on [Frank Parkin](/source/Frank_Parkin)'s 1985 novel of the same name. The film stars [Richard Dreyfuss](/source/Richard_Dreyfuss), [Jenna Elfman](/source/Jenna_Elfman), [Natasha Lyonne](/source/Natasha_Lyonne), and [Lily Tomlin](/source/Lily_Tomlin). Its plot follows Professor James Krippendorf (Dreyfuss), an [anthropologist](/source/Anthropologist) who, with the help of his three children, creates a fictitious lost [New Guinea](/source/New_Guinea) tribe to cover up his misuse of grant money. *Krippendorf's Tribe* was produced by [Touchstone Pictures](/source/Touchstone_Pictures) and distributed by [Buena Vista Pictures](/source/Walt_Disney_Studios_Motion_Pictures). The film received generally negative reviews, with criticism for its racial stereotypes.[1] ## Plot Respected [anthropologist](/source/Anthropologist) James Krippendorf and his wife, Jennifer, bring their three children Shelly, Mickey & Edmund along during their much-enjoyed search in [New Guinea](/source/New_Guinea) for a lost tribe. The search fails, despite the family's best efforts. After Jennifer's death back in the U.S., Krippendorf falls into academic stagnation, having spent all his foundation grant money raising the children as a single parent. Scheduled to lecture at a college and fearful of being charged with misuse of grant funds, Krippendorf concocts an imaginary tribe, the Shelmikedmu, using the names of his children as a basis. He later fakes a 16 mm "documentary" film, casting his children as tribe members and superimposing footage of a legitimate New Guinean tribe so as to enhance the illusion. Anthropologist Veronica Micelli contacts cable-TV producer Henry Spivey, forcing Krippendorf to continue creating fraudulent footage as Krippendorf's rival Ruth Allen becomes suspicious. Because he has described a culture unlike any other, Krippendorf's fraud becomes increasingly famous. Krippendorf himself masquerades as a tribal elder, while his two sons, Mickey and Edmund, create and enact increasingly imaginative rituals. Only the eldest child, Krippendorf's daughter Shelly, refuses to participate due to her disgust at the dishonesty perpetrated by her father. Taking advantage of her curiosity, Krippendorf tricks Veronica into participating in his false documentary. When she discovers the truth, she is initially angry, but later helps Krippendorf continue his fraud. Ruth travels to New Guinea, discovering no tribe in the location specified by Krippendorf. She transmits the news via fax to a colleague, who exposes Krippendorf at a gala. Krippendorf's imaginative son, Mickey, improvises a lie, that the Shelmikedmu hide by means of a magical ritual known only to them. Unknown to the majority of the characters, Shelly has contacted the New Guineans befriended by her family during the futile search for the lost tribe, urging them to masquerade as the Shelmikedmu in order to disappoint Ruth. The ruse succeeds, and the accusation of fraud is abandoned. Krippendorf, relieved of his worries, ends his fraud. He and Veronica become a couple, and she assumes the role of mother to his children. ## Cast - [Richard Dreyfuss](/source/Richard_Dreyfuss) as Professor James Krippendorf - [Jenna Elfman](/source/Jenna_Elfman) as Professor Veronica Micelli, James's love interest later new wife - [Lily Tomlin](/source/Lily_Tomlin) as Professor Ruth Allen, Krippendorf's rival - [Natasha Lyonne](/source/Natasha_Lyonne) as Shelly Krippendorf, James's daughter - [Gregory Smith](/source/Gregory_Smith_(actor)) as Michael "Mickey" Krippendorf, James's first son - Carl Michael Lindner as Edmund Krippendorf, James's second son - Jacob & Zachary Handy as Young Edmund - [Stephen Root](/source/Stephen_Root) as Dean Gerald Adams - [Elaine Stritch](/source/Elaine_Stritch) as Irene Hargrove - [Tom Poston](/source/Tom_Poston) as Gordon Hargrove, Irene's husband - [David Ogden Stiers](/source/David_Ogden_Stiers) as Henry Spivey - [Doris Belack](/source/Doris_Belack) as President Porter - [Julio Oscar Mechoso](/source/Julio_Oscar_Mechoso) as Simon Alonso - [Siobhan Fallon](/source/Siobhan_Fallon_Hogan) as Lori - [Susan Ruttan](/source/Susan_Ruttan) as Mrs. O'Brian - [Barbara Williams](/source/Barbara_Williams_(actress)) as Professor Jennifer Harding Krippendorf, James's late wife - [Zakes Mokae](/source/Zakes_Mokae) as Sulukim - [Mila Kunis](/source/Mila_Kunis) as Abbey Tournquist - [Frances Bay](/source/Frances_Bay) as Edith Proxmire - [Sandy Martin](/source/Sandy_Martin_(actress)) as Nurse ## Reception ### Box office *Krippendorf's Tribe* opened at #7 in its opening weekend with $3,316,377.[2] By the end of its domestic run, the film grossed $7,571,115.[3] ### Critical response The film received generally negative reviews. On [Rotten Tomatoes](/source/Rotten_Tomatoes), the film has an approval rating of 17% based on reviews from 41 critics, with an average rating of 4.2/10.[4] [Roger Ebert](/source/Roger_Ebert) of the *[Chicago Sun-Times](/source/Chicago_Sun-Times)* gave the film a score of two out of four stars, writing: "Is it possible to recommend a whole comedy on the basis of one scene that made you laugh almost uncontrollably? I fear not. And yet *Krippendorf's Tribe* has such a scene, and many comedies have none."[5] [Kevin Thomas](/source/Kevin_Thomas_(film_critic)) of the *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)* wrote that the film "revives all those old demeaning racist stereotypes in the most horrible ways," and that it "isn't remotely intelligent or sophisticated enough to make it as a pitch-dark comedy or satire", calling it "arguably the worst movie ever to come out of Disney".[6] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["The 50 Most Racist Movies"](https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2012/05/the-50-most-racist-movies/). *Complex*. Retrieved June 21, 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Weekend Box Office Results for February 27-March 1, 1998 - Box Office Mojo](http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=1998&wknd=09&p=.htm) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [*Krippendorf's Tribe*](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=krippendorfstribe.htm) at [Box Office Mojo](/source/Box_Office_Mojo) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Krippendorf's Tribe"](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/krippendorfs_tribe). *[Rotten Tomatoes](/source/Rotten_Tomatoes)*. [Fandango Media](/source/Fandango_Media). Retrieved February 3, 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Ebert, Roger](/source/Roger_Ebert) (February 27, 1998). ["Krippendorf's Tribe movie review (1998)"](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/krippendorfs-tribe-1998). *[RogerEbert.com](/source/RogerEbert.com)*. Retrieved July 18, 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Thomas, Kevin](/source/Kevin_Thomas_(film_critic)) (February 27, 1998). ["'Krippendorf's Tribe' Goes Off the Path, Back in Time"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-feb-27-ca-23421-story.html). *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220329170105/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-feb-27-ca-23421-story.html) from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022. ## External links - [*Krippendorf's Tribe*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120725/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) - [*Krippendorf's Tribe*](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=krippendorfstribe.htm) at [Box Office Mojo](/source/Box_Office_Mojo) - [*Krippendorf's Tribe*](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/krippendorfs_tribe) at [Rotten Tomatoes](/source/Rotten_Tomatoes) v t e Films directed by Todd Holland The Wizard (1989) Krippendorf's Tribe (1998) Firehouse Dog (2007) Monster High: The Movie (2022) Monster High 2 (2023) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Krippendorf's Tribe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krippendorf's_Tribe) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krippendorf's_Tribe?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.