Scent of a Woman is a 1992 American drama film produced and directed by Martin Brest that tells the story of a preparatory school student who takes a short-term job near Thanksgiving as a companion and assistant to a retired Army lieutenant colonel who is blind, depressed and irritable.

The film was nominated for Best Director, Best Picture and Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published.

Karen hires him to watch her uncle, retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, during Thanksgiving weekend.

He meets Frank, a highly decorated, blind Vietnam War veteran who has become a cantankerous and cynical alcoholic.

Charlie and student George Willis Jr. witness three classmates set up a prank to humiliate the headmaster, Mr. Trask.

Trask schedules a meeting of the school disciplinary committee to take place on the Monday after the Thanksgiving weekend.

Frank Slade unexpectedly takes Charlie on a trip to New York City and arranges their stay at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel.

Charlie leaves but becomes suspicious and returns to find Frank donning his dress uniform, preparing to end his life with his service pistol.

The disciplinary committee places the instigators on probation, denies George credit for naming them, and excuses Charlie from the proceedings.

The rights to remake Dino Risi's Profumo di donna were purchased by Ovidio G. Assonitis and first slated for presale by Ronald DeNeef's Rainbow International at MIFED in October 1988, alongside Assonitis's Beyond the Door III and Midnight Ride (then called Nowhere to Run).

"[7] Martin Brest was approached to direct the film in April 1991, and chose this film over another potential remake with which he was presented, a remake of Death Takes a Holiday (which was made and released by Universal as Meet Joe Black starring Brad Pitt, Claire Forlani and Anthony Hopkins).

[10] Rising young actors, including Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Brendan Fraser, Anthony Rapp, Randall Batinkoff, Dante Basco, Chris Rock and Stephen Dorff auditioned for the role of Charlie Simms[11][12][13] before Chris O'Donnell was cast in November 1991.

The Lighthouse, an advocacy group for the blind also in New York, schooled him in techniques that a vision impaired person might use to find a chair and seat themselves, pour liquid from a bottle, and light a cigar.

[25] Newsweek's David Ansen writes that the "two-character conceit doesn't warrant a two-and-a-half-hour running time".

Ovidio G. Assonitis, who had originated the project and chose to go uncredited on the final cut of the film, took out a full-page advert in Variety congratulating Tom Pollock, Universal Pictures and Martin Brest for making the adaptation successful and praising Pacino on his Oscar win.