IMDb > Jaws (1975)
Jaws
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Jaws (1975) -- When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and grizzled fisherman set out to stop it.
Jaws (1975) -- CineMagia.ro - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Peter Benchley (screenplay) and
Carl Gottlieb (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Jaws on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
20 June 1975 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
The Nation's No.1 Best-Selling Book now the Screen's Super-Thriller more
Plot:
When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and grizzled fisherman set out to stop it. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won 3 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 13 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(186 articles)
User Reviews:
Not your average fish story... more (741 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
124 min | USA:130 min (TV version)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Portugal:M/12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (1995) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Spain:T | USA:TV-14 | Brazil:14 | New Zealand:M | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Denmark:15 | France:-12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Israel:PG | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 (video rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Sweden:15 | Taiwan:GP | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | USA:PG (Certificate #24175) | West Germany:16 | Finland:K-16

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Steven Spielberg almost accidentally came across the property when he spotted the galley proofs for 'Peter Benchley (I)'s book sitting on producer David Brown's desk. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: As Brody argues with Mayor Vaughan about keeping the beaches closed over the Fourth of July, he states that five people were chewed up in the surf (in New Jersey) in five days, in 1916. In fact, it took place over a twelve-day period, and three of the victims were attacked in a tidal creek. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Tom Cassidy: What's your name again?
Christine 'Chrissie' Watkins: Chrissie.
Tom Cassidy: Where are we going?
Christine 'Chrissie' Watkins: Swimming
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
I Honestly Love You more

FAQ

How does the movie end?
What are the major differences between the movie and the original novel?
Why does the Mayor go to such trouble to keep the beach open?
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105 out of 144 people found the following review useful.
Not your average fish story..., 23 September 2001
10/10
Author: WehoSteve (Stevekroll@hotmail.com) from Los Angeles

Widely regarded as the film that began the "summer movie blockbuster era", JAWS (1975) was also rightfully one of the year's most critically acclaimed movies. It was also the recipient of an Academy Award Nomination for Best Picture and a winner of Oscars for film editing (Verna Fields) and music score (John Williams). One of the reasons the film received no acting nods is that everyone involved is so good, how could one single out just one or two? (I personally feel Robert Shaw should have gotten a Best Actor nomination, however). Roy Scheider is wonderful as New York cop Martin Brody, who has relocated to a small coastal island town, only to have his bad case of "aquaphobia" put to the ultimate test. Richard Dreyfuss is perfectly cast as a shark expert and provides some truly funny comic bits along the way. Lorraine Gary (who director Steven Spielberg says was the first person to be cast for the film) does an excellent job of being the concerned wife and mother. Finally, there's Murray Hamilton, who gives one of the best performances of his career as Mayor Vaughn, who seems to be more concerned about the economy of the town than the safety of the residents. In a way, Vaughn is really the film's villain. Solid cast indeed. The screenplay (by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb) is tight and well-written, as is Spielberg's direction. Whether it was the mechanical shark's failure to operate correctly or Spielberg's decision to simply see less of the shark until the end of the film, the "less is more" idea works perfectly, particularly in the opening scene, which is chilling to this day.

One thing I do want to add: if you choose to watch this film at home, do yourself a favor and rent or buy the WIDESCREEN version. The full-screen pan and scan version is a travesty that ruins the great camerawork that Spielberg and cameraman Bill Butler made. I always recommend the widescreen version but it is especially important for JAWS.

No offense to fans of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, but this is the film that should have taken home the Oscar gold. Grade: A+

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The 'Things I've learned from watching Jaws' thread Miss-M
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I'll Never Put On A Life Jacket Again mrjg819
My thoughts on the novel (spoilers) Agent_Mulder89
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