Hardcore (1979)

A conservative Midwest businessman ventures into the sordid underworld of pornography in California to look for his runaway teenage daughter who is making porno films in California's porno pits.

Director:

Paul Schrader

Writer:

Paul Schrader

Stars:

George C. Scott, Peter Boyle, Season Hubley

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George C. Scott	...	Jake VanDorn
Peter Boyle	...	Andy Mast
Season Hubley	...	Niki
Dick Sargent	...	Wes DeJong
Leonard Gaines	...	Ramada
Dave Nichols	...	Kurt (as David Nichols)
Gary Graham	...	Tod (as Gary Rand Graham)
Larry Block	...	Detective Burrows
Marc Alaimo	...	Ratan
Leslie Ackerman	...	Felice
Charlotte McGinnis	...	Beatrice (as Charlotte McGinnes)
Ilah Davis	...	Kristen VanDorn
Paul Marin	...	Joe VanDorn
Will Walker	...	Jism Jim
Hal Williams	...	Big Dick Blaque

Storyline

Jake Van Dorn is a businessman from the American heartland who shares strong Calvinist convictions with most of his countrymen. His teenage daughter is missing from her church youth convention trip to California and Van Dorn hires a private investigator to find her. The result of the investigation is his daughter is spotted in a cheap X-rated movie. Van Dorn decides to bring her back personally and during the quest he becomes familiar with the pornographic underworld.

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Plot Keywords:

youth convention | runaway | deli | panties | gay slur | 

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Taglines:

"Oh my God, that's my daughter."

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 April 1979 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

¿Dónde está mi hija?

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

A-Team, Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally Warren Beatty wanted to play the lead role. However, he wanted Paul Schrader to rewrite the script so he was would be searching for his sister (not his daughter). When Schrader refused, Beatty passed on the project.

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Goofs

When Jake has returned to L.A. and fires his detective, he creates a list of establishments to do his own research and that evening and drives around visiting places on his list. The first place he visits has a street number of 739 (visible in frame) but in looking at address detail in the long shot of the list itself, there are no references to a street number of 739 anywhere.

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Quotes

[after Jake explains TULIP theology]
Niki: I thought I was fucked up.

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Connections

References The Violation of Claudia (1977)

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Soundtracks

"Helpless"
Performed by Crosby Stills Nash & Young
Courtesy of Atlantic Records

User Reviews

Brutally honest, disturbing drama

George C. Scott gives one of his best performances as a respected, religious, businessman who sees his daughter off for a church camp and is shocked when she turns up missing. His search leads him to the seedy world of pornography where scummy private detective Peter Boyle finds her in a porno movie. The search leads on as Scott enlists the aid of a hooker.

A moving, powerful look at morality and the wrong turns some of us take - whether we know it or not.

This is a great drama save for an abrupt conclusion (writer/director Paul Shrader also abruptly ended his equally superb "Blue Collar") that is not for those easily offended.