White Palace (1990)

Max Baron (James Spader) is a 27-year-old high flying advertising executive still recovering from the death of his wife. One night he is in a bar when he meets Nora Baker (Susan Sarandon) a... See full summary »

Director:

Luis Mandoki

Writers:

Glenn Savan (novel), Ted Tally (screenplay),

Stars:

Susan Sarandon, James Spader, Jason Alexander

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Susan Sarandon	...	Nora Baker
James Spader	...	Max Baron
Jason Alexander	...	Neil
Kathy Bates	...	Rosemary
Eileen Brennan	...	Judy
Steven Hill	...	Sol Horowitz
Rachel Chagall	...	Rachel (as Rachel Levin)
Corey Parker	...	Larry Klugman
Renée Taylor	...	Edith Baron (as Renee Taylor)
Jonathan Penner	...	Marv Miller
Barbara Howard	...	Sherri Klugman
Kim Myers	...	Heidi Solomon (as Kim Meyers)
Hildy Brooks	...	Ella Horowitz
Mitzi McCall	...	Sophie Rosen
K.C. Carr	...	Stripper

Storyline

Max Baron (James Spader) is a 27-year-old high flying advertising executive still recovering from the death of his wife. One night he is in a bar when he meets Nora Baker (Susan Sarandon) a 43-year-old waitress with a fixation on Marilyn Monroe. The couple gradually fall in love, though age and social differences mean that the path of true love is strewn with problems.

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Plot Keywords:

love | waitress | advertising executive | loss of child | class differences | 

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Taglines:

The story of a younger man, and a bolder woman.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 October 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

La fièvre d'aimer

Filming Locations:

Duff;s Reataurant, 392 North Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$17,487,531 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Mirage, Double Play

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Martin Scorsese was offered the chance to direct, but declined.

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Goofs

In the beginning of the movie, when Max drives Nora home from the bar where they met, he makes a 180 turn from the place on the street where he had parked but this is before Nora tells him how to get to where she lives. How could Max have known that he had to turn around from the parking spot to head toward Nora's house?

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Quotes

Nora: Wait a minute, we get naked with each other and touch each other and you get inside of me and you can't tell me how much rent you pay. Your landlord knows, you're not even fucking him.

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Connections

Features Love Connection (1983)

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Soundtracks

"Your Reputation"
Performed by Shona Laing
Courtesy of Virgin Records Australia Pty Ltd.
Written by Shona Laing

User Reviews

WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO GO OUT AND DATE AN OLDER WOMAN!

This is a film a lot of people didn't see. It is just a simple tale of a younger rich man who shacks up with an older much poorer, working class woman who works at a hamburger joint called White Palace. The name is obviously taken from the East Coast burger chain White Castle. Susan Sarandon picks up a drunk James Spader in a bar and takes him home for a night of sweet lovin'. The love scenes that follow are actually very erotic and sexy, not dull like most Hollywood love scenes.

We need more stories like this. You always see movies with MUCH older men with MUCH younger women: Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones in Entrapment, Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt in As Good As It Gets...etc. Where are all the stories of younger men with older women? Welp, this film is one of 'em. And this is one younger guy who likes what he sees when he sees White Palace. Like it said on the poster of this movie: "The story of a younger man and a bolder woman."