True Romance (1993)

Director:

Tony Scott

Writer:

Quentin Tarantino (written by)

Release Date:

10 September 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Stealing, Cheating, Killing. Who said romance is dead?

Plot:

Clarence marries hooker Alabama, steals cocaine from her pimp, and tries to sell it in Hollywood, while the owners of the coke try to reclaim it.

Plot Keywords:

Pimp | Coke | Gangster | Chase | Cocaine

Awards:

6 nominations

Cast

Christian Slater	...	Clarence Worley
Patricia Arquette	...	Alabama Whitman
Dennis Hopper	...	Clifford Worley
Val Kilmer	...	Mentor
Gary Oldman	...	Drexl Spivey
Brad Pitt	...	Floyd - Dick's Roommate
Christopher Walken	...	Vincenzo Coccotti
Bronson Pinchot	...	Elliot Blitzer
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Big Don
Michael Rapaport	...	Dick Ritchie
Saul Rubinek	...	Lee Donowitz
Conchata Ferrell	...	Mary Louise Ravencroft
James Gandolfini	...	Virgil
Anna Levine	...	Lucy (as Anna Thomson)
Frank Adonis	...	Frankie

Also Known As:

Breakaway (Philippines: English title)
True Romance (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and language, and for sexuality and drug use.

Runtime:

120 min | USA:121 min (unrated director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | Finland:(Banned) (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Philippines:R-18 | Canada:18A (British Columbia) (1999) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | Germany:18 | Hong Kong:III | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Singapore:NC-16 (edited for re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (director's cut) | USA:R | USA:Unrated (director's cut)

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Morgan Creek Productions

Trivia:

When Dick Ritchie throws the suitcase full of coke into the air, a "D.A.R.E. to keep kids off drugs" bumper sticker can be seen.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Virgil beats up Alabama in her hotel room when she refuses to talk. After Virgil spots the suitcase of cocaine under the bed and grabs it, he prepares to shoot the kneeling Alabama. But when he sees her armed with a Swiss Army Knife corkscrew, he is amused and tells her she can have one shot. Alabama stabs Virgil in the foot with it, temporarily disabling him. However, a Swiss Army Knife corkscrew has a dull point, and like all Swiss Army Knife blades and tools, it will not lock in the open position. Therefore, unless Virgil was barefoot, in real life Alabama's stabbing attempt would have hurt her hand more than Virgil's foot. As soon as the corkscrew met the resistance of Virgil's shoe, it would have folded back into the knife, painfully pinching any of Alabama's fingers caught in between.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Clarence Worley: In Jailhouse Rock he was everything rockabilly's about. I mean, he is rockabilly. Mean, surly, nasty, rude. In that movie he couldn't give a fuck about nothing except rockin' and rollin', living fast, dying young and leaving a good-looking corpse.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Lammbock (2001)

Soundtrack:

In Dreams

If that's true, then tell me, 'Am I Lying?'

Required viewing. A modern masterpiece. The scene between Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper is absolutely classic(the last last line is what I quoted in my summary). A 'learn how to be cool' movie. It's funny, thrilling, sarcastic. He's got an imaginary friend...and it's ELVIS! The juice of Tarantino. The birth of Scaggnetti (and Tony Soprano.)

Quotes are all over this flick. 'Do I look like a beautiful blonde with big tits, and a ^$#%#@ that tastes like ice cream?.....then why are you lying to me?" Choose a f$$$ing lane! Don't give me the finger,I 'll have you f###ing killed!"

"I always liked you Clarence...." "The first time you kill somebody, that's hardest one....the second one ain't no f##### mardi gras, but it's still hard. The third one....you level off. ...Now I do do it just to watch there expression change.", James Gandolfini (Pre-Sopranos) showing raw talent as a cold-hearted killer. Brad Pitt hitting the bong and talking to shotgun wielding mafiosos with Soundgarden in the background..."You wanna hit?"....chick-chick(shotguns) "Ok, Well, you go down Santa Clara for a while, then turn left, and keep driving for a while...."

It's true romance... He kills her pimp, and she takes a Royal beating for him. BUT the movies's not over. You have to have pulled some crazy s*** in your life to totally appreciate this movie, but it is awesome.

"When you get out in two years you'll be so in touch with wife needs cuz you'll know what's like to get f##### up the a##!"...Scagnetti

"If it's anything this last week has taught me, is that it's better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it."

"Tell me I'm the dumbest motherf##### you've ever seen, or I'm gonna pump two into your face right now!" ...Clarence

Non-stop action. Ups and downs. Irony, and a realistic ending. Cameos...up and coming actors... it's all here. And most of all, "True Romance", which I believe is a totally accurate title. Absolutely brilliant. A movie you can watch many times.

You have to see this outstanding piece of work.