Maverick (1994)

Bret Maverick, needing money for a poker tournament, faces various comic mishaps and challenges, including a charming woman thief.

Director:

Richard Donner

Writers:

Roy Huggins (television series Maverick), William Goldman

Stars:

Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, James Garner

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mel Gibson	...	Bret Maverick
Jodie Foster	...	Annabelle Bransford
James Garner	...	Marshal Zane Cooper
Graham Greene	...	Joseph
Alfred Molina	...	Angel
James Coburn	...	Commodore Duvall
Dub Taylor	...	Room Clerk
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Matthew Wicker / Eugene, Banker
Paul L. Smith	...	The Archduke
Dan Hedaya	...	Twitchy, Riverboat Poker Player
Dennis Fimple	...	Stuttering
Denver Pyle	...	Old Gambler on Riverboat
Clint Black	...	Sweet-Faced Gambler
Max Perlich	...	Johnny Hardin
Art LaFleur	...	Poker Player (as Art La Fleur)

Storyline

Maverick is recreated from the character James Garner created in the 1950s TV program. Maverick is a gambler who would rather con someone than fight them. He needs an additional three thousand dollars in order to enter a Winner Take All poker game that begins in a few days. He tries to win some, tries to collect a few debts, and recover a little loot for the reward, all with a light hearted air. He joins forces with a woman gambler with a marvelous, though fake, southern accent as the two both try and enter the game.

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Plot Keywords:

poker | gambling | commodore | card | russian | 

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Taglines:

In their hands, a deck of cards was the only thing more dangerous than a gun.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Thriller | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild sensuality, language and some western action

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 May 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Maverick - Den Colt am Gürtel, ein As im Ärmel

Filming Locations:

Beacon Rock, Columbia River Gorge, Washington, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£832,434 (UK) (15 July 1994)

Gross:

£6,123,329 (UK) (9 September 1994)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions, Icon Entertainment International, Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Steve Kahan (dealer during the poker tournament) also plays Mel Gibson's (Martin Riggs') captain in the "Lethal Weapon" franchise. In that series, Gibson is a constant irritation for Kahan throughout. As an inside joke, near the end of the tournament you see Kahan give Gibson a terse handshake (barely acknowledging his presence) before quickly exiting the table. This happens right after Gibson's character knocks out the last player before reaching the final table. In actuality Kahan gets stuck in his chair, and as he stands up his chair comes with him. His handshake with Gibson is cut short because he wants to remove the chair. Notice Gibson's expression as he chokes back a laugh just before the scene changes.

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Goofs

On the balcony at the hotel, as Anabelle is trying to escape after stealing Maverick's wallet, he removes his suspenders, but in the next shot, they are back over his shoulders again.

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Quotes

Maverick: Well, now, I bring all sorts of plusses to the table. I hardly ever bluff and I never ever cheat.

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Connections

References Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

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Soundtracks

"Amazing Grace"
Performed by John Anderson, Randy Archer, Clint Black, Suzy Bogguss, Gary Chapman,
Billy Dean, Radney Foster, James Garner, Mel Gibson, Amy Grant,
, Noel Haggard, Faith Hill, Waylon Jennings, Hal Ketchum, Tracy Lawrence,
, Kathy Mattea, Reba McEntire, Jon Michael Montgomery, Michael Omartian,
, Johnny Park, Eddie Rabbit, Restless Heart, Ricky Van Shelton, Danny Shirley, Larry Stewart,
, Joy White and Tammy Wynette

User Reviews

Simply brilliant

This is one of those rare movies you can watch over and over again without getting tired of it. Forget what some people have said about Jodie Foster, she is absolutely perfect as the apparently-dumb-but-smarter-than-she-looks blonde, and the chemistry between her and Mel Gibson is superb. Also perfect are James Garner as the marshal, Graham Greene as the harassed native chief, and Alfred Molina (the Englishman who is so good as an Iranian in Not Without My Daughter and a Cuban in The Perez family) as the "Spaniard". The writing is simply brilliant, one of William Goldman's best - how anyone could describe it as "virtually plotless" just staggers the imagination. The direction and cinematography are superb. A special treat is the Lethal Weapon reprise with Danny Glover.