Jade (1995)

A bright assistant D.A. investigates a gruesome hatchet murder and hides a clue he found at the crime scene. Under professional threats and an attempt on his life, he goes on heartbroken because evidence point to the woman he still loves.

Director:

William Friedkin

Writer:

Joe Eszterhas

Stars:

David Caruso, Linda Fiorentino, Chazz Palminteri

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Caruso	...	David Corelli
Linda Fiorentino	...	Trina Gavin
Chazz Palminteri	...	Matt Gavin
Richard Crenna	...	Gov. Lew Edwards
Michael Biehn	...	Bob Hargrove
Donna Murphy	...	Karen Heller
Ken King	...	Petey Vesko
Holt McCallany	...	Bill Barrett
David Hunt	...	Pat Callendar
Angie Everhart	...	Patrice Jacinto
Kevin Tighe	...	Dist. Atty. Arnold Clifford
Robin Thomas	...	Mr. Green
Jay Jacobus	...	Justin Henderson
Victoria Smith	...	Sandy
Drew Snyder	...	Executive

Storyline

Someone does a nasty hatchet job on a San Fransisco big noise and the Assistant D.A. takes charge of the investigation. Through a web of blackmail and prostitution involving the Governor, an old lover of the law man emerges as a prime suspect and he has to deal with his personal feelings as well as the case.

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Plot Keywords:

blackmail | prostitution | investigation | murder | kiss | 

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Taglines:

Some women have secret fantasies. Some women have secret lives.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for grisly afterviews of murder victims, violence, language and strong scenes of aberrant sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Žad

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Convention Center - 1201 S. Figueroa Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$9,795,017 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min 107 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Linda Fiorentino initially turned down the script because she didn't want to play a prostitute. She changed her mind when her character was changed through rewrites.

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Goofs

Just after the black Thunderbird runs over Patrice for the second time, somebody yells "Hey, you asshole!" Just over a minute later, as the Thunderbird skids through an intersection, the same voice can be heard yelling exactly the same line in the same way, indicating a repeated audio clip.

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Quotes

Bob Hargrove: [entering Matt Gavin's house] Cosy little pad.
Petey Vesko: Yeah. Kind of like Candlestick Park.

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Connections

Spoofed in Futurama: Bendin' in the Wind (2001)

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Soundtracks

"The Mystic's Dream"
Written, Performed and Produced by Loreena McKennitt
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products and Quinlan Road Limited

User Reviews

Underrated, but still not one of Friedkin's best...

To say Friedkin's career has had its ups and downs is an understatement, his eighties filmography inarguably has enough bombs to sink a oil tanker. Yet eschewing their performances at the box office, many of his films yearn to be rediscovered, from "Cruising" to "Deal of the Century" to "Rampage". Let's not kid ourselves, "Jade" is not a great film, and this is the fault of one man and one man alone - Joe Esterhas. If trash had a messiah, it would be him. For a fleeting moment in the nineties, Esterhas was paid by the bucketload to write formulaic movies for guys, and the erotic thriller has him to thank for its continuing lugubrious existence. "Jade" is interesting however, it is an erotic thriller without the erotic part. While Paul Verhoeven filled "Basic Instinct" chock full of the sleaze he had become renowned for, Friedkin's films are notable for primarily dealing with male characters, and are subsequently about as erotic as as a bowl of cereal. "Jade" is not about sex; it is about sexual jealousy. The talent of Linda Fiorentino cannot be underestimated here, giving depth to a part that amounts to no more than a typical male fantasy - part good girl, part whore - that's right, it's "Crimes of Passion" without Anthony Perkins and his bag of dildos. The leads are well cast and all give adequate performances, and Friedkin throws in all his usual directorial touches (subliminal images and, you guessed it, yet another bloody car chase). "Jade" is an enjoyable film, with delightfully silly twists and over-the-top violence (come on, you know you want to see Angie Everhart get run over again), and is given some class from it's cast and director, but, in the end, proves itself to be a guilty pleasure that makes one feel more guilt than pleasure.