54 (1998)

Famous 70s NYC nightclub seen and told through the eyes of a young employee.

Director:

Mark Christopher

Writer:

Mark Christopher

Stars:

Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek, Sela Ward

7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryan Phillippe	...	Shane O'Shea
Salma Hayek	...	Anita Randazzo
Neve Campbell	...	Julie Black
Mike Myers	...	Steve Rubell
Sela Ward	...	Billie Auster
Breckin Meyer	...	Greg Randazzo
Sherry Stringfield	...	Viv
Ellen Albertini Dow	...	Disco Dottie
Cameron Mathison	...	Atlanta
Noam Jenkins	...	Romeo
Jay Goede	...	Buck
Patrick Taylor	...	Tarzan
Heather Matarazzo	...	Grace O'Shea
Skipp Sudduth	...	Harlan O'Shea
Aemilia Robinson	...	Kelly O'Shea

Storyline

Mike Myers stars as the late Steve Rubell, real-life owner and cocaine-addict of New York's notorious Studio 54 in a fictionalized portrayal of '70s disco.

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Plot Keywords:

disco | nightclub | blow job | internal revenue service | reference to truman capote | 

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Taglines:

Welcome to the Party

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, drug use and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 August 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Studio 54

Filming Locations:

Casa Loma, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£99,823 (UK) (22 January 1999)

Gross:

£99,823 (UK) (22 January 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dollface, FilmColony, Miramax Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 100 min (extended cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ryan Phillippe's character is based on Tieg Thomas, who worked at the legendary Studio 54 from 1977 to 1982.

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Goofs

When the IRS shows up to raid 54, the wide shot shows two unmarked police cars with red lights flashing on the dash. Then a tight shot shows an agent climbing out of a car and the light on the dash is blue.

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Quotes

Steve Rubell: Is he gorgeous?
Viv: He's gorgeous. Look for yourself.
Shane O'Shea: [voiceover] I was warned that Steven didn't hire any dummies and I should be on my toes because he could ask some really tricky questions.
Steve Rubell: What's two plus two?
Shane O'Shea: Huh?
Steve Rubell: You'll be fine.

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Crazy Credits

There is an additional take of Neve Campbell after the credits.

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Connections

Referenced in Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

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Soundtracks

"If You Could Read My Mind"
Performed by Stars on 54
Featuring Ultra Naté, Amber and Jocelyn Enríquez (as Jocelyn Enriquez)
Written by Gordon Lightfoot
Produced by The Berman Brothers
Recorded and Mixed by Dr. Mo & Touch

User Reviews

This is a good movie! What was the problem?

Why the poor box office performance? Why the bad reviews? Why the bad word of mouth? I really didn't see anything horrible about this movie! First of all, it's a character-driven story. There's little subplots involving jealousy and philandering, but it's not handled in a soapy fashion. I didn't feel any of the characters were one-dimensional.

Of course, Mike Myers steals the show as the homosexual club owner Steve Rubell. I don't know the real Steve Rubell, so you be the judge whether or not his performance was accurate, but I have to say that Myers did an incredible job! And I'm not overstating the least bit! You watch him in this movie and you totally forget that this is the same guy who played Austin Powers. Not to say I didn't realize Myers had talent prior to watching this film. He has definitely proven that he has talent as a comic actor, but I didn't know he had the chops to pull off a straight, dramatic role. Even his accent sounds real, not the least bit phony. I'm surprised Myers didn't even get an Oscar nod. He should've at least gotten the nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Trust me--you will be blown away by his performance in this movie!

The music is great. It's always great to reminisce to the great songs from the seventies. Mark Christopher nicely captured the whole rebellious atmosphere of 54. We're given a taste of the drug addiction and even the sexual promiscuity that made the place famous--there's a scene where a couple shamelessly pounds away on the balcony. I read one person's review, saying that this movie should've been an hour longer. I find it ironic that people watch movies that are two and a half to three hours long and complain, "Oh, this movie dragged! Oh, this movie needed more editing!" Yet they watch a succintly timed film like this and complain it's too short. This may not have been the most thorough examination of the famous nightclub, but I think it got to the point. No reason why we have to go into every tiny detail.

This is a serious, dramatic film but it's also very entertaining. I actually had a smile on my face when the movie ended. It ended on a happy note without having that forced, schmaltzy Hollywood feel. Plus, I really like that song "Knock on Wood" that they played over the credits.

My score: 7 (out of 10)