Gia (1998)

The story of the life of Gia Carangi, a top fashion model from the late 1970s, from her meteoric rise to the forefront of the modeling industry, to her untimely death from AIDS at age 26.

Director:

Michael Cristofer

Writers:

Jay McInerney, Michael Cristofer

Stars:

Angelina Jolie, Faye Dunaway, Elizabeth Mitchell

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 8 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Angelina Jolie	...	Gia Carangi
Elizabeth Mitchell	...	Linda
Eric Michael Cole	...	T.J.
Kylie Travis	...	Stephanie - Model
Louis Giambalvo	...	Joe Carangi
John Considine	...	Bruce Cooper
Scott Cohen	...	Mike Mansfield
Edmund Genest	...	Francesco (as Edmond Genest)
Mercedes Ruehl	...	Kathleen Carangi
Faye Dunaway	...	Wilhelmina Cooper
Holly Baker	...	Emergency Room Nurse
Joe Basile	...	Disco Doorman Tony
Rick Batalla	...	Hispanic Stylist Phillipe
Lombardo Boyar	...	Hood #2
Jules Douglas	...	Hood #3 (as Julio Dolce Vita)

Storyline

When Gia Carangi first arrives in New York City, she's a beautiful drop-out from Philadelphia brashly bursting through the closed doors of top modeling agent Wilhelmina Cooper. Gia's electrifying personality and potent sexuality soon find their way onto the covers of America's top-selling magazines. But being loved by the world isn't the same as being love by one - an unfulfilled desire that can take Gia dangerous places. And for a beautiful woman, one slip could lead to an untimely and terrifying downfall.

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Plot Keywords:

model | death | fashion | modeling | aids | 

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Taglines:

Everyone saw the beauty, no one saw the pain.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for graphic depiction of drug abuse, strong sexual content, language and some violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German French

Release Date:

31 January 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Anatomie d'un top model

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Pictures, Marvin Worth Productions, Citadel Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 126 min (unrated) 117 min (dvd release)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In August 2014, Mr. Skin placed Angelina Jolie's nudity from the movie at #3 on their list of "The Top 150 Greatest Celebrity Nude Scenes of All Time".

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Goofs

Gia and another model are seen riding a 1997 Harley-Davidson Heritage Springer in 1985.

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Quotes

Gia Carangi: You know what I think? I think there's a reason for everything. And I think that there's a plan for everyone. And I think that God has a big plan for me. Just not in this life.

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Crazy Credits

Opening disclaimer: Gia Marie Carangi was born in Philadelphia in 1960. In the early eighties she became a legend in the fashion industry. Her story is told here in the words of the people who knew her and the words of her own journal.

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Connections

Featured in The 56th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1999)

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Soundtracks

Dancing With Myself
Written by Tony James & Billy Idol (as William A. Broad)
Performed by Billy Idol
Courtesy of Chrysalis Records, a division of EMI
Under license from EMI-Capitol Special Markets

User Reviews

Unforgettable

This movie turned out to be a very unexpected favorite of mine. Angelina Jolie stars as the late Gia Marie Carangi, an Italian American woman who rose from a humble Philidephian beginning to worldwide fame as the first known "supermodel", and whose short-lived career spanned from the late seventies to the early to mid eighties. Jolie is super-impressive as she portrays the highs and lows of Gia's fame: strutting through a crowd of admirers, the look on her face saying, "I'm GIA, and you're nobody!"; endulging in glamour drug of the moment, cocaine; fiercely proclaiming her love for Linda (Elizabeth Mitchell), right in front of Linda's boyfriend; tearfully begging her visiting mother (Mercedes Ruehl) to stay with her, then hurling obscenities at her while throwing her baggage out of the apartment; and quietly and gracefully accepting the most tragic news about her health, just as she's finally getting her life on track. This movie deals very frankly with Gia's sexuality and there is some nudity and scenes of sexuality, but looking past the sex and the drugs and the tough exterior she displayed (especially when someone took her knife away from her), you see a very lost, fragile person. Gia is almost childlike in her disillusionment about the fashion industry, and you feel it in the way she fantasizes about a "normal" life with children, the way she feels like people regard her as a "piece of meat" with no brains, and the way she is so truly hurt by a fellow model calling her hateful names in a jealous rage. I think this movie is something that should be seen by people of all ages, regardless of its sexual content, because it carries a strong anti-drug message as well as a touching story we can all identify with even if a lot of us are not blessed with the kind of glorious physical beauty Gia was blessed with.