Another Day in Paradise (1998)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Larry Clark

Writers:

Eddie Little (book)
Christopher B. Landon (written by) ...

Release Date:

1999 (Austria)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

We live at the abyss.

Plot:

In the hope of a big score, two junkie couples team up to commit various drug robberies which go disastrously wrong leading to dissent, violence and murder.

Plot Keywords:

Robbery | Drugs | Addict | Violence | Junkie

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Mon. July 13

1:30 AM

TMC

Cast

James Woods	...	Mel
Melanie Griffith	...	Sid
Vincent Kartheiser	...	Bobbie
Natasha Gregson Wagner	...	Rosie
James Otis	...	Reverend
Branden Williams	...	Danny
Brent Briscoe	...	Clem
Peter Sarsgaard	...	Ty
Paul Hipp	...	Richard Johnson
Kim Flowers	...	Bonnie Johnson
John Gatins	...	Phil
Ryan Donahue	...	Barry
Christopher Doyle	...	Conan
Dick Hancock	...	Breather
Pamela Gordon	...	Waitress

Also Known As:

Paradise (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | USA:R (Certificate #36165) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Chile:18 | France:-16 | Germany:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:Unrated (director's cut) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Firestone Boulevard, Norwalk, California, USA

Company:

Chinese Bookie Pictures

Trivia:

The scene in the woods with James Woods and Vincent Kartheiser was completely improvised and involved Woods hitting Kartheiser repeatedly with his fingers. The gestures are so rough and sudden that you can hear each hit and see Kartheiser's genuine surprise, respectively. Afterwards, Kartheiser went up to director Larry Clark and said, simply, "I didn't know that motherfucker was going to hit me."

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Vincent Kartheiser, alone in a toilet cubicle, climbs into the roof cavity through the overhead access hole. The hand of a crew member can be seen coming up from bottom of frame, giving him a boost.

Quotes:

Sid: I'm no role model. I'm a junkie and a thief.

Movie Connections:

References "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet" (1952)

Soundtrack:

If I Lose Your Love

A gritty, moving film with terrific performances

I read in a screenwriting book that the first thing a screenwriter should remind him/herself is don't think up an idea and then say to yourself, "It's been done before." Because no matter how many times that idea was used before, there's always a different approach you can take towards it. This movie clarifies that statement. It takes your standard premise of drug-addicted hustlers on the lam and transforms it brilliantly into this moving, thought-provoking piece of work.

Larry Clark made his debut with the thoroughly disappointing--at least to me--urban drama "Kids." That was a film with no intention, characters you couldn't give a damn about and was just all over the map. Clark definitely showed he has an eye for gritty realism, but put it to bad use with that horrendous and profane motion picture.

Now, "Another Day in Paradise" had its share of four-letter words, in fact I think it had more, but that didn't matter to me. Because the characters, no matter how much drugs they use and no matter how dishonest their lives are, were people you can care for and feel their every emotion and just know that they're really good human beings who happen to be geared in the wrong direction, from their upbringing and society they grew up in.

The performances were groundbreaking. This is one of James Woods' best performances. This is the kind of role he was born to play. I can't imagine a single actor doing a better job. The supporting cast was great, too.

This is the kind of film that catches your eye from start to finish. It starts out with a great shot, with Vincent Kartheiser waking up and lighting up a cigarette while 70's soul music fills the soundtrack. Speaking of great music, Clarence Carter performs his great hit "I'm Looking For a Fox" in one scene. The soundtrack is absolutely wonderful, with the kind of songs I love singing along to.

I highly recommend this movie. However, it is a pretty disturbing film, so be careful what mood you're in when you decide to rent it.