Holy Smoke (1999)

While on a journey of discovery in exotic India, beautiful young Ruth Barron falls under the influence of a charismatic religious guru. Her desperate parents then hire PJ Waters, a macho ... See full summary »

Director:

Jane Campion

Writers:

Anna Campion, Jane Campion

Stars:

Kate Winslet, Harvey Keitel, Julie Hamilton

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kate Winslet	...	Ruth
Harvey Keitel	...	PJ Waters
Julie Hamilton	...	Mum
Sophie Lee	...	Yvonne
Dan Wyllie	...	Robbie
Paul Goddard	...	Tim
Tim Robertson	...	Dad
George Mangos	...	Yani
Kerry Walker	...	Puss
Les Dayman	...	Bill-Bill (as Leslie Dayman)
Samantha Murray	...	Prue
Sandy Gutman	...	Stan (as Austen Tayshus)
Simon Anderson	...	Fabio
Pam Grier	...	Carol
Eva Martin	...	Devotee

Storyline

While on a journey of discovery in exotic India, beautiful young Ruth Barron falls under the influence of a charismatic religious guru. Her desperate parents then hire PJ Waters, a macho cult de-programmer who confronts Ruth in a remote desert hideaway. But PJ quickly learns that he's met his match in the sexy, intelligent and iron-willed Ruth!

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Plot Keywords:

cult | india | guru | sydney australia | old young relationship | 

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Taglines:

Sex captive in desert hideaway...young beauty seduced by macho American twice her age.

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Genres:

Drama | Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality and language

Details

Country:

USA Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 February 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Holy Smoke!

Filming Locations:

Flinders Ranges, South Australia, Australia

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£66,542 (UK) (7 April 2000)

Gross:

£138,350 (UK) (7 April 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

India Take One Productions, Miramax Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

On a fellow actor's advice, Kate Winslet drank 3 vodka-and-tonics for a scene involving her being drunk.

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Goofs

When PJ is driving in the red outfit, he is on the left-hand "driver" side. When the lady gets in the car, he then has switched to the right-hand side (still driving). The lady is then in the left driver side where PJ was originally.

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Quotes

PJ: I don't hate women. I love ladies.
Ruth Barron: Ha! Ladies! You wouldn't know any. I bet you date little Barbie dolls, don't you? "Oh, you're so brainy, you're so big! Can I suck your dick?" Can I be alone now?

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Connections

Referenced in Intimate Portrait: Pam Grier (1999)

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Soundtracks

"Walking Through the Fire"
(Geneviève Lemon (as G. Lemon) / C. Wilson)
Performed by Geneviève Lemon (as Genevieve Lemon)

User Reviews

Crazy With A Core Message

I was in Karlovy Vary in June, 2000 and needed a break from Czech so I went to see Holy Smoke at a 5 p.m. showing. The Kino Cas required a minimum of 8 people to buy tickets or they would not show the movie. The crowd numbered about 12. I enjoyed Harvey Keitel and Kate Winslet's roles very much. Just when you think that you've met the most dysfunctional family in your personal experiences, here is one to top them all. Kate Winslet's family is in need of a "deprogrammer" to rescue their daughter from the clutches of Eastern Transcendentalism and they call on Harvey Keitel's character to get the job done. Some may find the movie silly but I thought it touched some real difficult issues faced by many. I was lost in thought during much of the film so I revisited the Cino Cas the following afternoon to see it again. It rated a 9 from my perspective. R Morris