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IMDbPro

Tequila Sunrise

  • 19881988
  • RR
  • 1h 55m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
32K
YOUR RATING
Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kurt Russell in Tequila Sunrise (1988)
Official Trailer
Play trailer1:27
1 Video
54 Photos
CrimeDramaRomance
A former L.A. drug dealer tries to go straight but his past and his underworld connections bring him into the focus of the DEA, the Mexican feds and the Mexican drug cartels.A former L.A. drug dealer tries to go straight but his past and his underworld connections bring him into the focus of the DEA, the Mexican feds and the Mexican drug cartels.A former L.A. drug dealer tries to go straight but his past and his underworld connections bring him into the focus of the DEA, the Mexican feds and the Mexican drug cartels.
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
32K
YOUR RATING
    • Robert Towne
    • Robert Towne
  • Stars
    • Mel Gibson
    • Michelle Pfeiffer
    • Kurt Russell
    • Robert Towne
    • Robert Towne
  • Stars
    • Mel Gibson
    • Michelle Pfeiffer
    • Kurt Russell
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 103User reviews
    • 39Critic reviews
    • 62Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar

    Videos1

    Tequila Sunrise
    Trailer 1:27
    Watch Tequila Sunrise

    Photos54

    Michelle Pfeiffer in Tequila Sunrise (1988)
    Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kurt Russell in Tequila Sunrise (1988)
    Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kurt Russell in Tequila Sunrise (1988)
    Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kurt Russell in Tequila Sunrise (1988)
    Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kurt Russell in Tequila Sunrise (1988)
    Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kurt Russell in Tequila Sunrise (1988)
    Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kurt Russell in Tequila Sunrise (1988)
    Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kurt Russell in Tequila Sunrise (1988)
    Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kurt Russell in Tequila Sunrise (1988)
    Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kurt Russell in Tequila Sunrise (1988)
    Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kurt Russell in Tequila Sunrise (1988)
    Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kurt Russell in Tequila Sunrise (1988)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Mel Gibson
    Mel Gibson
    • Dale McKussic
    Michelle Pfeiffer
    Michelle Pfeiffer
    • Jo Ann Vallenari
    Kurt Russell
    Kurt Russell
    • Nick Frescia
    Raul Julia
    Raul Julia
    • Carlos…
    J.T. Walsh
    J.T. Walsh
    • Hal Maguire
    Arliss Howard
    Arliss Howard
    • Lindroff
    Arye Gross
    Arye Gross
    • Andy Leonard
    Gabriel Damon
    Gabriel Damon
    • Cody McKussic
    Daniel Zacapa
    Daniel Zacapa
    • Arturo
    • (as Garret Pearson)
    Eric Thiele
    • Vittorio
    Tom Nolan
    Tom Nolan
    • Leland
    Dawn Martel
    • Sin Sister
    Lala Sloatman
    Lala Sloatman
    • Sin Sister #2
    • (as Lala)
    Budd Boetticher
    Budd Boetticher
    • Judge Nizetitch
    Ann Magnuson
    Ann Magnuson
    • Shaleen
    Kenny Moore
    Kenny Moore
    • Woody
    • (as Kenneth C. Moore)
    Jason Randal
    • Magician
    Bob Swain
    • Ralph Spudder
      • Robert Towne
      • Robert Towne
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The hot tub was not built properly or chlorinated. Michelle Pfeiffer, her double, and Mel Gibson got skin rashes and splinters from the wood. Production shut down for a few days while Pfeiffer recovered from her rash.
    • Goofs
      When Pfeiffer is at the police station getting her chef released, Russell pulls up and parks directly in front of her car. When they leave the station, his car isn't there and Pfeiffer is able to drive away unobstructed.
    • Quotes

      Carlos: You son of a bitch! How could you do this? Friendship is the only choice in life you can make that's yours! You can't choose your family, God damn it - I've had to face that! And no man should be judged for whatever direction his dick goes - that's like blaming a compass for pointing north, for Christ's sake! Friendship is all we have! We chose each other. How could you fuck it up? How could you make us look so bad?

    • Crazy credits
      As the end credits roll, the color of the text changes from dark orange (at the bottom of the screen) to yellow (at the top), mirroring the colors of a Tequila Sunrise cocktail.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels/Tequila Sunrise/Twins/My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988)
    • Soundtracks
      Surrender to Me (Love Theme from 'Tequila Sunrise')
      Performed by Ann Wilson & Robin Zander

      Courtesy of Capitol Records, Inc. & Epic Records

      Produced by Richie Zito

      Written by Richard Marx & Ross Vannelli

    User reviews103

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Very Underrated
    Many perceive Tequila sunrise to be a routine, formulaic cop thriller with some nice sets, pretty actors, some guns, some sex....etc. Cynics go on to say that Gibson has never acted worse, that the plot twists are predictable and the love triangle is overly cheesy. I, on the other hand, feel that the film profits greatly from expert cinematography, fluent storytelling and convincing(albeit rather undemanding)acting. Pitting Gibson (the now-retired drug dealer lured back for one last deal) and Russell (the reluctant sheriff assigned to bust him) as best of friends on opposite sides of the law was a strong premise, made even more compelling by the fact that the drug dealer (Gibson) is the sympathetic character and the cop (Russell) is the sly, manipulative sort. There is an apparent sense of irony and it goes a long way to making an otherwise average story, interesting and very watchable. Pfeiffer is the glamorous love interest whose character does a lot to intensify the rivalry between the two men. Much of the drama and strength however comes from the late J.T Walsh as Russell's superior, hell bent on bringing Gibson down and his Mexican drug counter-part who nobody has ever seen. A special sense of irony presents itself at the denouement for Walsh unknowlingly becomes a pawn in the drug ring that has now become the talk of the town thanks to his vendetta.

    The also late Raul Julia never disappoints as the charismatic yet enigmatic Mexican law enforcer. Julia and Walsh complement the film beautifully as side characters with dubious intentions. They are multi-faceted and like all the other people in this film are torn between what they should do and what they want to do, and in fact what they end up doing. Nothing is black and white in Tequila Sunrise; it's a very grey area. With every development we learn more about the people and how they are so far from being what we originally perceived. Hats off to to Robert Towne for his writing. Tequila Sunrise may lack the inventiveness, vision, and dynamism of Chinatown (Robert Towne wrote both scripts), but it should, by no means be discarded as a mediocre cop thriller.It is a very slick piece of cinema with fine acting, glamorous sets, and great dialogue. Furthermore, unlike some of it's predecessors it's a film that can be seen repeatedly without losing it's cutting edge. Under appreciated and underrated, Tequila Sunrise is an excellent film
    helpful•95
    17
    • Khaled Yafi-01
    • Jun 3, 2000

    Details

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    • Release date
      • December 2, 1988 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Manhattan Beach, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Cinema City Films
      • The Mount Company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 55 minutes
      • Color
      • Dolby Stereo

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    Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kurt Russell in Tequila Sunrise (1988)
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