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.
Director:
Writer:
Awards:
- Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
| Mel Gibson | ... |
Dale McKussic
|
|
| Michelle Pfeiffer | ... |
Jo Ann Vallenari
|
|
| Kurt Russell | ... |
Nick Frescia
|
|
| Raul Julia | ... |
Commandante Xavier Escalante
|
|
| J.T. Walsh | ... |
Hal Maguire
|
|
| Arliss Howard | ... |
Lindroff
|
|
| Arye Gross | ... |
Andy Leonard
|
|
| Gabriel Damon | ... |
Cody McKussic
|
|
| Daniel Zacapa | ... |
Arturo
(as Garret Pearson)
|
|
 |
Eric Thiele | ... |
Vittorio
|
| Tom Nolan | ... |
Leland
|
|
|
|
Dawn Martel | ... |
Sin Sister
|
| Lala Sloatman | ... |
Sin Sister #2
(as Lala)
|
|
| Budd Boetticher | ... |
Judge Nizetitch
|
|
| Ann Magnuson | ... |
Shaleen
|
|
| Kenny Moore | ... |
Woody
(as Kenneth C. Moore)
|
|
|
|
Jason Randal | ... |
Magician
|
|
|
Bob Swain | ... |
Ralph Spudder
|
| Jim Bentley | ... |
Cop
|
|
|
|
Eric Waterhouse | ... |
Steve
|
| Geno Silva | ... |
Mexican Cop
|
|
|
|
Daniel Ades | ... |
Pepe
(as Daniel Addes)
|
| Efrain Figueroa | ... |
Carlos' Man #1
|
|
|
|
Tomás Goros | ... |
Carlos' Man #2
|
|
|
Austin Hawk | ... |
Lifeguard #1
|
|
|
Scott Harms | ... |
Lifeguard #2
|
|
|
Sarah Davis | ... |
Girl in Restaurant
|
|
|
John D. Steele | ... |
Man at Party
|
| David Rees | ... |
Man in Party
|
|
|
|
Oscar Abadia | ... |
Self - KLVE
|
| Jim Ladd | ... |
Self - KMPC
|
|
|
|
Tom Schnabel | ... |
Self - KCRW
|
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Sheree Ali | ... |
Bar Maid (uncredited)
|
|
|
|
Troy Flynn | ... |
Lifeguard (uncredited)
|
| Conrad Hurtt | ... |
Restaurant Diner (uncredited)
|
|
|
|
Helen Kelly | ... |
Woman in the Restaurant (uncredited)
|
|
|
Sharmagne Leland-St. John | ... |
Woman in Phone Booth (uncredited)
|
| Ely Pouget | ... |
Barbara (uncredited)
|
|
|
|
Daisy Alexandra Sylbert-Torres | ... |
Child in Phone Booth (uncredited)
|
|
|
Scott Whyte | ... |
Boy #3 at Party (uncredited)
|
| Del Zamora | ... |
Columbian Cocaine Cowboy (uncredited)
|
|
Directed by
| Robert Towne | ||
Written by
| Robert Towne | ... | (written by) |
Produced by
| Thom Mount | ... | producer |
| Tom Shaw | ... | executive producer |
Music by
| Dave Grusin | ||
Cinematography by
| Conrad L. Hall | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Claire Simpson | ||
Editorial Department
| Melissa Bretherton | ... | assistant film editor (as Mellissa Bretherton) |
| Gary Burritt | ... | negative cutter |
| Phil Hetos | ... | color timer |
| Cynthia E. Thornton | ... | apprentice film editor |
Casting By
| Bonnie Timmermann | ||
Production Design by
| Richard Sylbert | ||
Art Direction by
| Peter Landsdown Smith | ||
Set Decoration by
| Rick Simpson | ||
Costume Design by
| Julie Weiss | ||
Makeup Department
| Dorothy J. Pearl | ... | makeup artist |
| Toni-Ann Walker | ... | hair stylist |
Production Management
| Jay Cassidy | ... | post-production supervisor |
| Tom Shaw | ... | production manager / unit production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| David C. Anderson | ... | first assistant director |
| David S. Cass Sr. | ... | second unit director (as Dave Cass) |
| Barbara M. Ravis | ... | second assistant director |
| Robert Roda | ... | second assistant director |
| Albert M. Shapiro | ... | first assistant director |
| James Dillon | ... | second second assistant director (uncredited) |
Art Department
| Judy Cammer | ... | set designer |
| Ron Frazier | ... | carpenter |
| Serge Genitempo | ... | stand-by painter |
| David Goldstein | ... | lead painter |
| Mentor Huebner | ... | production illustrator |
| Roger Irvin | ... | construction coordinator |
| Paul Rylander | ... | assistant property master |
| Steven Westlund | ... | property master (as Steven R. Westlund) |
| Glenn Forbes | ... | assistant property master (uncredited) |
| Bill Iiams | ... | general construction foreman (uncredited) |
| Sharmagne Leland-St. John | ... | assistant: Richard Sylbert (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Bruce Bisenz | ... | production sound mixer |
| Mark Boisseau | ... | assistant sound editor |
| William C. Carruth | ... | supervising adr editor |
| Gordon Davidson | ... | sound editor |
| Ellen Heuer | ... | foley artist |
| Spike Allison Hooper | ... | assistant sound editor |
| James J. Isaacs | ... | sound editor (as Jim Issacs) |
| Scott Jacobs | ... | boom operator |
| Randall L. Johnson | ... | boom operator (as Randall Johnson) |
| Robert J. Litt | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Dan O'Connell | ... | adr mixer |
| Greg Orloff | ... | foley mixer |
| Richard Oswald | ... | sound editor |
| Jayme S. Parker | ... | sound editor (as Jayme Parker) |
| John Roesch | ... | foley artist |
| Kay Rose | ... | supervising sound editor |
| Greg P. Russell | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Victoria Rose Sampson | ... | sound editor |
| Jack Schrader | ... | foley editor |
| Solange S. Schwalbe | ... | foley editor (as Solange Schwalbe Boisseau) |
| James Simcik | ... | adr editor |
| Chester Slomka | ... | sound editor (as Chet Slomka) |
| Elliot Tyson | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Butch Wolf | ... | foley editor |
| Carolyn Tapp | ... | foley recordist (uncredited) |
Special Effects by
| Jeff J. Davis | ... | special effects technician |
| Steven C. Foster | ... | special effects |
| Scott Garcia | ... | special effects technician |
| Michael Roundy | ... | special effects technician |
| Chuck E. Stewart | ... | special effects foreman (as Chuck Stewart) |
| Ken Tarallo | ... | special effects crew |
| Jerry D. Williams | ... | special effects |
| Thomas M. Ficke | ... | special effects technician (uncredited) |
Stunts
| Chance Barber | ... | stunt player |
| Gregory J. Barnett | ... | stunt player (as Greg Barnett) |
| Bobby Bass | ... | stunt coordinator |
| David S. Cass Sr. | ... | stunt coordinator (as Dave Cass) |
| Clarke Coleman | ... | stunt player |
| Joan Cunningham | ... | stunt player |
| James W. Gavin | ... | stunt player |
| Tim Gilbert | ... | stunt player |
| Andy Gill | ... | stunt player |
| Jack Gill | ... | stunt player |
| Bill Hart | ... | stunt player |
| Freddie Hice | ... | stunt player (as Fred Hice) |
| Hubie Kerns Jr. | ... | stunt player |
| Richard W. Martin | ... | stunt player |
| Chad Randall | ... | stunt player |
| Mic Rodgers | ... | stunt player (as Mic Rogers) |
| Dick Warlock | ... | stunt player (as Richard Warlock) |
| Dick Ziker | ... | stunt player |
| Mic Rodgers | ... | stunt double: Mel Gibson (uncredited) |
| Dick Warlock | ... | stunt double: Kurt Russell (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Jamie Anderson | ... | camera operator (as James M. Anderson) |
| François Duhamel | ... | still photographer |
| Larry Gilhooly | ... | chief lighting technician |
| Jeff Greene | ... | first assistant camera: second unit |
| Conrad W. Hall | ... | first assistant camera (as Conrad Hall Jr.) |
| Michael D. Hightower | ... | second grip (as Michael Hightower) |
| Danny Jimenez | ... | dolly grip (as Daniel Jimenez) |
| Patrick Marshall | ... | rigging gaffer |
| Michael May | ... | second assistant camera (as Michael P. May) |
| Tommy May | ... | key grip (as Tommy P. May) |
| William Mayer | ... | dolly grip: second unit |
| Lee Nakahara | ... | camera operator: second unit |
| Randy Nolen | ... | steadicam operator |
| Robert Samuels | ... | second assistant camera |
| Robert Seaman | ... | director of photography: second unit (as Robert E. Seaman) |
| Monte Swann | ... | video playback operator |
| John Toll | ... | director of photography: second unit |
| Don Yamasaki | ... | assistant chief lighting technician (as Donald M. Yamasaki) |
Casting Department
| Jeff Block | ... | casting assistant (as Jeffrey Block) |
| Suzanne Ryan | ... | casting assistant |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Ronald I. Caplan | ... | costume supervisor (as Ronald Caplan) |
| Carol Kunz | ... | costumer |
| Nancy McArdle | ... | costumer |
| Peter V. Saldutti | ... | costume supervisor |
Music Department
| Danny Bramson | ... | music supervisor |
| Tim Devine | ... | soundtrack music producer |
| James Flamberg | ... | music editor |
| Lee Ritenour | ... | musician: guitar solos |
| David Sanborn | ... | musician: saxophone solos |
| Simon Webb | ... | musician: keyboards |
| Laura Perlman | ... | assistant music editor (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Mary A. Kelly | ... | script supervisor (as Mary Kelly) |
Transportation Department
| Ronnie Baker | ... | transportation coordinator |
| Steve Boyd | ... | transportation captain |
| Craig T. Crowell | ... | transportation |
| Troy Flynn | ... | driver |
| Shane Greedy | ... | production van driver |
| Maxwell R. Johnson II | ... | transportation co-captain |
| Steve Bonner | ... | production driver (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| Christina Ajalat | ... | production office assistant |
| Lawrence J. Banks | ... | assistant: Mr. Mount |
| Thomas 'Doc' Boguski | ... | production aide |
| Robert C. Campion | ... | production accountant |
| Albert Cho | ... | production aide |
| Joan Cunningham | ... | production aide |
| Bill Dance | ... | production aide (as William Dance) |
| Terri Depaolo | ... | assistant: Mel Gibson (as Terry DePaolo) |
| Stewart Dixon | ... | production aide (as Stew Dixon) |
| Concepta Fennell | ... | secretary: Mr. Towne |
| Sam Goldrich | ... | production controller |
| Camille Griffin | ... | assistant accountant |
| Michael Klastorin | ... | unit publicist |
| Sharmagne Leland-St. John | ... | researcher |
| Robert Loeser | ... | production assistant |
| Dan Perri | ... | title designer |
| York Phelps | ... | production aide |
| Beth Semans | ... | production associate |
| Anne Shaw | ... | production office coordinator |
| Eric P. Steckler | ... | assistant accountant |
| Edward M. Taylor | ... | assistant: Mr. Towne (as Edward Taylor) |
| Jaime Fowler | ... | electronic press kit editor (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Warner Bros. (1988) (United States) (theatrical)
- Warner Home Video (1989) (United States) (VHS) (pan and scan)
- CBS (1992) (United States) (tv)
- Warner Home Vídeo (1998) (Brazil) (DVD)
- Argentina Video Home (1998) (Argentina) (DVD)
- Argentina Video Home (1998) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-edited)
- Elliniki Kinimatografiki Enosi (ELKE) (1989) (Greece) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. Pictures (1989) (India) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1989) (Austria) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1989) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1990) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (VHS)
- Audio Visual Enterprises (1990) (Greece) (VHS)
- HBO Max (2020) (United States) (video) (VOD)
- Iris (2016) (Italy) (tv)
- Varus Video (Russia) (VHS)
- Warner Bros. Korea (2001) (South Korea) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (1989) (Netherlands) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1998) (Germany) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2014) (Germany) (Blu-ray)
- Warner Home Video (United States) (VHS)
- Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Capitol Records (soundtrack)
- Pacific Title (opticals)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Mac Mckussic is an unlikely drug dealer who wants to go straight. His old and best friend Nick Frescia is now a cop who is assigned to investigate and bring him to justice. Mac is very attracted to Jo Ann, the owner of a stylish restaurant. Nick gets close to Jo Ann attempting to know more about Mac's drug dealing plans and his connections with the Mexican dealer Carlos, who the police believe is coming to town to meet with him. Nick also falls for Jo Ann's charms and his friendship with Mac is in danger.
Written by Sami Al-Taher |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Un cocktail explosif [French] See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
|
Additional Details
| Also Known As |
|
| Runtime |
|
| Country | |
| Language | |
| Color | |
| Aspect Ratio |
|
| Sound Mix | |
| Filming Locations |
Box Office
| Budget | $23,000,000 (estimated) |
| Opening Weekend United States | $6,350,974, 04 Dec 1988 |
| Cumulative Worldwide Gross | $64,639,449 |
Did You Know?
| 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. See more » |
| 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. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels/Tequila Sunrise/Twins/My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Surrender to Me (Love Theme from 'Tequila Sunrise') See more » |
| 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. See more » |
| 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? See more » |