5.8/10
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Trailer
1:40 | Trailer
When school teacher Harriet Winslow goes to Mexico to teach, she is kidnapped by Gen. Tomas Arroyo and his revolutionaries. An aging American, Ambrose "Old Gringo" Bierce also in Mexico, ... See full summary »

Director:

Luis Puenzo

Writers:

Carlos Fuentes (novel), Aída Bortnik (screenplay) (as Aida Bortnik) | 1 more credit »
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1 nomination. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jane Fonda ... Harriet Winslow
Gregory Peck ... Bitter
Jimmy Smits ... Arroyo
Patricio Contreras ... Col. Frutos Garcia
Jenny Gago ... La Garduna
Gabriela Roel ... La Luna
Sergio Calderón ... Zacarias (as Sergio Calderon)
Guillermo Ríos ... Monsalvo (as Guillermo Rios)
Jim Metzler ... Ron
Samuel Valadez De La Torre Samuel Valadez De La Torre ... Consul Saunders
Anne Pitoniak Anne Pitoniak ... Mrs. Winslow
Pedro Armendáriz Jr. ... Pancho Villa (as Pedro Armendariz Jr.)
Stanley Grover Stanley Grover ... Gen. Saunders
Josefina Echánove ... Clementina (as Josefina Echanove)
Pedro Damián ... Capt. Ovando (as Pedro Damian)
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Storyline

When school teacher Harriet Winslow goes to Mexico to teach, she is kidnapped by Gen. Tomas Arroyo and his revolutionaries. An aging American, Ambrose "Old Gringo" Bierce also in Mexico, befriends Gen. Arroyo and meets Harriet. Bierce is a famous writer, who knowing that he is dying, wishes to keep his identity secret so he can determine his own fate. Though he likes Arroyo, Bierce tries to provoke the General's anger whenever possible in an attempt to get himself killed, thus avoiding suffering through his illness. Winslow is intrigued by both Bierce and Arroyo, and the men are in turn attracted to her. She becomes romantically involved with Arroyo. When Winslow learns of Bierce's true identity (a writer whose work she has loved and respected for years), she is singlemindedly determined to fulfill his dying wish. Written by E.W. DesMarais <jlongst@aol.com>

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Taglines:

Some people spend their whole lives searching for something. Some people find it. See more »


Certificate:

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Parents Guide:

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Luis Valdez, who helmed La Bamba (1987), was originally set to to direct, with Peter O'Toole as Bierce. See more »

Goofs

At the end of the movie as Harriet Winslow is crossing the Rio Grande, the river flows from right to left. If she were actually crossing the border from Mexico to America (northward), the river would flow from left to right (eastward). See more »

Quotes

Ambrose Bierce: It isn't easy at my age to bring together the opportunity, the desire and the energy.
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Connections

Referenced in Gregory Peck: His Own Man (1988) See more »

User Reviews

Another One of Those Corn-Filled Vehicles of the 1980s That No One Rode.
3 November 2003 | by tfrizzellSee all my reviews

Opulent mess that died at the box office and with critics alike in 1989. In early-20th Century Mexico an American school teacher (Jane Fonda) is kidnapped by a desperado (Jimmy Smits) and his rebellious gang. The titled character (Gregory Peck) is slowly dying of an illness and tries to get himself killed by Smits on numerous occasions as he also tries to get Fonda to safety. Strangely a bond develops between Smits and Peck just as Fonda becomes Smits' lover and then surprisingly Fonda learns who Peck really is and falls in love with him as well (and also tries to fulfill his dying wish). "Old Gringo" is a lot of smoke and sand that tries to become the "Dr. Zhivago" of its time, but falls completely. The big-name performers cannot make it through a story that drags along and never gets to a suitable pay-off. The direction is disastrous too and we are left with a huh? movie that really means nothing at all. 2.5 out of 5 stars.


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Details

Country:

USA | Mexico

Language:

English | Spanish

Release Date:

8 September 1989 (Mexico) See more »

Also Known As:

Old Gringo See more »

Filming Locations:

Bavispe, Sonora, Mexico See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$34,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,151,749, 9 October 1989

Gross USA:

$3,574,256

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,574,256
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Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »

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