Cape Fear (1991)

A convicted rapist, released from prison after serving a fourteen-year sentence, stalks the family of the lawyer who originally defended him.

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers:

John D. MacDonald (novel), James R. Webb (earlier screenplay)

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert De Niro	...	Max Cady
Nick Nolte	...	Sam Bowden
Jessica Lange	...	Leigh Bowden
Juliette Lewis	...	Danielle Bowden
Joe Don Baker	...	Claude Kersek
Robert Mitchum	...	Lieutenant Elgart
Gregory Peck	...	Lee Heller
Martin Balsam	...	Judge
Illeana Douglas	...	Lori Davis
Fred Thompson	...	Tom Broadbent (as Fred Dalton Thompson)
Zully Montero	...	Graciella
Craig Henne	...	Prisoner
Forest Burton	...	Prisoner
Edgar Allan Poe IV	...	Prisoner
Rod Ball	...	Prisoner

Storyline

Imprisoned for brutally assaulting a young girl, Max Cady spends his time in jail wisely - reading literature, sculpting his body to perfection and planning his violent revenge on the defence lawyer who put him behind bars. After serving his fourteen year sentence, Cady is released from prison and his rampage begins.

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Plot Keywords:

rapist | revenge | cigar smoking | violence | houseboat | 

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Taglines:

The Bowden family has moved to New Essex.

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Genres:

Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, and for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The thick accent Robert De Niro used to play Max Cady reportedly gave Martin Scorsese the creeps. As a joke, De Niro would call Scorsese's house, leaving voicemails as Cady.

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Goofs

Repeatedly reflected in Cady's sunglasses.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Danielle: My reminiscence. I always thought that for such a lovely river the name is mystifying: "Cape Fear". When the only thing to fear on those enchanted summer nights was that the magic would end and real life would come crashing in.

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Crazy Credits

Later half of the credits are played to the sound of nighttime crickets.

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Alternate Versions

SPOILER: When the movie was originally shown on network television, the blood left by Kersek's killing was optically removed by censors and replaced by a clean tile floor.

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Connections

Referenced in Eldorado: Episode #1.147 (1993)

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Soundtracks

Fife and Drum / Yankee Doodle Dandy
(Traditional, played during Fourth of July parade scene)

User Reviews

Very Solid Film

There are so many positive things to say about this film I don't know where to begin. Juliette Lewis was incredible, De Niro was just as fantastic as always, Nick Nolte was great, and Scorsese did one of his best direction jobs ever. Scorsese took the original film which was shot in a black and white, dead-pan style, and did just the opposite--great camera angles, fantastic effects, and beautiful colors. He is truly a master of film. This film solved some of the problems that the first one had, but kept the suspense and action. The movie does have graphic violence, but it is not overdone--only enough to show the true mental state of Max Cady (De Niro). Overall this film is a must see, and should especially not be missed for De Niro and Scorsese fans.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 November 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cape Fear

Filming Locations:

H Stage, Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,261,025, 17 November 1991

Gross USA:

$79,091,969

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$182,291,969

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amblin Entertainment, Cappa Films, Tribeca Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (as Dolby Stereo SR)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1