White Palace (1990)

Still getting over the death of his wife, a young advertising executive meets an older waitress, a woman that might set him free.

Director:

Luis Mandoki

Writers:

Glenn Savan (novel), Ted Tally (screenplay)

Stars:

Susan Sarandon, James Spader, Jason Alexander

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Susan Sarandon	...	Nora Baker
James Spader	...	Max Baron
Jason Alexander	...	Neil
Kathy Bates	...	Rosemary
Eileen Brennan	...	Judy
Steven Hill	...	Sol Horowitz
Rachel Chagall	...	Rachel (as Rachel Levin)
Corey Parker	...	Larry Klugman
Renée Taylor	...	Edith Baron (as Renee Taylor)
Jonathan Penner	...	Marv Miller
Barbara Howard	...	Sherri Klugman
Kim Myers	...	Heidi Solomon (as Kim Meyers)
Hildy Brooks	...	Ella Horowitz
Mitzi McCall	...	Sophie Rosen
K.C. Carr	...	Stripper

Storyline

Max Baron (James Spader) is a 27-year-old high-flying advertising executive still recovering from the death of his wife. One night he is in a bar when he meets Nora Baker (Susan Sarandon), a 43-year-old waitress with a fixation on Marilyn Monroe. The couple gradually fall in love, though age and social differences mean that the path of true love is strewn with problems.

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Plot Keywords:

older woman younger man relationship | love | advertising executive | waitress | sex scene | 

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Taglines:

The story of a younger man, and a bolder woman.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 October 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

The White Castle

Filming Locations:

1521 West Billon Avenue, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$17,487,531

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Mirage Enterprises, Double Play

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The picture was promoted as being "the story of a younger man, and a bolder woman" with the word "bolder" being a play on words as Susan Sarandon's Nora Baker character is "older" to James Spader's Max Baron character.

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Goofs

In the beginning of the movie, when Max drives Nora home from the bar where they met, he makes a 180 turn from the place on the street where he had parked but this is before Nora tells him how to get to where she lives. How could Max have known that he had to turn around from the parking spot to head toward Nora's house?

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Quotes

Nora: [talking at bar] Do you swim?
Max: What was that?
Nora: I mean are you a swimmer? You're not real muscular but you're strong am I right?
Max: You're drunk.
[grins back at her]
Nora: yeah, soon I will be falling all over you.

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Connections

References Some Like It Hot (1959)

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Soundtracks

O Mio Babbino Caro
(Aria from the Opera "Gianni Schicchi")
Performed by The Münchner Rundfunkorchester
Conducted by Kurt Eichhorn (as Karl Eichhorn)
Soprano by Lucia Popp
Courtesy of Acanta Records/Sounds of Film, Ltd.
Written by Giacomo Puccini

User Reviews

Sarandon, as usual never disappoints

Truth to tell I only watched this movie recently because I consider Susan Sarandon one of our finest actors. Also, I'm going add, one of our sexiest actors too. Ms. Sarandon gets the most from this role by underplaying the part with most of her interpretation deriving from her facial expressions. And, I have to admit, that if she can excite a 70 year-old man with her sexual magnetism as she did me, she has it all over some of the so-called younger sexy actresses. There was one scene that bothered me though, the Thanksgiving dinner scene where Spader's Jewish family is depicted as shallow and bigoted, something like Woody Allen's family in one of his films. Also, why the director ended the picture with that hokey table-top nonsense in a crowded restaurant is beyond understanding. It detracted from the reality of the film.