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.

---

Plot Keywords:

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

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

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

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,078,697, 21 October 1990

Gross USA:

$17,487,531

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$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

Although the characters of Nora and Max have a sixteen year age difference, in reality, Susan Sarandon and James Spader only have a fourteen year age difference.

---

Goofs

After Max leaves the bachelor party (the second time) in his Volvo he is alone in the car. But in a drive by shot there is clearly someone sitting in the front passenger seat.

---

Quotes

Nora: Wait a minute, we get naked with each other and touch each other and you get inside of me and you can't tell me how much rent you pay. Your landlord knows, you're not even fucking him.

---

Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Reversal of Fortune/Quigley Down Under/White Palace/Night of the Living Dead (1990)

---

Soundtracks

Good Hearted Woman
Performed by The Centurian Players
Written by Willie Nelson & Waylon Jennings

User Reviews

still one of my favourites

i read the reviews of loved and hated this film, and as you can guess i am on of the ones that have loved it. I can understand that people find the story implausible, because of the age difference and the social and cultural differences of the love story. i suppose having been in a few love across the divide love stories myself i identify and understand the motivations of the two characters and what the director is trying to say. Both James Spader and Susan Sarrandon are lost in the film, James had lost his lover and all meaning in his life, and Susan has lost her son, and her self respect and is being self destructive to herself. She has a truth which she teaches him on their first meeting, where she accurately reads him, and shows him how to let go and have a good time and have contact. The original sex scene which some people hate in the reviews is my all time favourite. If the sexes were reversed it would verge on rape, but because it is female on male it doesn't feel that way. the way she holds him down catches him unawares and drags him into this sexual and emotional awakening is what makes it so electrifying for me. James spader's night after rejection of her rings true, and for most people it would end there....but he goes on and they really learn off each other...maybe as i have found in real life it would end, but i think that love is about two people coming together having contact being together loving and learning from each other.

So may people that i see staying together in so called sensible compatible marriages don't have what you see these two having together for however long.......