Maverick (1994)

Bret Maverick, needing money for a poker tournament, faces various comic mishaps and challenges, including a charming woman thief.

Director:

Richard Donner

Writers:

Roy Huggins (television series Maverick), William Goldman

Stars:

Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, James Garner

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mel Gibson	...	Bret Maverick
Jodie Foster	...	Annabelle Bransford
James Garner	...	Marshal Zane Cooper
Graham Greene	...	Joseph
Alfred Molina	...	Angel
James Coburn	...	Commodore Duvall
Dub Taylor	...	Room Clerk
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Matthew Wicker / Eugene, Banker
Paul L. Smith	...	The Archduke
Dan Hedaya	...	Twitchy, Riverboat Poker Player
Dennis Fimple	...	Stuttering
Denver Pyle	...	Old Gambler on Riverboat
Clint Black	...	Sweet-Faced Gambler
Max Perlich	...	Johnny Hardin
Art LaFleur	...	Poker Player (as Art La Fleur)

Storyline

Maverick is recreated from the character James Garner created in the 1950s TV program. Maverick is a gambler who would rather con someone than fight them. He needs an additional three thousand dollars in order to enter a Winner Take All poker game that begins in a few days. He tries to win some, tries to collect a few debts, and recover a little loot for the reward, all with a light hearted air. He joins forces with a woman gambler with a marvelous, though fake, southern accent as the two both try and enter the game.

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Plot Keywords:

yosemite national park | character name as title | playing card | bow the weapon | arrow | 

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Taglines:

In their hands, a deck of cards was the only thing more dangerous than a gun.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Thriller | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild sensuality, language and some western action

Did You Know?

Trivia

Numerous stars of classic television westerns play in the poker tournament: Denver Pyle from The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955), William Smith from Laredo (1965), Doug McClure and James Drury from The Virginian (1962), Henry Darrow from The High Chaparral (1967), and Robert Fuller from Wagon Train (1957) and Laramie (1959).

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Goofs

At a speed which would be nearly impossible with a car, in 4 days Maverick moves from a desert scene, through what have to be the Rocky Mountains, back to desert (hanging from the tree), to St Louis for the game.

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Quotes

Maverick: Oh, what the hell! I feel like being silly. I'll call... Uh...
[clearing his throat]
Maverick: It's just a pair of sixes. If you can beat that you got me licked, and that's not a totally unpleasant prospect.

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Alternate Versions

Several unusual cases of overdubbing occur on the TV print to mask swear words. The term "son-of-a-bitch" is overdubbed "snake in the grass". At one point, Maverick says "I worked my hand off..." instead of the original "I worked my ass off..."

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Connections

Referenced in Todd's Pop Song Reviews: The Top Ten Worst Hit Songs of 2011 (2012)

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Soundtracks

Renegades, Rebels, and Rogues
Written by Paul Nelson, Larry Boone and Earl Clark
Performed by Tracy Lawrence

User Reviews

A Western That's Really A Pleasing Comedy

A good mix of comedy, drama, suspense and nice scenery all make this a pleasing viewing experience. (Most people watching this leave with a smile on their face.)

This "western" is really a lot more of a comedy, but so was the TV show on which it was based. In the movie, we get some really neat twists at the end, too. Kudos also for including TV's original "Maverick" - James Garner - in this film.

Mel Gibson (the "new" Maverick) and Jodie Foster play off each other well in the leads and Graham Greene has some very funny lines as a supporting player. Alfred Molina, James Coburn, Geoffrey Lewis also shine in supporting performances and it is really fun to see all the cameo appearances in here. Included in there were a couple of old-time western movie stars along with country-western singers, all at a big card game at the end.

Another plus are the two songs during the ending credits. There is rousing C&W rendition of "Amazing Grace" followed by a good Randy Newman song called "Ride Gambler Ride." They are worth sticking around and hearing.

One negative about this film: the message seems to be that cheating, lying and just being a dishonorable person if okay if you can get away with it!! (Only in Hollywood!)

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 May 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Maverick

Filming Locations:

Lee's Ferry, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$75,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,248,545, 22 May 1994

Gross USA:

$101,631,272

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$183,031,272

Company Credits

Production Co:

Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions, Icon Entertainment International, Icon Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1