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:

american indian | yosemite national park | poker | gambler | tournament | 

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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

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 May 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Maverick - Den Colt am Gürtel, ein As im Ärmel

Filming Locations:

Lee's Ferry, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$75,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,248,545, 22 May 1994, Wide Release

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 (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Another "Lethal Weapon" reference arises when Annabelle shrinks Maverick's "Lucky Shirt" in the same way that Leo shrinks Riggs' shirt in Lethal Weapon 2 (1989).

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Goofs

As the stagecoach nears the women that were robbed, the horses switch from jogging to loping between shots.

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Quotes

Maverick: I've only got one gun, that's 6 bullets. They're six, that's 36 bullets. Maybe they've got two guns, that's 72 bullets, maybe they've got rifles...
Annabelle: You're babbling.
Maverick: No I wasn't.

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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 The Holiday (2006)

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Soundtracks

Amazing Grace
Performed by John Anderson, Randy Archer, Clint Black, Suzy Bogguss, Gary Chapman, Billy Dean, Radney Foster, James Garner, Mel Gibson, Amy Grant, Noel Haggard, Faith Hill, Waylon Jennings, Hal Ketchum, Tracy Lawrence, Kathy Mattea, Reba McEntire, John Michael Montgomery, Michael Omartian, Johnny Park, Eddie Rabbitt, Restless Heart, Ricky Van Shelton, Danny Shirley, Larry Stewart, Joy White and Tammy Wynette

User Reviews

Vastly underrated, charming movie

As a kid, I used to watch reruns of the original "Maverick" -- and so I looked forward to seeing this one when it came out in the theaters. I was NOT disappointed! Mel Gibson's Maverick is a bit more goofy than James Garner's, but is every bit as charming, sly, and entertaining. A number of excellent cameos provide some comic relief, especially Danny Glover near the beginning of the movie. But by far the best casting is reserved for the original Maverick, James Garner, who is cast in a featured role, and who has surprises in store for darn near everyone. Most movies remade from old TV series ignore the stars that made them popular enough to BE remade -- kudos to the producers of this film, who apparently know better.

Other roles are filled capably; the biggest surprise for me was Jodie Foster, whom I normally dislike on screen. She is very impressive in a rare comedic role, and thankfully discards her repetoire of facial tics for a much more natural performance here. The plot is kept pretty simple until near the end -- and the end has a great twist, which I won't divulge. Suffice it to say that your time will be well spent, and you'll want to revisit Maverick country more than once.