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

Towards the end of the movie, Bret says goodbye to Annabelle on the riverboat. This may have been a nod to the original series; in the original series theme song, some of the lyrics are: "Riverboat ring your bell. Fare thee well Annabelle."

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Goofs

Joseph greets The Archduke in French even though we're told his Russian. However, a Russian noble of this period would have been more likely to converse in French than in Russian.

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Quotes

Annabelle: There isn't a Mrs. Maverick is there?
Maverick: Oh I'm sure I would have remembered.

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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 Cinema Snob: Satan, Bite the Dust (2016)

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Soundtracks

Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms
(uncredited)
Written by Thomas Moore
[Based on traditional Irish air. Instrumental version played on piano during riverboat sequence]

User Reviews

Really Entertainment

I Recently saw this film for the second time and the film is really amusing.

Mel Gibson plays his roll terrific and the film has a great number of unexpected developments.

The film is really enjoyable and i think the nomination for the Oscar is justified.

I think that the majority of people agree with me on this and that this film has become a classic over the years.

The story is surprising and unexpected developments,the action and humor make it that this film has become such a great popularity.

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