Hard Eight (1996)

Professional gambler Sydney teaches John the tricks of the trade. John does well until he falls for cocktail waitress Clementine.

Director:

Paul Thomas Anderson

Writer:

Paul Thomas Anderson

Stars:

Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow

2 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Philip Baker Hall	...	Sydney
John C. Reilly	...	John
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Clementine
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Jimmy
F. William Parker	...	Hostage
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Young Craps Player (as Phillip Seymour Hoffman)
Nathanael Cooper	...	Restroom Attendant
Wynn White	...	Waitress
Robert Ridgely	...	Keno Bar Manager
Kathleen Campbell	...	Keno Girl
Michael J. Rowe	...	Pit Boss
Peter D'Allesandro	...	Bartender
Steve Blane	...	Stickman
Xaleese	...	Cocktail Waitress
Melora Walters	...	Jimmy's Girl

Storyline

John has lost all his money. He sits outside a diner in the desert when Sydney happens along, buys him coffee, then takes him to Reno and shows him how to get a free room without losing much money. Under Sydney's fatherly tutelage, John becomes a successful small-time professional gambler, and all is well, until he falls for Clementine, a cocktail waitress and sometimes hooker.

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Plot Keywords:

character name as title | forename as title | one word title | waitress | money | 

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Taglines:

When good luck is a long shot, you have to hedge your bets.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language, some violence and sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 February 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hard Eight

Filming Locations:

Sparks, Nevada, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$69,486, 2 March 1997, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$222,559

Company Credits

Production Co:

Green Parrot, Rysher Entertainment, Trinity

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Assistant Cameraman Michael G. Riba turned down two weeks of work on Waterworld (1995), which paid better, to work on this movie. Riba has been the assistant cameraman on every Paul Thomas Anderson film since.

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Goofs

When Sydney first walks to John sitting outside the restaurant, the camera tracks behind him. At the end of the shot, the camera's plastic cover (it was a damp day) is visible on the left in the door glass.

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Quotes

Sydney: Never ignore a man's courtesy.

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Connections

References Stop Making Sense (1984)

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Soundtracks

Love Is Free
By Frederick Knight (as F. Knight) / Bettye Crutcher (as B. Crutcher)
Performed by Brenton Wood
Courtesy of Hi Records
Under License From EMI Capitol Music Special Markets

User Reviews

Beautiful!

Philip Baker Hall's Sidney kept me riveted from the first scene to the last. He play the mesmerizing, enigmatic title character with rare mastery and grace. The supporting characters are no slouches either. John C. Reilly is marvelous as Sidney's sweet, if somewhat slow witted protege. Samuel Jackson could have easily coasted on this one, simply repeating a performance from any of a number of previous tough guy types. Instead he creates an entirely new character, one with a reptilian quality not seen in his usual thugs. Even Gwenyth Paltrow is unusually strong as Clem, the waitress who wants it understood that, even if she sometimes sleeps with men for money, she is definitely NOT a prostitute.

I've been a fan of PT Anderson for a while now, and this film gave me new insight into why it is I like him so much. Anderson is that great rarity in modern filmmaking, an actor's director. He gathers terrific actors and inspires them to career-topping performances. There's no fiendishly complex plot here, no nailbiting suspense, no big payoff at the end. Just marvelous actors making the most of an excellent script.