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:

one word title | down on one's luck | debt | sole black character dies cliche | loss of mother | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Philip Baker Hall was 65 years old in this movie.

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Goofs

At 30: The craps table that Sydney walks by shows players cheering, but the cover (lid) and count slip are on top. If it were a real game there would be no cover.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sydney: Hey. Hey!
John: [raises his head] What?
Sydney: You want a cup of coffee? You want a cigarette?
John: [groggily] What?
Sydney: I'm a guy that's offering to give you a cigarette... buy you a cup of coffee.

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Connections

Remake of Cigarettes & Coffee (1993)

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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

understated, calm and brilliant

Excellent movie. Excellent actors. I like the calm flow of the movie. Dialogs are strong: very realistic, not cultivated in a predictable and

understandable main stream drama form. The hostage scene is brilliant. In many movies the characters

react in a movie-like way, shaped in how the characters would

react if...too cultivated, mostly showcases for actors to show how

emotional and brilliant they can play their roles. In this movie the characters many times don't know what to say or

how to react and that's brilliant in my opinion. In real life you don't have strong and powerful one-liners at hand. But still it is a movie and put into a form, a calm and understated,

but brilliant form.

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

Gross USA:

$222,559

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$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