Jackie Brown (1997)

A middle-aged woman finds herself in the middle of a huge conflict that will either make her a profit or cost her life.

Director:

Quentin Tarantino

Writers:

Quentin Tarantino (written for the screen by), Elmore Leonard (novel)

Stars:

Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Pam Grier	...	Jackie Brown
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Ordell Robbie
Robert Forster	...	Max Cherry
Bridget Fonda	...	Melanie Ralston
Michael Keaton	...	Ray Nicolette
Robert De Niro	...	Louis Gara
Michael Bowen	...	Mark Dargus
Chris Tucker	...	Beaumont Livingston
LisaGay Hamilton	...	Sheronda
Tommy 'Tiny' Lister	...	Winston (as Tommy 'Tiny' Lister Jr.)
Hattie Winston	...	Simone
Sid Haig	...	Judge
Aimee Graham	...	Amy - Billingsley Sales Girl
Ellis Williams	...	Cockatoo Bartender (as Ellis E. Williams)
Tangie Ambrose	...	Billingsley Sales Girl #2

Storyline

The middle-aged stewardess Jackie Brown smuggles money from Mexico to Los Angeles for the arms dealer Ordell Robbie. When she gets caught by the agents Ray Nicolet and Mark Dargus with ten thousand dollars and cocaine in her purse, they propose a deal to her to help them to arrest Ordell in exchange of her freedom. Meanwhile Ordell asks the 56-year-old Max Cherry, who runs a bail bond business, to release Jackie Brown with the intention of eliminating her. Jackie suspects of Ordell's intention and plots a complicated confidence game with Max to steal half a million dollars from Ordell.

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Plot Keywords:

money | gun | flight attendant | gun dealer | bail bondsman | 

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Taglines:

LOOK OUT! caught between the Feds and a cold blooded killer. With half a million dollars up for grabs. No one knows how it's going down. Except for maybe JACKIE BROWN

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language, some violence, drug use and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rum Punch

Filming Locations:

Venice Beach, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,292,248, 28 December 1997, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$39,673,162

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$74,727,492

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, A Band Apart, Lawrence Bender Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

154 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (CFI)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Max Cherry Bail Bonds was a real bail bonds office in Carson, California, and was demolished in 2008.

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Goofs

When Jackie puts on The Delfonics record, she puts the needle halfway in the first track, but only after a second or so, the beginning of the song ("Didn't I") is heard.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Girl at Security Gate: Flight 710 to Cabo San Lucas, now boarding Gate 103, first class only. Flight 710, Cabo San Lucas, now boarding Gate 103. First class only.
Jackie Brown: [greeting passengers] Buenos dias. Welcome aboard. Welcome aboard.

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Crazy Credits

A copyright notice appears under the title at the beginning of the movie--a common practice for low-budget movies in the 1960s and '70s but very uncommon for 1997.

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Alternate Versions

The following deleted scenes are included on the DVD:

• Extended scene with Jackie/Sheronda in the mall's food court.
• Extended scene with Jackie and Ray in the diner.
• A scene where Louis and Ordell walk into the Cockatoo.
• A scene where Jackie is discussing with Max how to set up Ordell.
• An alternate "for your eyes only" scene.
• Alternate opening credits sequence.

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Connections

Referenced in Neighboring Sounds (2012)

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Soundtracks

Inside My Love
(1979)
Written by Minnie Riperton, Richard Rudolph, Leon Ware
Performed by Minnie Riperton
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Under license from EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets

User Reviews

Solid film, never a dull moment, great characters

Although different than some of Tarantino's more violent precursors, such as "Reservoir Dogs", "Pulp Fiction" and "True Romance" this is an excellent film. Where it lacks in violence however, the film makes up for in language earning it an "R" rating in the US. In certain scenes, I thought it Tarantino went to far with the explicit language and it seemed awkward and artificial, but that does not cast a shadow of over what I thought was an otherwise fantastic film. The editing and directing is excellent. There is good character development of the main characters, yet there is not one scene where the movie drags throughout its entire 150 minutes. I couldn't tear myself away from this movie until the very end.

Especially enjoyable is the performance by Robert Forster whose character I thought was outstanding. Max Cherry, played by Forster, is a tempered bail bondsman who cautiously handles his unscrupulous clients. One day he is approached by Ordell Robbie, played by Samuel L. Jackson, to post a bond for Jackie Brown, a middle aged flight attendant for a low cost airline who gets caught smuggling Ordell's fortune in Mexico into the US. The initial meeting between Jackie and Max sets up a relationship between these two characters on both professional and personal level and that changes Max from a methodical and business man to almost an innocent young boy with a crush. The last scene in the movie between these two characters is absolutely brilliant.

I highly recommend this film and it's fun to watch Tarantino mature as a director. The little extras littered throughout the film such as "Chick with Guns", the fabulous locations such as the Cockatoo Inn, and the excellent characters make this film well worth a view.