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IMDbPro

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

  • 19971997
  • RR
  • 2h 35m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
39K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,416
44
John Cusack and Kevin Spacey in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
Home Video Trailer from Warner Home Video
Play trailer0:31
1 Video
83 Photos
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Mystery
A visiting city reporter's assignment suddenly revolves around the murder trial of a local millionaire, whom he befriends.A visiting city reporter's assignment suddenly revolves around the murder trial of a local millionaire, whom he befriends.A visiting city reporter's assignment suddenly revolves around the murder trial of a local millionaire, whom he befriends.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
39K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,416
44
  • Director
    • Clint Eastwood
  • Writers
    • John Berendt(book)
    • John Lee Hancock(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • John Cusack
    • Kevin Spacey
    • Jack Thompson
Top credits
  • Director
    • Clint Eastwood
  • Writers
    • John Berendt(book)
    • John Lee Hancock(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • John Cusack
    • Kevin Spacey
    • Jack Thompson
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 238User reviews
    • 68Critic reviews
    • 57Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 4 nominations

    Videos1

    Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
    Trailer 0:31
    Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    Photos83

    Lady Chablis in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
    Kevin Spacey in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
    Jude Law and Kevin Spacey in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
    Jude Law and Kevin Spacey in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
    Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver at an event for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
    John Cusack and Paul Hipp at an event for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
    Joan Cusack at an event for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
    John Cusack at an event for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
    Alison Eastwood at an event for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
    Clint Eastwood and Ashley Judd at an event for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
    Alison Eastwood and Whitfield Crane at an event for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
    Clint Eastwood and Dina Eastwood at an event for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Cusack
    John Cusack
    • John Kelsoas John Kelso
    Kevin Spacey
    Kevin Spacey
    • Jim Williamsas Jim Williams
    Jack Thompson
    Jack Thompson
    • Sonny Seileras Sonny Seiler
    Irma P. Hall
    Irma P. Hall
    • Minervaas Minerva
    Jude Law
    Jude Law
    • Billy Hansonas Billy Hanson
    Alison Eastwood
    Alison Eastwood
    • Mandy Nichollsas Mandy Nicholls
    Paul Hipp
    Paul Hipp
    • Joe Odomas Joe Odom
    Lady Chablis
    Lady Chablis
    • Chablis Deveauas Chablis Deveau
    • (as The Lady Chablis)
    Dorothy Loudon
    Dorothy Loudon
    • Serena Dawesas Serena Dawes
    Anne Haney
    Anne Haney
    • Margaret Williamsas Margaret Williams
    Kim Hunter
    Kim Hunter
    • Betty Hartyas Betty Harty
    Geoffrey Lewis
    Geoffrey Lewis
    • Luther Driggersas Luther Driggers
    Richard Herd
    Richard Herd
    • Henry Skerridgeas Henry Skerridge
    Leon Rippy
    Leon Rippy
    • Detective Booneas Detective Boone
    Bob Gunton
    Bob Gunton
    • Finley Largentas Finley Largent
    Michael O'Hagan
    • Geza Von Habsburgas Geza Von Habsburg
    Gary Anthony Williams
    Gary Anthony Williams
    • Bus Driveras Bus Driver
    Tim Black
    • Jeff Braswellas Jeff Braswell
    • Director
      • Clint Eastwood
    • Writers
      • John Berendt(book)
      • John Lee Hancock(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Lady Chablis, the transgender woman from Savannah featured in the source novel, plays herself.
    • Goofs
      As Minerva looks up from her Forsyth Park bench to see the plane coming in for a landing, it is headed straight toward downtown Savannah and the harbor. The airport there is actually located north of the city.
    • Quotes

      Mandy Nichols: If you're thirsty, a drink will cure it, if you're not, a drink will prevent it. Prevention is better than a cure.

    • Crazy credits
      Closing disclaimer: This film is based upon John Berendt's book "MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL". Dialogue and certain events and characters contained in the film were created for the purposes of dramatization.
    • Alternate versions
      The UK Region 2 multi-DVD box set titled "CLINT EASTWOOD 35 YEARS, 35 FILMS" (EAN 5051892017114) released on August 16, 2010 makes reference to the inclusion of a Director's Cut. Eastwood has admitted to shooting a "love scene" between Kevin Spacey and Alison Eastwood and then cutting it from this film and although not confirmed it is suspected this is included to make some or all of the Director's Cut. The latter information sourced from http://www.screenit.com/movies/1997/midnight_in_the_garden_of_good_&_evil.html
    • Connections
      Featured in Eastwood on Eastwood (1997)
    • Soundtracks
      That Old Black Magic
      Music by Harold Arlen

      Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

      Sung by Kevin Spacey

    User reviews238

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    Neither The Book Nor A Bust
    Like "Citizen Kane" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," "Midnight At The Garden Of Good And Evil" is a movie about a writer trying to get a simple story, and finding himself with more than he bargained for. John Cusack is the writer, John Kelso, and his explorations of Savannah, Georgia offer some mystery and fun, though the result will be flat for those who already know the story from reading the best-selling book.

    "Better to be on the edge of a party, don't you think?" a young woman named Mandy (Alison Eastwood) asks Kelso at one point. It's a pertinent question. Alison's father Clint and screenwriter John Lee Hancock try to accomplish much the same effect here, dancing at the perimeters of things, showing conversations where words can not be discerned. Many times we see Kelso looking in on some social function from the outside, like at a cotillion for black debutantes or bridge games at the Married Women's Club, a bit adrift but interested in the games people play.

    At the same time, Kelso becomes quite close to one Savannah resident, Joe Williams, an art dealer whose homosexuality is an open secret until he comes out of the closet by shooting his boy-toy. Kevin Spacey's performance as Williams is rich and fun, his accent not note-perfect but well-tailored to his polished delivery. The way he lazily smokes his cigars as he moves through a party, dabbles in lowcountry voodoo with Jesuitical zeal, or even eats gumbo in prison is a study in an actor's sense of the wholeness of the role.

    While many book fans savage this with the comment "It's not what I read in the book," I take it in stride. John Berendt didn't carry this thing down from Mt. Sinai either – most notably by presenting the killing as something that happens after his arrival rather than before he played with the facts in the book. So when the film gives us a romance between Berendt's stand-in Kelso and Mandy or invents connections between the Williams story and the others in the book so the secondary characters can appear in the main story, it kind of works in an offbeat way.

    What doesn't work is the pace. The film goes on for over two and a half hours, and feels longer. Eastwood obviously approached this project with enthusiasm for the book, and especially for the music of Johnny Mercer which is prominently featured. But the comedy feels labored, the depiction of Williams' trial too unshaded in its sympathy for the defendant, and many of the performances, like that of Jude Law as the dead loverboy, seem underbaked.

    Two good performances are delivered by people who had real-life roles in the book. Sonny Seiler, who defended Williams, plays the judge in the trial and gets to tell himself when he's out of order. The Lady Chablis, who I never cared for much in the book, has an engaging vulnerability on screen. Even when the story screeches off track by focusing on her character, she makes the logic gaps less bothersome with her playfulness.

    I even liked Alison Eastwood, who does a good accent, looks the part of Mandy, and makes the film's most egregious detour from the book seem less of a violation. Not a stunner, but her languid delivery and drooping eyelids are very sensual in the everyday manner she presents us with, a half-promise of something good reaching out to you in the dark. In that way, she recreates the spirit of the book quite wonderfully. Pity her father didn't always do the same, but this is an entertaining film more often than not.
    helpful•79
    15
    • slokes
    • May 19, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 21, 1997 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Medianoche en el jardín del bien y del mal
    • Filming locations
      • Mercer House - 429 Bull Street, Savannah, Georgia, USA
    • Production companies
      • Warner Bros.
      • Malpaso Productions
      • Silver Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $35,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $25,105,255
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $5,233,658
      • Nov 23, 1997
    • Gross worldwide
      • $25,105,255
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 35 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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