54 (1998)

The famous 1970s New York City nightclub seen and told through the eyes of a young employee.

Director:

Mark Christopher

Writer:

Mark Christopher

Stars:

Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek, Neve Campbell

9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryan Phillippe	...	Shane O'Shea
Salma Hayek	...	Anita Randazzo
Neve Campbell	...	Julie Black
Mike Myers	...	Steve Rubell
Sela Ward	...	Billie Auster
Breckin Meyer	...	Greg Randazzo
Sherry Stringfield	...	Viv
Ellen Albertini Dow	...	Disco Dottie
Cameron Mathison	...	Atlanta
Noam Jenkins	...	Romeo
Jay Goede	...	Buck
Patrick Taylor	...	Tarzan
Heather Matarazzo	...	Grace O'Shea
Skipp Sudduth	...	Harlan O'Shea
Aemilia Robinson	...	Kelly O'Shea

Storyline

An anthology film retelling the story of the famous Studio 54, a hot disco hangout for the social elite of New York. The movie follows several characters at once, some of whom are in desperate straits and on the verge of crashing.

---

Plot Keywords:

disco | new york city | quaalude | angel dust the drug | reference to the village people | 

---

Taglines:

You've never been anywhere until you've been here.

---

Genres:

Drama | Music

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, drug use and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 August 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Studio 54

Filming Locations:

Casa Loma, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,611,532, 30 August 1998, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$16,574,731, 27 September 1998

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dollface, FilmColony, Miramax

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 100 min (extended cut) 106 min (director's cut) 121 min (workprint)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Heidi Klum.

---

Goofs

When the IRS shows up to raid 54, the wide shot shows two unmarked police cars with red lights flashing on the dash. Then a tight shot shows an agent climbing out of a car and the light on the dash is blue.

---

Quotes

Ciel: No ticket, no coat!
Ron: Just look for it.
Ciel: Do you know many black leather jackets with poppers and a cock ring in the left pocket we got back here?

---

Crazy Credits

As the credits roll, photographs are shown, first of visiting celebrities (e.g., Brooke Shields, George Burns, Arnold Schwarzenegger), then candid shots of unidentified customers.

---

Alternate Versions

A 40 second scene at 1:46 on the DVD showing Ryan having sex in a car was not seen on the PPV telecast nor in theaters but was on the DVD. A promotional clip showing Shane and Julie discussing her status as his girlfriend was edited out of the film after the line where she says "You're Sweet". Another promotional clip had Bell & James "Livin' It Up (Friday Night)" playing when Shane was trying to get into 54. In the film no song was playing at the time.

---

Connections

References All My Children (1970)

---

Soundtracks

Heaven Must Have Sent You
Performed by Bonnie Pointer
Written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland (as Edward Holland Jr.)
Courtesy of Motown Record Company, L.P.
By Arrangement with PolyGram Film & TV Music

User Reviews

Superficial and awkward, but with a pleasurable, hedonistic nostalgia...

Writer-director Mark Christopher worked hard at recreating the sinfully decadent magic of Manhattan's Studio 54, the number-one celebrity hangout from the late-1970s into the 1980s, but he skimped on the most intriguing part of the nightclub's history: the relationship between business partners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager. Mike Myers was a terrific choice for the flamboyant, eccentric Rubell, but Schrager has gone missing. Instead, the story is told from the point-of-view of a busboy-turned-bartender (!), a muscular rube whose innocence is soiled by boss Rubell's dirty business dealings and hedonistic trappings. The film has a low-budget feel which doesn't make itself present in the production so much as in the character-driven scenes, which are underpopulated, padded with real and faked black-and-photos, and further undermined by stilted dialogue. Ryan Phillipe is well-cast as the young stud from New Jersey whom Rubell takes under his wing, yet his voice-over narration is uncomfortably omnipresent, telling us things we can see or perceive for ourselves, and the interrelationships between the club staff are uninteresting. Some of the music is good, bringing back those long-ago nights of carefree sex and dancing-the-night-away, but Christopher doesn't grasp the big picture. As a result, the film (at best) is a series of precious little moments struggling to surface. ** from ****