Brokedown Palace (1999)

Two women are arrested for smuggling while vacationing in Thailand.

Director:

Jonathan Kaplan

Writers:

Adam Fields (story), David Arata (story)

Stars:

Claire Danes, Kate Beckinsale, Bill Pullman

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Claire Danes	...	Alice Marano
Kate Beckinsale	...	Darlene Davis
Bill Pullman	...	Hank Greene
Jacqueline Kim	...	Yon Greene
Lou Diamond Phillips	...	Roy Knox
Daniel Lapaine	...	Nick Parks
Tom Amandes	...	Doug Davis
Aimee Graham	...	Beth Ann Gardener
John Doe	...	Bill Marano
Kay Tong Lim	...	Chief Detective Jagkrit
Beulah Quo	...	Guard Velie
Henry O	...	Emissary to Crown
Bahni Turpin	...	Jamaican Prisoner
Amanda De Cadenet	...	English Prisoner
Inthira Charoenpura	...	Prisoner Shub (as Intira Jaroenpura)

Storyline

Alice and Darlene, best friends, decide to take a trip to Thailand to celebrate high-school graduation. While there, they are befriended by charming Australian rogue Nick Parks. Nick convinces them to take a weekend side trip to Hong Kong, but at the airport, they are busted for smuggling drugs. They are convicted in a show trial and sentenced to 33 years; in desperation, they contact Yankee Hank, an American lawyer based in Thailand who has been reported to be helpful if you've got the cash.

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | frame up | bangkok thailand | teenage girl | innocence | 

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Taglines:

A perfect summer/A perfect stranger/A perfect set up

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, drug related material and some violent content

Did You Know?

Trivia

In an interview Claire Danes complained about the conditions in the Philippines, heat, humidity, filthy, cockroaches, poor and disabled people. She subsequently was declared "persona non grata" by the Philippine government and barred from entering the country.

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Goofs

When the girls are being escorted out of the airport, you can see a large crowd of people behind a waiting line rope. These are most likely local residents who clamored to get a glimpse of the movie while being filmed as all of them are clearly watching the scenario as it unfolds.

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Quotes

[first lines]
'Yankee' Hank Green: I scheduled the hearing for the Burmese.

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Connections

Referenced in MacGyver: Mac + Desi + Riley + Aubrey (2020)

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Soundtracks

Party's Just Begun
Written and Produced by Nelly Furtado, Gerald Eaton, Brian West
Performed by Nelly Furtado
Courtesy of Dreamworks Records

User Reviews

Worth my cash.

I saw this film at a store in the cheap section. I actually vividly remembered seeing the commercials and trailer for it years ago. I thought "What the hey' and bought it, basically because the plot sounded interesting and Claire Danes has always been someone of talent in my eyes (this was also before I became a huge Kate Beckinsale fan).

So it's about two girls who sneak off to a vacation in Bangkok, get busted for narcotics (which they are innocent of) and then are sent to a Thailand prison. The film follows what will happen to them and at times questions their innocence.

Both Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale give great performances, and the plot of this film wraps itself up unconventionally, and raises some nice moral discussion questions.

I think this is a solid good film, but there could have been some improvements. It could have been longer...it would've helped to solidify these characters and more insight into the politics of Thailand's justice system would've helped.

Nevertheless, other than that, it's a good film with some great performances.

P.S. For all you pop-culture junkies be on the lookout for a two-minute role by Paul Walker. I didn't even notice him the first time I saw the film.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Thai

Release Date:

13 August 1999 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Bangkok aller simple

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,871,616, 15 August 1999

Gross USA:

$10,115,013

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$10,115,013

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox 2000 Pictures, Adam Fields Productions, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1