The Last Days of Disco (1998)

Story of two female Manhattan book editors fresh out of college, both finding love and themselves while frequenting the local disco.

Director:

Whit Stillman

Writer:

Whit Stillman

Stars:

Chloë Sevigny, Kate Beckinsale, Chris Eigeman

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chloë Sevigny	...	Alice
Kate Beckinsale	...	Charlotte
Chris Eigeman	...	Des
Mackenzie Astin	...	Jimmy
Matt Keeslar	...	Josh
Robert Sean Leonard	...	Tom
Jennifer Beals	...	Nina
Matt Ross	...	Dan (as Matthew Ross)
Tara Subkoff	...	Holly
Burr Steers	...	Van
David Thornton	...	Bernie
Jaid Barrymore	...	Tiger Lady
Sonsee Neu	...	Diana (as Sonsee Ahray)
Edoardo Ballerini	...	Victor
Scott Beehner	...	Adam

Storyline

Last Days of Disco loosely depicts the "last days" at a disco palace, where drugs, sex and weirdness ran rampant. The story centers around a group of friends who frequent the disco and each other. All the characters are searching for something to make their lives more fulfilling. Some are searching for everlasting love and some are just wanting something different. As the disco is closed, they all wonder can disco ever really be dead?

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Plot Keywords:

disco | friend | friendship between women | cigarette smoking | friendship | 

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Taglines:

History is made at night.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some elements involving sexuality and drugs

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 June 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Les derniers jours du disco

Filming Locations:

Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$277,601, 31 May 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,987,297, 9 August 1998

Company Credits

Production Co:

Castle Rock Entertainment,Polygram Filmed Entertainment,Westerly Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The unemployment office Jimmy visits to file his unemployment insurance claim was located at 247 West 54th Street which is literally across the street (254 West 54th Street) from the real Studio 54 (the legendary nightclub which serves as the model for the club in this film). Although it no longer serves as a nightclub and now serves as an off-Broadway theater (Roundabout Theatre Company) the doors at the main entrance of the original nightclub still remain as a testament of its iconic history. In early 2012, the building where the unemployment office was located was torn down in order to make way for a new high-rise condominium.

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Goofs

Several of the main characters call themselves "yuppies," and one reports seeing graffiti reading "Die, Yuppie Scum!" even though the film was probably set in 1980-81. While the first known use of the word "yuppie" was in 1980, it did not gain common use, let alone negative connotations, until 1983.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Alice Kinnon: I hear you have a much better chance of getting in if you come by cab.
Charlotte Pingress: You're really worried about getting in?
Alice Kinnon: Yes.
Charlotte Pingress: I thought you've been here several times before.
Alice Kinnon: Not the front way. They were private parties. We came in through the back.
Charlotte Pingress: We look real good tonight. I'm sure we're gonna get in.
[Alice and Charlotte round the corner and see a large crowd waiting outside the Disco Club]
Alice Kinnon: [beat] Let's get a cab.
Charlotte Pingress: Yeah.

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Connections

References Bambi (1942)

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Soundtracks

I'm Coming Out
Written by Bernard Edwards, Nile Rodgers
Performed by Diana Ross
Courtesy of Motown Record Company, LP
By Arrangement with PolyGram Film & TV Music

User Reviews

Oh, to be Young

"The Last Days of Disco" follows a group of newly minted adults in the New York of the early 1980s. They're affluent, and recent products of Ivy League educations but they really don't have much of a clue as to what adulthood is all about. They're groping, but they're not sure for what. They all have jobs, but their lives revolve around a posh disco where they mate, mingle, and talk. There's not much of a plot; "The Last Days of Disco" is mostly a series of conversions. But the conversions are wonderful. Whit Stillman's dialogue is a delight; he nails what its like during those first years of adulthood when the life of the group is replaced by a mature individuality. The ensemble cast is wonderful to watch, not overplaying their characters. I recommend this movie very highly