3000 Miles to Graceland (2001)

A gang of ex-cons rob a casino during Elvis convention week.

Director:

Demian Lichtenstein

Writers:

Richard Recco, Demian Lichtenstein

Stars:

Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Courteney Cox

12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kurt Russell	...	Michael Zane
Kevin Costner	...	Murphy
Courteney Cox	...	Cybil Waingrow
Christian Slater	...	Hanson
Kevin Pollak	...	Damitry
David Arquette	...	Gus
Jon Lovitz	...	Jay Peterson
Howie Long	...	Jack
Thomas Haden Church	...	Quigley
Bokeem Woodbine	...	Franklin
Ice-T	...	Hamilton (as Ice T)
David Kaye	...	Jesse Waingrow
Louis Lombardi	...	Otto Sinclair
Shawn Michael Howard	...	Roller Elvis
Michael Kopsa	...	Jefferson

Storyline

It was an ingenious enough plan: rob the Riviera Casino's count room during an Elvis impersonator convention. But Thomas Murphy decided to keep all the money for himself and shot all his partners, including recently-freed ex-con Michael Zane. With $3.2 million at stake, the Marshals Service closing in, and single mom Cybil Waingrow and her son Jesse constantly confounding things, Michael must track down Murphy.

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Plot Keywords:

casino | gun | elvis impersonator | rascal | heist | 

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Taglines:

Crime Is King.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, sexuality and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 February 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

3000 millas al infierno

Filming Locations:

El Dorado Canyon, Nevada, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$62,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,160,521, 25 February 2001, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$15,738,632, 15 April 2001

Company Credits

Production Co:

Franchise Pictures,Epsilon Motion Pictures,3000 Miles Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The gas station that explodes, is at Eldorado Canyon, approximately 55 miles from Las Vegas, and the site of a (now unused) gold mine. The plane used as a canopy over the pumps, is an original 60's vintage Grumman OV-1 Mohawk attack aircraft and is still there at the side of the road as of August 2013. The gold mine is a tourist attraction.

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Goofs

While in the Boise Courthouse, they say "Boise County Court is now in session." The city of Boise is not in Boise County but in Ada County.

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Quotes

Michael Zane: Finish your fries.
Jesse Waingrow: You can't tell me what to do. You're not my dad.
Michael Zane: Didn't anybody ever tell you about starving kids in Africa?
Jesse Waingrow: Why? Are you gonna send them my fries?

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Crazy Credits

Kurt Russel lip-synchs to Elvis Presley's "Such a Night" in front of scenes of Las Vegas while the movie's other characters dance around and point their guns.

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Connections

References It Happened at the World's Fair (1963)

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Soundtracks

Low
by Blues Saraceno / James Keegan
Performed by Transmission OK
Courtesy of Beyond Music

User Reviews

flawed but somewhat interesting

`3000 Miles to Graceland' isn't quite as dopey as the cover art featuring Kurt Russell and Kevin Kostner clad in Elvis regalia would suggest. Although it breaks little new ground in its already overworked genre, the film does emerge as an efficient crime drama thanks to a gallery of interesting characters, some impressive performances and Demian Lichtenstein's flashy directorial style.

After a shaky first half hour or so, in which the film seems to be struggling to establish its direction and tone, the movie miraculously hits its stride and, thereafter, never really lets up. The story centers around a band of ex-cons, united by their almost obsessive love for the King of rock'n'roll, who decide to knock over a Las Vegas casino dressed as Elvis impersonators. Predictably, the heist serves merely as the pretext for one of them, the obviously psychotic Murphy (Kostner), to cold-bloodedly eliminate his accomplices. The fly in his ointment turns out to be Michael Zane (Russell), the most principled one of the group, who survives the holocaust and spends his time, along with a pretty single mother and her precocious child, trying to keep out of Murphy's way.

In terms of plotting, the film follows a pretty traditional route for this kind of film. However, the characters here seem a bit more fleshed out than they often do in some of those other films, particularly Zane, who seems caught between his criminal inclinations and his innate goodness as a human being. Cybil, the single mother played by Courteney Cox, likewise seems conflicted between genuine love and emotion and the excitement of easy wealth and a life lived on the edge. But it is Kostner as Murphy who sets the real tone for the film. His portrayal of a steely-eyed psychotic killer literally sets the teeth on edge, as he callously mows down scores of policemen and innocent bystanders who happen to get in his way. He makes for a truly soul-cringing villain. Russell, who played the actual legend back in his own younger, more halcyon days, makes a fascinating subtle counterpoint to Murphy's unbridled ruthlessness.

The film is not, however, a total success. For one thing, the violence often seems excessively brutal, graphic and mean spirited for a movie that seems to want to be a lark of sorts (after all, a movie featuring robbers dressed as Elvis impersonators can't be bidding to be taken too seriously). Moreover, the plotting, which far too often relies on unlikely coincidences to keep it rolling, also borders frequently on the incoherent. Finally, the morally ambiguous ending doesn't really sit well with those of us who find a couple of thieves, no matter how charming they may appear to be, unlikely candidates for heroism in the context of a `happy' ending.

All in all, however, `3000 Miles to Graceland' will probably appeal to those who like their crime dramas offbeat, quirky and filled with interesting characters.