Maverick (1994)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Richard Donner

Writers (WGA):

Roy Huggins (television series Maverick)
William Goldman (written by)

Release Date:

20 May 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Western

Tagline:

The greatest gambler in the West has finally met his match.

Plot:

Bret Maverick, needing money for a poker tournament, faces various comic mishaps and challenges, including a charming woman thief.

Plot Keywords:

Poker | Card | Riverboat | Russian | Gambling

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Mel Gibson	...	Bret Maverick
Jodie Foster	...	Annabelle Bransford
James Garner	...	Marshal Zane Cooper
Graham Greene	...	Joseph
Alfred Molina	...	Angel
James Coburn	...	Commodore Duvall
Dub Taylor	...	Room Clerk
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Matthew Wicker / Eugene, Banker
Paul L. Smith	...	The Archduke
Dan Hedaya	...	Twitchy, Riverboat Poker Player
Dennis Fimple	...	Stuttering
Denver Pyle	...	Old Gambler on Riverboat
Clint Black	...	Sweet-Faced Gambler
Max Perlich	...	Johnny Hardin
Art LaFleur	...	Poker Player (as Art La Fleur)

Also Known As:

Maverick (Argentina) (Peru) (Spain) [es]
Maverick (France) [fr]
Maverick (Slovenia) [sl]
Maverick (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Maverick (Finland) [fi]
Maverick (Greece) [el]
Maverick - Den Colt am Gürtel, ein As im Ärmel (Germany) [de]
Maverick - Halálos póker (Hungary) [hu]

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild sensuality, language and some western action.

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:L | Australia:M | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:K-10 | Germany:12 | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Beacon Rock, Columbia River Gorge, Washington, USA

Company:

Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions

Trivia:

The steamship "Lauren Belle" is named for Lauren Shuler Donner, wife of director Richard Donner. She also appears in the movie as the bathhouse maid. James Garner's character calls her "Mrs. D" as she is leaving.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Mav sits down at the table at the beginning of the movie, Annabelle's hand is on her cheek when the camera is on her but in her lap when the camera is on Maverick.

Quotes:

[an old man walks up to the wagon, and Maverick tries to help him up]
Driver: No, no. I'm the driver.
Maverick: Oh. Are you alright?
Driver: Why does everybody always ask me that?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "20 to 1: Great Aussie Movies (#3.5)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Ride Gambler Ride

Vastly underrated, charming movie

As a kid, I used to watch reruns of the original "Maverick" -- and so I looked forward to seeing this one when it came out in the theaters. I was NOT disappointed! Mel Gibson's Maverick is a bit more goofy than James Garner's, but is every bit as charming, sly, and entertaining. A number of excellent cameos provide some comic relief, especially Danny Glover near the beginning of the movie. But by far the best casting is reserved for the original Maverick, James Garner, who is cast in a featured role, and who has surprises in store for darn near everyone. Most movies remade from old TV series ignore the stars that made them popular enough to BE remade -- kudos to the producers of this film, who apparently know better.

Other roles are filled capably; the biggest surprise for me was Jodie Foster, whom I normally dislike on screen. She is very impressive in a rare comedic role, and thankfully discards her repetoire of facial tics for a much more natural performance here. The plot is kept pretty simple until near the end -- and the end has a great twist, which I won't divulge. Suffice it to say that your time will be well spent, and you'll want to revisit Maverick country more than once.