Jackie Brown (1997)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Quentin Tarantino

Writers:

Quentin Tarantino (written for the screen by)
Elmore Leonard (novel)

Release Date:

25 December 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

This Christmas, Santa's Got A Brand New Bag

Plot:

A female flight attendant becomes a key figure in a plot between the police and an arms dealer.

Plot Keywords:

Money | Arms Dealer | ATF | Bail | Flight Attendant

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Pam Grier	...	Jackie Brown
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Ordell Robbie
Robert Forster	...	Max Cherry
Bridget Fonda	...	Melanie Ralston
Michael Keaton	...	Ray Nicolette
Robert De Niro	...	Louis Gara
Michael Bowen	...	Mark Dargus
Chris Tucker	...	Beaumont Livingston
Lisa Gay Hamilton	...	Sheronda
Tommy 'Tiny' Lister	...	Winston (as Tommy 'Tiny' Lister Jr.)
Hattie Winston	...	Simone
Sid Haig	...	Judge
Aimee Graham	...	Amy - Billingsley Sales Girl
Ellis Williams	...	Cockatoo Bartender (as Ellis E. Williams)
Tangie Ambrose	...	Billingsley Sales Girl #2

Also Known As:

Rum Punch (USA) (working title)
Jackie Brown (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Джеки Браун (Russia) [ru]
Dzeki Braun (Serbia) [sr]
Jackie Brown (Slovenia) [sl]
Jackie Brown (France) [fr]
Jackie Brown (Greece) [el]
Jackie Brown (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Jackie Brown (Portugal) [pt]
Jackie Brown (Spain) [es]
Jackie Brownová (Czech Republic) [cs]
Triple traición (Argentina) [es]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language, some violence, drug use and sexuality.

Runtime:

154 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | USA:R (certificate #35732) | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 | Netherlands:12 | Brazil:14 | Philippines:R-18 | South Africa:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Belgium:KNT | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Japan:PG-12 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:R(A) | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Carson, California, USA

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

In the closing credits, Tarantino gives special thanks to "Bert D'Angelo's Daughter" (among others). In the late 70's, Paul Sorvino starred in a TV detective show, "Bert D'Angelo/Superstar" (1976). Thus "Bert D'Angelo's Daughter" is Paul's daughter and Tarantino's girlfriend, Mira Sorvino.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Del Amo Fashion Center is listed during the film as the largest indoor shopping center in the world. It was not the largest when the film was set or released.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Girl at Security Gate: Flight 710 to Cabo San Lucas, now boarding Gate 103, first class only. Flight 710, Cabo San Lucas, now boarding Gate 103. First class only.
Jackie Brown: [greeting passengers] Buenos dias. Welcome aboard. Welcome aboard.

Movie Connections:

References Foxy Brown (1974)

Soundtrack:

Who Is He (And What Is He to You?)

Solid film, never a dull moment, great characters

Although different than some of Tarantino's more violent precursors, such as "Reservoir Dogs", "Pulp Fiction" and "True Romance" this is an excellent film. Where it lacks in violence however, the film makes up for in language earning it an "R" rating in the US. In certain scenes, I thought it Tarantino went to far with the explicit language and it seemed awkward and artificial, but that does not cast a shadow of over what I thought was an otherwise fantastic film. The editing and directing is excellent. There is good character development of the main characters, yet there is not one scene where the movie drags throughout its entire 150 minutes. I couldn't tear myself away from this movie until the very end.

Especially enjoyable is the performance by Robert Forster whose character I thought was outstanding. Max Cherry, played by Forster, is a tempered bail bondsman who cautiously handles his unscrupulous clients. One day he is approached by Ordell Robbie, played by Samuel L. Jackson, to post a bond for Jackie Brown, a middle aged flight attendant for a low cost airline who gets caught smuggling Ordell's fortune in Mexico into the US. The initial meeting between Jackie and Max sets up a relationship between these two characters on both professional and personal level and that changes Max from a methodical and business man to almost an innocent young boy with a crush. The last scene in the movie between these two characters is absolutely brilliant.

I highly recommend this film and it's fun to watch Tarantino mature as a director. The little extras littered throughout the film such as "Chick with Guns", the fabulous locations such as the Cockatoo Inn, and the excellent characters make this film well worth a view.