The Majestic (2001)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Frank Darabont

Writer (WGA):

Michael Sloane (written by)

Release Date:

21 December 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Sometimes your life comes into focus one frame at a time.

Plot:

Set in 1951, a blacklisted Hollywood writer gets into a car accident, loses his memory and settles down in a small town where he is mistaken for a long-lost son.

Plot Keywords:

Small Town | Communist | Amnesia | Memory | Screenwriter

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jim Carrey	...	Peter Appleton
Bob Balaban	...	Elvin Clyde
Jeffrey DeMunn	...	Ernie Cole
Hal Holbrook	...	Congressman Doyle
Laurie Holden	...	Adele Stanton
Martin Landau	...	Harry Trimble
Brent Briscoe	...	Sheriff Cecil Coleman
Ron Rifkin	...	Kevin Bannerman
Gerry Black	...	Emmett Smith
David Ogden Stiers	...	Doc Stanton
James Whitmore	...	Stan Keller
Susan Willis	...	Irene Terwilliger
Catherine Dent	...	Mabel
Brian Howe	...	Carl Leffert / Head of the Studio
Karl Bury	...	Bob Leffert

Also Known As:

The Bijou (USA) (working title)
The Majestic (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Cine Majestic (Brazil) [pt]
El Majestic (Argentina) [es]
Kinimatografos: Majestic (Greece) [el]
Le Majestic (Canada: French title) [fr]
Majestic (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
The Majestic (Portugal) [pt]
The Majestic (Spain) [es]
The Majestic (France) [fr]

MPAA:

Rated PG for language and mild thematic elements.

Runtime:

152 min

Country:

USA | Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Sweden:7 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:Livre | Canada:PG | Finland:K-7 | France:U | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:I | Ireland:G | Netherlands:AL | Norway:7 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Ferndale, California, USA

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

Several elements of the movie borrow from the real-life Hollywood Ten of blacklisted members of the film-making industry. The name of the town that adopts Jim Carrey's character as a long-lost son is Lawson; one of the targeted screenwriters was named John Howard Lawson. Another writer, Lester Cole, shares a surname with a movie character, Lawson's mayor. There is also a strong similarity between Luke and Harry's last name, Trimble, and the surname of blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The diesel locomotive pulling the train that Pete is riding back to Lawson near the end of the movie is a later model Electro Motive Division GP (general purpose) engine that was not available until the mid-60s. Diesel engines were certainly available in the early-1950s, but not that model.

Quotes:

Peter Appleton: I thought this was a democracy.
Leo Kubelsky: The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, they're all just pieces of paper with signatures on them. And you know what a piece of paper with a signature is, a contract. Something that can be renegotiated at any time. Just so happens that the House un-American activities committee is renegotiating the contract this time around. Next time it will be somebody else, but it will always be somebody.

Movie Connections:

References "The Civil War" (1990)

Soundtrack:

Paper Doll

6.6/10? What absolute bull. Don't believe the low rating.

I heard bad things about this movie. I heard it wasn't well written and that Jim Carrey was a bad actor in it etc. DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT! It's not true. This movie is absolutely amazing. Jim Carrey did an excellent job at acting serious. He was 100% serious in this movie. He didn't try any facial expressions or noises he was 100% serious. He did an unforgettable role. He's even more serious than The Truman Show. The story is well put together and well written. Carrey losing his memory after a car crash in the river. The town people think he's someone that went to war and who has come back. Carrey must try to remember who he is. The people they know who he is are looking for him and will cause a lot of trouble if he doesn't find out quick. Fantastic, sweet and dramatic story. I recommend it to anyone. It is to be enjoyed by anyone. 10/10