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Tequila Sunrise (1988)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer (WGA):
Robert Towne (written by)
Release Date:
2 December 1988 (USA)
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Tagline:
Un cocktail explosif [French] more
Plot:
Mac Mckussic is an unlikely drug dealer who wants to go straight. His old and best friend Nick Frescia...
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Plot Keywords:
Drugs
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Drug Dealer
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Police
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Mexican
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Friendship
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Awards:
Nominated for Oscar.
Another 2 wins
&
1 nomination
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NewsDesk:
User Comments:
A sexy and complex story about love, honesty, and overall friendship
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Mel Gibson | ... | Dale 'Mac' McKussic | |
| Michelle Pfeiffer | ... | Jo Ann Vallenari | |
| Kurt Russell | ... | Det. Lt. Nicholas 'Nick' Frescia | |
| Raul Julia | ... | Carlos / Comandante Xavier Escalante | |
| J.T. Walsh | ... | DEA Agent Hal Maguire | |
| Gabriel Damon | ... | Cody McKussic | |
| Arliss Howard | ... | Gregg Lindroff | |
| Arye Gross | ... | Andy Leonard | |
| Daniel Zacapa | ... | Arturo, Bartender at Vallenari's (as Garret Pearson) | |
| Eric Thiele | ... | Vittorio Vallenari | |
| Tom Nolan | ... | Leland | |
| Dawn Martel | ... | Sin Sister #1 | |
| Lala Sloatman | ... | Sin Sister #2 (as Lala) | |
| Budd Boetticher | ... | Judge Nizetitch | |
| Ann Magnuson | ... | Shaleen McKussic |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
115 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Iceland:12 |
South Korea:18 |
Spain:18 |
Philippines:R-18 |
Netherlands:6 |
Argentina:16 |
Australia:M |
Canada:13+ (Quebec) |
Finland:K-16 |
Singapore:M18 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:15 |
USA:R |
West Germany:12
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
When Robert Towne was reworking the script for the Roman Polanksi film Frantic, he had all but finished the script for this film in which Frantic star Harrison Ford immediately became interested and agreed to star in the film, but eventually dropped out at the very start of pre-production because of personal conflicts with the role. Robert Towne and Thom Mount then flew to Australia to meet with Mel Gibson to talk about the role and immediately agreed to star.
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Goofs:
Continuity: When Pfeiffer is at the police station getting her chef released, Russell pulls up and parks directly in front of her car. When they leave the station, his car isn't there and Pfeiffer is able to drive away unobstructed.
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Quotes:
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Golden Girls: Love Me Tender (#4.14)" (1989)
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Soundtrack:
Don't Worry, Baby
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (54 total)
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All in all, I really like this movie. The chemistry is definitely there, and the cinematography is excellent (I love the scene where Mac and Nick are talking while sitting on the swings, in pure silhouette).
Occasionally the dialog does seem stilted, like when Nick's character is telling Joanne how much he wants to see her that night. And you really wonder how Nick has his job, with all of the compromises he makes for relationships (as with Mac and Joanne).
But, Mel Gibson's eyes when he tells Michelle Pfeiffer about his interest in her... swoon! And there's a literally steamy love scene involved that is one of my all-time favorites.
All in all, the whole movie is a very interesting commentary on friendship and the ties that bind. 1) Friendship is the only choice you have in life (you can't choose your family...) vs 2) at some point friendship's obligations can go beyond the real life of the friendship itself.
Raul Julia has a great speech about that in this movie. Seeing this made me miss him all over again!