IMDb > The Two Jakes (1990)
The Two Jakes
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The Two Jakes (1990) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.0/10   4,242 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Jack Nicholson
Writers (WGA):
Robert Towne (characters)
Robert Towne (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Two Jakes on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
10 August 1990 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama | Mystery more
Tagline:
They say money makes the world go round. But sex was invented before money.
Plot:
The sequel to Chinatown (1974) finds Jake Gittes investigating adultery and murder... and the money that comes from oil. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
NewsDesk:
Robert Towne: The Hollywood Interview
 (From The Hollywood Interview. 8 October 2009, 10:54 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Has real potential, but in the end, it's just too convoluted and long-winded more (38 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jack Nicholson ... J.J. 'Jake' Gittes

Harvey Keitel ... Julius 'Jake' Berman

Meg Tilly ... Kitty Berman

Madeleine Stowe ... Lillian Bodine

Eli Wallach ... Cotton Weinberger

Rubén Blades ... Michael 'Mickey Nice' Weisskopf

Frederic Forrest ... Chuck Newty

David Keith ... Det. Lt. Loach

Richard Farnsworth ... Earl Rawley

Tracey Walter ... Tyrone Otley
Joe Mantell ... Lawrence Walsh

James Hong ... Kahn
Perry Lopez ... Captain Lou Escobar
Jeff Morris ... Ralph Tilton
Rebecca Broussard ... Gladys
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Additional Details

Runtime:
138 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track
Company:
88 Productions more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Harrison Ford and Roy Scheider were Robert Towne's choice for the part of the older Jake Gittes. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: On the homes under construction in the B&B subdivision, the mottled texture of the sheathing indicates it to be Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and not plywood. OSB did not appear in construction until the Late 1970s and early 1980s. more
Quotes:
Jake Gittes: What I do for a living may not be very reputable. But I am. In this town I'm the leper with the most fingers. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Chinatown: Filming (2007) (V) more
Soundtrack:
Don't Smoke In Bed more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful.
Has real potential, but in the end, it's just too convoluted and long-winded, 3 December 2006
6/10
Author: Grann-Bach (Grann-Bach@jubii.dk) from Denmark

This sounded pretty good... Nicholson is mostly fun to watch, and I enjoyed Chinatown immensely(Towne returning to write this sequel was a treat, as well). I enjoyed it for a while, but not too far past the half-way point, I realized that it had run out of steam... the film kept rolling, but it no longer kept the viewers' attention. Jack Nicholson is no director, and it shows... while he is a skilled actor, he should stay in front of the camera instead of trying his hand behind it. The cinematography is close, but doesn't quite make it to being good... we have shots that linger, and wasted opportunities aplenty. Polanski's loose, involving camera is sorely missed here. The pacing is also off... the film ends up seeming heavy as a result. The writing is quite good. The acting varies, but is mostly on the positive end. The tone isn't entirely sure what it wants to be, but does create some great "noir" moments. Jake's monologues are occasionally spot-on. The mystery varied some... parts of it, I had figured out before the lead, whereas others only became clear to me just as they were revealed. This is a hit and miss scenario... and unfortunately, it misses more than it hits. This is worth watching as a continuation of Chinatown for those that want more of the plot, and can compromise with the drop in style and finesse of the film-making values. I recommend this to big fans of Jack Nicholson and those interested in seeing what occurred after the events of Chinatown. 6/10

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Two Jakes (1990)
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Info on Cloverleaf (third film in the trilogy) Michael_Cronin
Gittes' Office andrewgage
Jake's Car mrg_500
Too many characters to keep track of easmax
Why wasn't Noah Cross mentioned? lovin_cat
Closing Song Tcjy8
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