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The Two Jakes (1990)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
10 August 1990 (USA)
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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
NewsDesk:
Robert Towne: The Hollywood Interview
(From The Hollywood Interview. 4 November 2009, 12:49 PM, PST)
(From The Hollywood Interview. 4 November 2009, 12:49 PM, PST)
User Comments:
A major disappointment
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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 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
138 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Argentina:18 |
Australia:M |
Canada:A (Nova Scotia) |
Canada:G (Quebec) |
Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) |
Brazil:14 |
Finland:K-14 |
Germany:12 |
Norway:15 |
UK:15 |
USA:R |
Singapore:PG
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Goofs:
Anachronisms: Set in 1948, Jake strolls past an automatic teller machine.
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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.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in Chinatown: Filming (2007) (V)
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Soundtrack:
Haunted Heart
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This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (38 total)
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Although "Chinatown" is one of my favorite movies, I had put off seeing "The Two Jakes" for years because I kept hearing how bad it was. I finally summoned the courage to watch it, hoping to be pleasantly surprised. It was actually worse than I expected.
The best thing about "The Two Jakes" is the production design, which immerses us in a convincing re-creation of 1948 Los Angeles. Nothing has been overlooked, although some details seem forced (such as when J.J. Gittes carefully tunes his car radio to an episode of "The Whistler," but arrives at his office just seconds later). I've heard that an ATM is visible somewhere but I didn't catch it.
Unfortunately, period details aside, the film is just not very interesting. Towne's screenplay feels like a retread of "Chinatown," with oil substituted for water. Even some of the characters seem recycled (there's a sadistic gangster and a rich, powerful old guy). In contrast to the tight storytelling of "Chinatown," "The Two Jakes" is meandering and unfocused, with scenes and characters that serve no apparent purpose. Jack Nicholson's direction is thoroughly bland and unimaginative; it's easy to see why his directing career hasn't been successful.
By far the worst thing about "The Two Jakes" is the music score. "Chinatown" has a brilliant, haunting score by the legendary Jerry Goldsmith; his music is an integral part of that film's success. "The Two Jakes" was scored by Van Dyke Parks, whose previous credits include "Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird" and (surprise!) another Nicholson-directed film. His insipid score gives the film a made-for-TV feel.
With a more creative, disciplined director and a better composer, "The Two Jakes" could have been far better. However, the story has almost nothing new to tell us, and the same probably would have been true of the never-produced third film, "Cloverleaf." So it's probably a good thing that the failure of "The Two Jakes" killed off any chances of another sequel.