The Two Jakes (1990)

Director:

Jack Nicholson

Writers (WGA):

Robert Towne (characters)
Robert Towne (written by)

Release Date:

10 August 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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.

Plot Keywords:

Adultery | Murder | Orange Grove | Widow | Sequel

Cast

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

Runtime:

138 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track

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:

City Hall - 200 N. Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

88 Productions

Trivia:

John Hackett, who appears briefly as the murdered Mark Bodine, is Jack Nicholson's stand-in.

Goofs:

Continuity: A frightened Det. Lt. Loach relieves himself on the floor of the police room with his trousers on. In all subsequent shots his trousers are dry.

Quotes:

Earl Rawley: Without my oil, you got no automobiles. Without automobiles, you got no road construction, no sidewalks, no city lights, no gas stations, no automotive service, and no Berman subdivision stuck out in the tules, because nobody can get there. Then Mr. Berman's out of business, before he even gets in business. The name of the game is oil, John.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "My Gym Partner's a Monkey: Ain't Too Proud to Egg/The Two Jakes (#2.7)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Don't Smoke In Bed

A wonderful film that had the misfortune of being a sequel to a classic film.

Most reviews pull The Two Jakes to pieces, except for a very well-considered one by Roger Ebert (find it at the Chicago Sun-Times).

Of course, it's not the classic Chinatown is, but it's a damned good movie. It's about the past, how it pervades our lives for the rest of our days, and how we assimilate it into our futures.

Many have complained that the film is convoluted, that when the key revelation comes (I ain't givin' that away) you miss the impact of it. I strongly disagree with this. I for one had actually figured out the revelation before it happened - this didn't bother me because I wanted so much for it to be what I had thought it was going to be. And when it comes, it's so subtle you could almost be forgiven for missing it. It's lovely, so comforting in a very ironic way.

All I'll say is, pay attention to the scene where Jake (Nicholson) goes to see Kahn (the unmistakable James Hong). Something about the flowers...

Anyway, I'm drifting. The Two Jakes is subtle, well-crafted, and when all is revealed, so very simple. The 'convoluted' events in the plot serve to illustrate what a single, simple desire can cause.

Just watch it. Bear in mind the events and characters from Chinatown, but only so that you have a backstory for these characters and not a standard to which they should be compared.

"It never goes away..."