Excess Baggage (1997)

Director:

Marco Brambilla

Writers (WGA):

Max D. Adams (story)
Max D. Adams (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

29 August 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Romance

Tagline:

You would NOT believe what a girl's got to do, just to get a little attention.

Plot:

Emily has always been the rich brat who tries to pull every imaginable stunt to get attention. But one day...

Plot Keywords:

Wild Girl | Trunk | Rich Girl | Male Female Relationship | Lovable Bandit

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Alicia Silverstone	...	Emily
Benicio Del Toro	...	Vincent
Christopher Walken	...	Ray
Jack Thompson	...	Alexander
Harry Connick Jr.	...	Greg
Nicholas Turturro	...	Stick
Michael Bowen	...	Gus
Robert Wisden	...	Detective Sims
Leland Orser	...	Detective Barnaby
Sally Kirkland	...	Louise
Hiro Kanagawa	...	Jon
Brendan Beiser	...	Man on Pay Phone
Demetri Goritsas	...	Surveillance Van Cop
Jorge Vargas	...	Mini Mart Clerk
Danielle Saklofsky	...	Monique

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, drinking and sex-related dialogue.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR | SDDS

Certification:

Philippines:PG-13 | South Korea:15 | Iceland:L | USA:PG-13 (certificate #34335) | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The yellow leather jacket worn by Alicia Silverstone was sold on to actor/stand-up comic, Paul Rawson for $890. The Jacket also came with Silverstone's shirt/Black Swede pants and a lip-stick top.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Vincent and Emily drive to a bar, only one person is visible in the car as they round the bend.

Quotes:

Vincent: I've known this girl for two days, are you tellin' me I care more about her than you? You son of a bitch! You should've sold her when she was born for cashvalue Mr. Business Man!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Defunct (2008)

Soundtrack:

Crash Into Me

Much better the second time.

I saw this movie a couple of years ago when my sister and her friends rented it. I remember thinking it was strange, but that's all. I came across it in the video store last night and was curious as to why I couldn't remember much about it. Well let me tell you, I'm glad I tried it again. The movie isn't great, the story drags a bit in the middle, and the two mob guys weren't the least bit scary. I also had a hard time with Silverstone's portrayal of Emily, who I understand was supposed to be a "troubled teen", but whose behavior was so unbelievably bad that I felt only distaste for her instead of the expected sympathy. But Walken and Del Toro are absolutely marvelous. They made it completely worth watching. Walken is his usual sinister self, but at the same time manages to make his Uncle Ray character seem very fatherly and concerned for Emily. In fact, they could have done away with the rather weak father altogether and nobody would even have noticed. Del Toro is fascinating as the shy, befuddled Vincent. Everything that came out of his mouth made me laugh, and you've got to like anyone who can see the good in a whiny wretch like Emily. He turns out to be exactly what she needs, and by the end of the movie she had mellowed so much that I didn't even hate her anymore. Watch for the scenes in the hotel room and next morning by the lake where the tentative lovers make a surprisingly touching connection. This was the best five minutes of the movie for me. All in all, a simple but fairly sweet movie, made better by the outstanding, endearing performances by the two male leads. Don't go into it expecting too much, and you'll have fun with this little bit of fluff that far too many people have been scared away from because of the bad reviews. Just give it a chance. Trust me.