IMDb > Sydney (1996)
Sydney
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Videos (see all 2 NEW)
Sydney (1996) -- Open-ended Trailer from Rysher Entertainment
Sydney (1996) -- ZuGuide.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   10,034 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writer:
Paul Thomas Anderson (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Hard Eight on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
28 February 1997 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama | Thriller more
Tagline:
When good luck is a long shot, you have to hedge your bets. more
Plot:
John has lost all his money. He sits outside a diner in the desert when Sydney happens along, buys him coffee... more | add synopsis
Awards:
1 win & 6 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(11 articles)
Ciff 2009: The winners! And our reviews
 (From Roger Ebert's Blog. 22 October 2009, 6:39 PM, PDT)

Celebrity Trainer Appears In Court
 (From WENN. 28 September 2009, 5:12 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
understated, calm and brilliant more (108 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Philip Baker Hall ... Sydney

John C. Reilly ... John

Gwyneth Paltrow ... Clementine

Samuel L. Jackson ... Jimmy

F. William Parker ... Hostage

Philip Seymour Hoffman ... Young Craps Player (as Phillip Seymour Hoffman)
Nathanael Cooper ... Restroom Attendant
Wynn White ... Waitress
Robert Ridgely ... Keno Bar Manager
Kathleen Campbell ... Keno Girl
Michael J. Rowe ... Pit Boss
Peter D'Allesandro ... Bartender
Steve Blane ... Stickman
Xaleese ... Cocktail Waitress

Melora Walters ... Jimmy's Girl
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Hard Eight (USA) (new title)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for strong language, some violence and sexuality.
Runtime:
102 min | USA:101 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Certification:
Iceland:12 | South Korea:18 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2008) | UK:15 (re-rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Finland:K-16 (video premiere) | Germany:16 (video rating) | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | UK:18 | USA:R | Australia:MA
Filming Locations:
Reno, Nevada, USA
Company:
Green Parrot more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The original shooting script included a different ending for the film where we discover that Jimmy had betrayed Sydney and given his name (and John's and Clementine's) to the man who was being held hostage in the motel. The man tracks down Sydney outside the same highway coffee shop where he met John and shoots him three times, killing him. It's not known whether this scene was ever actually filmed. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Sydney and Clementine are drinking coffee in the diner, Clementine's cigarette switches from her right to her left hand between shots. more
Quotes:
Sydney: I have a friend in Los Angeles. Someone... maybe someone who can help. I can make a call for you, tell him you're a friend, so on and so forth, and we can work this thing out here. I think if you need help paying for your mother's funeral, we can work it out. I want you to see that my reasons for doing this are not selfish, only this: I'd hope that you would do the same for me.
John Finnegan: I would. Thank you.
Sydney: [shakes John's hand] It's always good to meet a new friend. I'll see you later.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Jackie Brown (1997) more
Soundtrack:
Love Is Free more

FAQ

Why is this listed on IMDB as "Sydney" instead of "Hard Eight"?
more
9 out of 10 people found the following comment useful.
understated, calm and brilliant, 12 November 2004
10/10
Author: nout from the netherlands

Excellent movie. Excellent actors. I like the calm flow of the movie. Dialogs are strong: very realistic, not cultivated in a predictable and

understandable main stream drama form. The hostage scene is brilliant. In many movies the characters

react in a movie-like way, shaped in how the characters would

react if...too cultivated, mostly showcases for actors to show how

emotional and brilliant they can play their roles. In this movie the characters many times don't know what to say or

how to react and that's brilliant in my opinion. In real life you don't have strong and powerful one-liners at hand. But still it is a movie and put into a form, a calm and understated,

but brilliant form.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (108 total)

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