Jackie Brown
Short description
Jackie Brown works as a flight attendant, but she supplements her income by carrying cash into the country for Ordell Robbie, an arms dealer. When customs officers stop her, federal agents see a chance to bring down Ordell's operation and offer to let her go if she cooperates. Caught between the authorities and an employer who would not tolerate betrayal, Jackie meets bail bondsman Max Cherry, and together they work out a plan of her own.
Quentin Tarantino directed and wrote the film, his fifth feature in chronological order, following Four Rooms and preceding Kill Bill: Vol. 1. Pam Grier leads as Jackie, with Samuel L. Jackson as Ordell and Robert Forster as Max Cherry, alongside Robert De Niro, Bridget Fonda and Michael Keaton.
Released in December 1997, the crime drama runs 154 minutes and was produced by Lawrence Bender with Miramax among the production companies. Made for around 12 million dollars, it took about 75 million worldwide, a strong return on its budget. On IMDb it holds 7.5 from roughly 402,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.4 from about 7,100 votes, while the critics' rating of 7.8 from 97 reviews sits close to those audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- Sylvester Stallone had planned to play Louis.
- In the end credits, under “Special Thanks,” Bert D’Angelo’s daughter is mentioned. In the late 1970s, Paul Sorvino starred in the detective series “Bert D’Angelo/Superstar” (1976). Bert’s daughter is Paul’s daughter, Mira Sorvino, with whom Quentin Tarantino was dating at the time.
- In one scene of the film, Ordell tells Louis (Robert De Niro) that he is as serious as a heart attack. In "Fanatic" (1996), De Niro says the exact same phrase.
- Louis and Melanie (Bridget Fonda) are watching "Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry" (1974) on television, in which Peter Fonda, Bridget's father, played one of the roles.
- A film adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel "Rum Punch".
- Initially, Robert De Niro wanted to play Max Cherry. Tarantino wanted to work with De Niro, but he intended to give the role of Max to Robert Forster. He managed to persuade De Niro to play Louis.
- During Jackie's trial, Mira Sorvino can be seen in the background.
- Ordell tells Louis that the people he sells guns to don't want to buy one pistol, they always take two, because "they all want to be the Killer." This is a reference to John Woo's "The Killer" (1989), where the main characters preferred to shoot with both hands simultaneously.
- Melanie is watching Sergio Greco's "The Beast with a Gun" (1977) on television.
- When Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) is in prison, "Longtime Woman" plays. Pam recorded this song for the film "The Big Doll House" (1971), where it plays when the main character of the film ends up in prison.
- The casting for the film was handled by a casting director named Jaki Brown.
- Samuel L. Jackson suggested that his character have long hair and a goatee.
- References to "Pulp Fiction" (1994): — Jackie eats food from "Teriyaki Donut." Marcellus Wallace bought food at the same place shortly before being hit by Butch. — The suit Jackie buys is the same suit Mia Wallace was wearing. — Jackie's white "Honda" is the same car Butch hit Marcellus Wallace with.
- The money in the bag was real, not a "dummy".
- The electronic "voice" on Jackie's answering machine belongs to Quentin Tarantino.
- One of the residents in the building where Melanie lives has the last name S. Haig. This is a reference to Sid Haig, who played the Judge.
- Max Cherry, leaving the cinema in the shopping mall, was pleased with the film. Notably, the music playing during the end credits of the film Max watched is identical to the composition featured in the end credits of "Jackie Brown" (1997).
- John Travolta was the initial choice for the role of Ray Nicoletta.
- Louis and Ordell first appeared in Elmore Leonard’s novel “The Switch.” At age 15, Quentin Tarantino was arrested for attempting to steal this book from a store. In “The Switch,” Louis and Ordell kidnap a millionaire’s wife for ransom, but the husband is not interested in her return. This plot was used for the film “Ruthless People” (1986). In Leonard’s sequel, “Rum Punch,” Louis and Ordell complain that Hollywood producers stole their idea for a movie, but they never mention the film’s title.
- Quentin Tarantino named the main character after one of his favorite films, "Foxy Brown" (1974), which also starred Pam Grier. Sid Haig, who played the Judge in this film, played a villain in "Foxy Brown" (1974).
- Carol Speed was supposed to play a small role in the film, but she dropped out of the project shortly before filming began.
- Paul Newman, Gene Hackman, John Saxon, and Robert Forster were considered for the role of Max Cherry.
- In one scene of the film, Samuel L. Jackson says: "This is disgusting shit." He says the exact same phrase in "Pulp Fiction" (1994) and "Shaft" (2000).
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