Twilight (1998)

A retired ex-cop and private detective (Newman) who lives with a rich actor (Hackman) who is dying from cancer and his actress wife (Sarandon) gets mixed up in murder when he is asked to ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Benton

Writers:

Robert Benton, Richard Russo

Stars:

Paul Newman, Susan Sarandon, Gene Hackman

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Newman	...	Harry Ross
Susan Sarandon	...	Catherine Ames
Gene Hackman	...	Jack Ames
Reese Witherspoon	...	Mel Ames
Stockard Channing	...	Lt. Verna Hollander
James Garner	...	Raymond Hope
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Reuben Escobar
Liev Schreiber	...	Jeff Willis
Margo Martindale	...	Gloria Lamar
John Spencer	...	Capt. Phil Egan
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Lester Ivar
Peter Gregory	...	Verna's Partner
Rene Mujica	...	Mexican Bartender
Jason Clarke	...	Young Cop #1
Patrick Malone	...	Younger Cop (as Patrick Y. Malone)

Storyline

A retired ex-cop and private detective (Newman) who lives with a rich actor (Hackman) who is dying from cancer and his actress wife (Sarandon) gets mixed up in murder when he is asked to deliver blackmail money. He walks into a 20 year old case involving the mysterious disappearance of the actress's former husband. James Garner appears as another ex-cop who also does occasional errands for the couple.

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Plot Keywords:

blackmail | money | private detective | disappearance | actress | 

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Taglines:

Some people can buy their way out of anything. Except the past.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller | Crime

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language and some sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 March 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Magic Hour

Filming Locations:

Mandalay Beach Resort, Oxnard, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$5,866,411 (USA) (6 March 1998)

Gross:

$15,030,732 (USA) (1 May 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinehaus, Paramount Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie clip that Paul Newman and Gene Hackman view briefly toward the end of the film is of a much younger Hackman along with Dabney Coleman from Downhill Racer.

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Goofs

At the end of the film when the interrogation of Ross ends, the police detective switches off the tape recorder, and then states the date and time. Why would he switch switch off the recorder before stating the date and time?

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Quotes

Harry: I was hoping to talk to Jack.
Catherine: And here I thought it was my company. Jack took a sedative and went to bed. Something got him terribly upset this afternoon. I had an idea that maybe you might know what happened. (He says nothing) Course not. That's why people hire you, cause you're mute!
Harry: Where's Mel?
Catherine: She came home for about twenty minutes then went to work. She's working on a low budget picture. They had a night shoot. She had a very interesting question. She wanted to know why the hell you're ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Ancient Evil 2: Guardian of the Underworld (2005)

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Soundtracks

"Solamente una vez"
Written by Agustín Lara

User Reviews

If Newman plays Dick Tracy at age 73...

The late actor Paul Newman portrays a fly in the ointment, the anti-hero version of Dick Tracy, herein Twilight. I've read some reviews of people wondering why widely acclaimed filmmaker Robert Benton has made this movie. A short answer: To provide screen experience to new starlets with veteran actors.

There are 3 of those starlets in this film. First one is Reese Witherspoon. 1998 was an important milestone for her. She's been busy whole year long with Pleasantville and Overnight Delivery. Through 1998 summer she played in Twilight, thus she has bold scenes with Liev Schreiber. Even though she has a cameo role as Mel Ames in the film, her role includes the only nudity content of her box-office movies career. Yet, Twilight features its queen Susan Sarandon. For me, this is Sarandon's third best after Atlantic City and White Palace. She comes out of pool, starts walking in Eve outlook, looking for her Adam, then Newman comes by.

The second starlet is Liev Schreiber. He plays Mel's date at Mexico. While Mel lies naked on a couch, she asks him "Do you love me?". He keeps his silence a bit while staring at her tits, and hinders himself from replying "No, I just love your tits". Thankfully Mel speaks before him: "I mean it doesn't really matter you love me or not". If all the movie critics thought the same way that Robert Benton has written the worst script of his life, they might be right.

The third starlet is Patrick Malone. If you read this review right now, and don't know who Patrick Malone is, it's because herein Twilight he wasted his chance of a lifetime due to his imitation of Will Smith. A young actor in Hollywood must not copy other actors of same career level. I actually liked Malone's harmony with Newman playing his partner, if only he could have played his own style. He was one of the supporting actors in Lawrence Kasdan's Grand Canyon(1991).

Even though the cast is rich on paper, the whole plot is turning around Paul Newman. No one is able to come closer to him, and he acts only with his self-belief. From my point of view, the main issue is not the script nor the cheapness of the story telling methods. Nobody but Benton and Newman, is in the mood of making a movie. Gene Hackman, James Garner, Stockard Channing spoil the story. So many stars make it darker. Only Newman and Sarandon could have been enough to fill the cast, since the storyline is so simple.