True Romance (1993)
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91% of critics liked it
(47 reviews) -
90% of users liked it
(161,589 ratings)
Quentin Tarantino scripted this wild and wooly blend of action and dark comedy, which reached theaters a year before his breakthrough hit Pulp Fiction. Clarence Worley (Christian Slater) is a well-meaning but socially unskilled comic-shop clerk whose idea of a big night out is catching a Sonny Chiba… More Quentin Tarantino scripted this wild and wooly blend of action and dark comedy, which reached theaters a year before his breakthrough hit Pulp Fiction. Clarence Worley (Christian Slater) is a well-meaning but socially unskilled comic-shop clerk whose idea of a big night out is catching a Sonny Chiba triple-feature at a downtown grindhouse. Clarence is celebrating his birthday in just such a manner when he meets a beautiful girl named Alabama (Patricia Arquette), and it's love at first sight for both of them. Clarence's enthusiasm isn't dampened much when he discovers Alabama is actually a prostitute who was paid by his boss to bump into him; she's only been in the business for a few days, and is more than eager to give up streetwalking to be with Clarence. However, Alabama is certain her pimp, Drexl (Gary Oldman), will not be happy; he's an ill-mannered sort with mob connections and a fondness for violence. Chivalrous Clarence offers to break the news to Drexl and collect her belongings, but he doesn't tell her he also plans to kill Drexl while he's there; a melee breaks out that leaves Drexl and his henchmen dead. Clarence grabs a suitcase that he thinks contains Alabama's clothes, but he discovers it instead holds five million dollars' worth of cocaine. The couple hits the road for California, planning to sell the dope and enjoy the good life in South America with the proceeds, but soon a group of very unhappy underworld characters are after them, as well as the police. True Romance also stars Dennis Hopper as Clarence's father, Christopher Walken as a mob boss who wants his cocaine back, Brad Pitt as a cheerful stoner, and Val Kilmer as the ghost of Elvis Presley. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Tony Scott
- Written By
- Quentin Tarantino
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense
- In Theaters
- Sep 10, 1993 Wide
- Studio
- Warner Bros.
Critic Reviews
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Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine
If shoot-'em-up, gobble-'em-down movies like The Fugitive and Jurassic Park are rated PG-13 these days, what does an R-rated action adventure look like? Like True Romance: violent to a fault, glam to the max.
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Variety Staff, Variety
Provides some amazing encounters, bravura acting turns and gruesome carnage. But it doesn't add up to enough.
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Geoff Andrew, Time Out
If the romance seldom seems 'true', the spiralling violence (script, Quentin Tarantino) does succeed, in a brutish, cod-Jacobean kind of way.
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Janet Maslin, New York Times
This film's various outrages are committed unapologetically, and are very much in the service of its bizarre story.
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Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
It's Tarantino's gutter poetry that detonates True Romance. This movie is dynamite.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Christian Slater
as Clarence Worley
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Patricia Arquette
as Alabama Worley
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Dennis Hopper
as Clifford Worley
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Gary Oldman
as Drexl Spivey
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Brad Pitt
as Floyd - Dick's Roomate
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Christopher Walken
as Vincenzo Coccotti
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Val Kilmer
as Mentor
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Bronson Pinchot
as Elliot Blitzer
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Michael Rapaport
as Dick Ritchie
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Saul Rubinek
as Lee Donowitz
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Chris Penn
as Nick Dimes
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Tom Sizemore
as Cody Nicholson
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Samuel L. Jackson
as Big Don
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Frank Adonis
as Frankie
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Victor Argo
as Lenny
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Paul Bates
as Marty
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Michael Beach
as Wurlitzer
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Paul Ben-Victor
as Luca
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John Cenatiempo
as 1st Squad Cop
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Kevin Corrigan
as Marvin
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Said Faraj
as Burger Man
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Conchata Ferrell
as Mary Louise Ravencroft
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James Gandolfini
as Virgil
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Dennis Garber
as 1st Lobby Cop
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Patrick John Hurley
as Monty
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Eric Allan Kramer
as Boris
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Anna Levine
as Lucy
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Maria Pitillo
as Kandi
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Gregory Sporleder
as Burger Stand Customer
- Billy Hopkins
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Lawrence Mason
as Floyd "D"
- Risa Bramon Garcia
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Joe D'Angerio
as Police Radio Operator
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Steve Gonzales
as L.A. Officer
- Ed Lauter



