Cocktail (1988)

Director:

Roger Donaldson

Writer (WGA):

Heywood Gould (screenplay)

Release Date:

29 July 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

When he pours, he reigns.

Plot:

A talented New York bartender takes a job at a bar in Jamaica and falls in love.

Plot Keywords:

Bartender | Cocktail | Cocktail Bar | Jamaica | Money

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 5 wins & 3 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Nov. 13	1:00 AM	VH1
Fri. Nov. 13	6:30 PM	VH1

Cast

Tom Cruise	...	Brian Flanagan
Bryan Brown	...	Doug Coughlin
Elisabeth Shue	...	Jordan Mooney
Lisa Banes	...	Bonnie
Laurence Luckinbill	...	Mr. Mooney
Kelly Lynch	...	Kerry Coughlin
Gina Gershon	...	Coral
Ron Dean	...	Uncle Pat
Robert Donley	...	Eddie
Ellen Foley	...	Eleanor
Andrea Morse	...	Dulcy
Chris Owens	...	Soldier
Justin Louis	...	Soldier
John Graham	...	Soldier
Richard Thorn	...	Soldier

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:M | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Dunn's River Falls, Ocho Rios, St. Ann, Jamaica

Company:

Interscope Communications

Trivia:

Brian and Doug's bartending skills are referred to as "flair bartending." John Bandy, a flair bartender, trained Tom Cruise for the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Doug falls down the stairs of the subway station he lands next to a puddle of water. In the next scene the puddle is not there anymore.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Brian: Come on, put it to the floor! Come on! Let's go!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in JCVD (2008)

Soundtrack:

Hippy Hippy Shake

The Best!

Essentially, `Cocktail' is nothing more than your average ‘popcorn flick'. However, it is a darn good one. What was surprisingly nice about this film was that it actually had a mature amount of depth to it. It is also overflowing with big-name stars such as Tom Cruise (Risky Business), Elizabeth Shue (Adventures in Babysitting), and Bryan Brown (The Thorn Birds). But, the supporting characters happen to be so fascinating that at times it's hard to focus on anything else. In addition to this, the film has glorious cinematography- especially the scenes set in the tropics. Another thing `Cocktail' has going for it is its soundtrack: great 80s music!! At its heart, `Cocktail' is nothing more than the same romantic fluff you have seen hundreds of times before- but it is presented in such a nice package that who really cares?