Balthazar Getty Movies

Often playing characters with a sensitive demeanor lurking beneath a brooding surface, Balthazar Getty is an actor whose offscreen life has boasted as much drama as his onscreen work. Born in Los Angeles, CA, on January 22, 1975, Balthazar Getty's father was John Paul Getty III, the grandson of famous oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, and a notorious figure in his own right after his ear was cut off by kidnappers in 1973. John Paul Getty III suffered a debilitating drug overdose in 1980 which left him in a wheelchair, and in time he and his wife Gisela Zacher split up; Gisela remarried in 1988, to wedding translator and musician Olaf Kraemar. In 1989, a casting agent spotted young Balthazar Getty in his art class at school, and invited him to audition for a film role. Getty was then cast in the 1990 film adaptation of Lord of the Flies as Ralph, the child who struggles against the baser impulses which have overtaken his peers. Due to extensive post-production work on Lord of the Flies, Getty's second film -- a made-for-cable adaptation of The Turn of the Screw -- actually appeared first, but his work in Flies was well received and it wasn't long before more and bigger roles came his way. Getty won key roles in smaller independent projects such as Dead Beat and Where the Day Takes You as well as bigger-budget films, including Natural Born Killers, White Squall, and Lost Highway. However, the lure of the Hollywood high life took its toll as Getty's star rose; his family had a history of drug abuse, and Getty himself became addicted to heroin, only narrowly avoiding arrest in the fall of 1998, according to published reports. After this incident, Getty made a new commitment to health, and after kicking his habit began working steadily again in 2000 and 2001, appearing in the acclaimed independent films The Center of the World, MacArthur Park, and Four Dogs Playing Poker; Getty also tried his hand at working behind the scenes, serving as both star and executive producer of Shadow Hours. ~ All Movie Guide
1989  
R  
In this version of the classic novel by Henry James, Amy Irving stars as an English governess who is confronted with evil spirits possessing her two assistants. This is another entry in Shelley Duvall's Nightmare Classics. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide

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1990  
R  
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Harry Hook directed this second screen adaptation of William Golding's cult novel about a group of British schoolchildren who revert to savagery when marooned on a deserted island. The new adaptation replaces British school children with a group of American military cadets and instead of a shipwreck, their plane crashes into the sea. The children swim ashore onto an island and try to fend for themselves, with the only surviving adult wracked with fever and crazed with pain. As the children get the feel of the island, the group separates into two different camps: Ralph (Balthazar Getty) and his followers prefer to act civilized and want to expand their efforts toward finding a way off the island; on the other hand, Jack (Chris Furrh) and his band revert to painting their faces, carrying spears and exploiting the island for survival. When the chances for rescue become less and less likely, the two factions go to war with each other, with tragic results. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Balthazar GettyChris Furrh, (more)
1990  
PG13  
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Only three of the original five "young guns" -- Billy the Kid (Emilio Estevez), Jose Chavez y Chavez (Lou Diamond Phillips), and Doc Scurlock (Kiefer Sutherland) -- return in Young Guns, Part 2, which is the story of Billy the Kid and his race to safety in Old Mexico while being trailed by a group of government agents led by Pat Garrett (William Petersen). Along the way, Billy's crew gains three new recruits: Arkansas Dave Rudabaugh (Christian Slater), Tom O'Folliard (Balthazar Getty), and Hendry French (Alan Ruck). Though the film suffers from an uneven script, many performances -- particularly Slater's -- are surprisingly strong, and the movie looks great. The theme song, "Blaze of Glory", is performed by Jon Bon Jovi in his first solo appearance; the rocker also has a cameo in the film. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Emilio EstevezKiefer Sutherland, (more)
1991  
R  
A priest discovers that being the leader of the Catholic Church can be hazardous to your health in this satiric comedy. Cardinal Rocco (Alex Rocco) and Monsignor Vitchie (Paul Bartel) are two high-ranking Vatican officials who have been using the church's business dealings to launder funds for Vittorio Corelli (Herbert Lom), a crime boss involved in illegal arms trading. After the death of the aging and infirm Pope, Rocco and Vitchie plan to nominate a successor who will go along with Corelli's schemes, but quite by accident, small town priest Giuseppe Albinizi (Robbie Coltrane) is named the new Pontiff. Albinizi is a reluctant spiritual leader who prefers cars, women, and rock & roll to church business, but when he discovers the level of Rocco's corruption, he has him removed from the Vatican. Rocco and Vitchie are not taking Albinizi's plans to clean up Vatican finances lying down, and they discover that the new Pope's has a not-so-little secret. Before he joined the priesthood, Albinizi fathered a son out of wedlock with Veronica Dante (Beverly D'Angelo); the boy grew up to be Joe Don Dante (Balthazar Getty), a rock star who's romancing Corelli's daughter. After complaints from Catholic groups in the U.S., the distributors of The Pope Must Die changed the title to The Pope Must Diet. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Robbie ColtraneBeverly D'Angelo, (more)
1991  
PG  
Scott Glenn is H.D., a champion rodeo rider whose career is ruined after being gored by a bull. He returns home to discover things have drastically changed -- the family farm has been abandoned, his old girlfriend Julie (Kate Capshaw) is a now a widowed mother, and his sister Cheryl (Tess Harper) has put his father (Ben Johnson) in a nursing home. H.D. rescues his father from the home and returns him to the ranch. But when H.D. leaves the farm to visit Julie, his father seeks out Cheryl. Cheryl retaliates by threatening to return her father to the nursing home and sell the ranch. At this point, H.D. takes notice of rodeo contest which would give him $100,000 if he can ride four bulls for a total of 32 seconds. H.D. bonds with his father as he gruelingly prepares for a return to the rodeo to win the contest and buy the ranch. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Scott GlennKate Capshaw, (more)
1991  
PG  
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Set the day after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, December focuses on five prep-school students (Wil Wheaton, Balthazar Getty, Brian Krause, Jason London and Chris Young) who are of enlistment age. Though encouraged by their headmaster to enter the army, the boys are wary of battle, and discuss the pros and cons of the situation. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Balthazar GettyJason London, (more)
1992  
R  
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Marc Rocco's gritty drama Where the Day Takes You stars Dermot Mulroney as King, a street-smart hustler who acts as a father figure to a motley collection of young runaways. Among the people in his sphere are the young self-destructive drug addict Greg (Sean Astin), self-hating gay prostitute Little J (Balthazar Getty), and newcomer Heather (Lara Flynn Boyle). The film is structured as a series of flashbacks triggered by King's conversations with a prison psychologist (Laura San Giacomo). Included in the impressive cast are such soon-to-be-famous names as Will Smith and Ricki Lake, and the already established Kyle MacLachlan, Christian Slater, and Alyssa Milano. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Sean AstinLara Flynn Boyle, (more)
1993  
 
In this drama set in the mid-1950s, Alexi (Balthazar Getty) is a typical teenager who loves rock & roll. Unfortunately, he lives in the U.S.S.R., where rock music is looked at as a degenerate fad of the decadent West. Luckily, Alexi's Uncle Dimitri (Armin Mueller-Stahl) is a music salesman who sometimes travels outside the country; he smuggles in some rare Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley singles for his nephew, and before long, the aspiring classical musician is ready to rock until the break of dawn. Alexi and his buddies Sasha (Jason Kristofer), Yuri (Hugh O'Conor), and Vlad (Colin Buchanan) dream of becoming the first garage band to play the big beat behind the Iron Curtain, and Sasha begins bootlegging the cream of Alexi's record collection for an eager audience of fellow Soviet hepcats. Alexi also teaches some Jerry Lee and Fats Domino licks to Valentina (Carla Gugino), a pretty girl whom he's tutoring in piano, but her father Kirov (Donald Sutherland) is not at all amused and wants to know how the new scourge of America's youth has made its way into Russia. Red Hot was the feature-film debut for director Paul Haggis, best known for his work on the TV series thirtysomething. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Balthazar GettyCarla Gugino, (more)
1994  
R  
This drama combines elements of humor and sarcasm to chronicle to story of a charming serial killer in Albuquerque circa 1965. It is loosely based on a true story, a story that is said to have inspired Charles Manson. Kit is the narcissistic pathological liar and killer with a love of women. His story is told by his former follower Rudy. Kit lived to deceive. He would spend hours with makeup, hair dye and elevator boots to make himself resemble Elvis. He would say anything to get a woman into bed. He becomes romantically involved with Kirsten, a kindred spirit from a wealthy family. She is as manipulative as he and soon demands he prove his love for her. Kit trustingly tells her of a recent murder he performed. He had already confided in Rudy, but she figured he was lying. Kirsten uses the information to keep Kit close to her. She also tries to get rid of Rudy by messing up his relationship with Donna. Kit and Kirsten continue their increasingly intense game. It culminates in murder. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Bruce RamsayBalthazar Getty, (more)
1994  
R  
The secret longings of three young, hip L.A. couples provides the impetus of the conversations in lightweight drama which focuses upon the issue of commitment. One member of each couple, Suzanna and Dodger, Alicia and Robert, and Michelle and Charles secretly carries a torch for former lovers. It seems that while Suzanna begs for Dodger's attention, he is still attracted to Alicia, who's pregnant with Robert's child but hesitates to tell him because Robert is attracted to Michelle who is with Charles who still yearns for Suzanna. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Heather GrahamJames LeGros, (more)
1994  
R  
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A frenetic, bloody look at mass murder and the mass media, director Oliver Stone's extremely controversial film divided critics and audiences with its mixture of over-the-top violence and bitter cultural satire. At the center of the film, written by Stone and Quentin Tarantino, among others, are Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory (Juliette Lewis), a young couple united by their desire for each other and their common love of violence. Together, they embark on a record-breaking, exceptionally gory killing spree that captivates the sensation-hungry tabloid media. Their fame is ensured by one newsman, Wayne Gale (Robert Downey, Jr.), who reports on Mickey and Mallory for his show, American Maniacs. Even the duo's eventual capture by the police only increases their notoriety, as Gale develops a plan for a Super Bowl Sunday interview that Mickey and Mallory twist to their own advantage. Visually overwhelming, Robert Richardson's hyperkinetic cinematography switches between documentary-style black-and-white, surveillance video, garishly colored psychedelia, and even animation in a rapid-fire fashion that mirrors the psychosis of the killers and the media-saturated culture that makes them popular heroes. The film's extreme violence -- numerous edits were required to win an R rating -- became a subject of debate, as some critics asserted that the film irresponsibly glorified its murderers and blamed the filmmakers for potentially inciting copy-cat killings. Defenders argued that the film attacks media obsession with violence and satirizes a sensationalistic, celebrity-obsessed society. Certain to provoke discussion, Natural Born Killers will thoroughly alienate many viewers with its shock tactics, chaotic approach, and disturbing subject matter, while others will value the combination of technical virtuosity and dark commentary on the modern American landscape. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Woody HarrelsonJuliette Lewis, (more)
1995  
 
In this thriller, an attempted variation of Roman Polanski's Repulsion, a young woman is repeatedly threatened by a violent intruder. The pretty woman had a husband, but lost him after he killed her lover and then himself in front of her. Now she is constantly harassed and approached at work, but consistently demurs. She begins to believe she is being stalked and her suspicions are confirmed when her apartment is entered and she is knocked around and robbed. A policeman is assigned for protection, but after she rejects his advances, he stops doing his job adequately. Now the woman is on her own against an unknown force. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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1995  
R  
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Heather Graham stars as Olive, a woman whose husband discovers one day that she has taken a lover; the husband kills him, then himself. While still reeling from this trauma, Olive becomes the object of a crazed stalker, who invades her home, attacks her and then disappears. Olive's terror is only compounded when she discovers the police ignore her reports. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Heather GrahamLisa Zane, (more)
1995  
R  
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A violent, effects-heavy science fiction adventure, Judge Dredd depicts a nightmarish future in which overcrowded cities are terrorized by brutal gun battles and policed by "Judges," law officers who act as judge, jury, and executioner. Sylvester Stallone stars as Judge Dredd, a punishing enforcer with an unswerving dedication to law and order. Little does Dredd know that a nasty villain (Armand Assante) and a corrupt Judge (Jurgen Prochnow) are plotting to take over the city and plan to frame Dredd for murder in order to prevent him from interfering. Dredd winds up in prison, but he fights back with the help of Judge Hershey (Diane Lane), his partner and romantic interest, and Fergie (Rob Schneider), his friend and comic relief, developing a plan to clear his name and stop the bad guys. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Sylvester StalloneArmand Assante, (more)
1996  
PG13  
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Based on a true incident from 1960, White Squall is the story of the tragic sinking of the Albatross, a prep school educational two-masted schooner, during a Caribbean storm. Screenwriter Todd Robinson wrote the script after meeting one of the tragedy's survivors, Chuck Gieg. In the film, Gieg (Scott Wolf) is the narrator. He and his fellow students, whose parents have paid handsomely for their schooling, which combines classroom work with real-life adventure, are introduced to their grizzled seafaring captain, Christopher Sheldon (Jeff Bridges). Gieg is initially skeptical of Sheldon's authority, but he gradually comes to see the captain as a model of manhood. The other boys aboard include Frank Beaumont (Jeremy Sisto), a self-absorbed snob; Dean Preston (Eric Michael Cole), a troublemaker and bully; Tod Johnston (Balthazar Getty), a returning student; and the naïve Tracy Lapchick (Ethan Embry). John Savage plays the pompous English teacher aboard the ship. Various incidents establish the boys' insecurities and relationships with the authorities -- and foreshadow their eventual fate. The killer squall comes up quietly but soon turns deadly, and the boys are forced to go beyond their privileged upbringings and deal with real danger. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Jeff BridgesCaroline Goodall, (more)
1997  
R  
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Five years after the critical and commercial disappointment of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, director David Lynch returned to the big screen with this cryptic thriller about confused identities and erotic obsession. Fred (Bill Pullman) is an avant-garde jazz saxophonist who shares a luxurious but fashionably barren house with his wife Renee (Patricia Arquette). Fred suspects that Renee may be unfaithful to him, but realizes he has bigger things to worry about when a series of videotapes appear at his door that prove someone is watching his home from the outside and inside. When Renee is found murdered, Fred finds himself behind bars, but one morning Fred is no longer in his cell. He has seemingly been transformed into Pete Drayton (Balthazar Getty), a young auto mechanic who foolishly allowed himself to get involved with the wife of gangster Dick Laurent (Robert Loggia), a luscious blonde named Alice who looks exactly like Renee. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Bill PullmanPatricia Arquette, (more)
1997  
 
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This chilling sci-fi drama is set in a sun-ravaged world no longer protected by the ozone layer. Human life has managed to continue, but it isn't easy. The tale centers on the insanely brilliant Hank Symes, a scientist who disregards the rules of his laboratory and swipes some biological materials and uses them to build the house he hopes can save humanity. Unfortunately, something goes horribly wrong and he becomes a mutant while the house itself turns into a living, unfriendly organism. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Balthazar GettyTchéky Karyo, (more)
1999  
 
A criminal hiding out in a remote area in the Louisiana bayou learns the art of voodoo. His enemies quickly learn of his powers and must battle him before he casts a particularly diabolical curse. ~ All Movie Guide

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2000  
 
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Founder of the Slamdance Film Festival Paul Rachman makes his feature-length debut with this tale of dishonor among thieves, solidly in the vein of 1994's Shallow Grave. When four friends (Olivia Williams, Balthazar Getty, Daniel London, and Stacy Edwards) travel to Buenos Aires to crash a wedding reception, they have more on their mind than just a lively evening of free drinks and the Chicken Dance. With the aid of ace thief Felix (Tim Curry), they steal a precious Degas statuette from the mansion owner hosting the shindig and abscond to L.A. Unfortunately, the objet d'art is nowhere to be found, and the covert dealer (Forest Whitaker) who's expecting it is none too pleased. He demands that they come up with the piece or $1,000,000 immediately. To solve their problem, the four compadres take out life insurance policies on each another and plot out which friend is going to die in order to proffer the heist money. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Olivia WilliamsBalthazar Getty, (more)
2000  
R  
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Israeli-born director Isaac H. Eaton spins this thriller about a Mephistophelean writer luring an impressionable young man into L.A.'s seamy underside. Stuart Chappell (Peter Weller) persuades gas station attendant Michael Holloway (Balthazar Getty) to abandon the straight and narrow and accompany him on a prowl of increasingly kinky haunts -- including stripclubs, S&M dungeons, fight clubs, and Russian roulette joints. This film was screened at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Balthazar GettyPeter Weller, (more)
2001  
 
Having spent virtually all of her 15 years enwrapped in a sheltered, pampered existence, Lily Greeley McAllister (Alison Lohman) was not quite prepared for the emotional jolt attending the suicide of a strange man in the dining room of the Greeley family's luxurious Pasadena home. Lily was equally unprepared for the blasé, unconcerned reactions of the Greeleys to this appalling spectacle. Attempting to find out why the man killed himself and why no one seemed to care all that much, Lily began to methodically unearth a number of unsavory family secrets -- and in the process, put her own future in dire jeopardy. Mike White of Dawson's Creek, Freaks and Geeks, and Chuck and Buck fame was the guiding creative force behind this bizarre weekly blend of Beverly Hills 90210 and Dallas, while actress Diane Keaton helmed the series' pilot episode. Others in the cast included Natasha Gregson Wagner and Mark Valley as two branches of the Greeley family tree, and Dana Delany as Catherine McAllister. The 60-minute Pasadena debuted September 21, 2001, on the Fox Network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Alison LohmanMartin Donovan, (more)
2001  
 
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Playwright Tyrone Atkins lost a promising career in theater and film -- as well as his home, his belongings, and (for a time) his freedom -- when he became addicted to crack cocaine. After conquering his habit, Atkins used his experiences living on the streets as the basis for this story about a group of homeless addicts attempting to hold on to the last shreds of their dignity. Cody (Thomas Jefferson Byrd) was once a respected jazz musician, but after getting hooked on crack, Cody abandoned his wife and son and now lives in a makeshift hut in Los Angeles's MacArthur Park. Cody scrapes up enough money to feed his habit through petty crime and acting as a go-between for more privileged users willing to pay a premium to him rather than hunt down hard-nosed dealer Freddie (B-Real). Cody's friend Blackie (Miguel Nunez) gets along in much the same way, but he finds himself in hot water after he takes off with the money of downwardly mobile TV actor Steve (Balthazar Getty), who gave him a handful of cash to score drugs for him. Cody is forced to take a long look at his responsibilities when he's confronted by his son Terry (Brandon Adams), whom he hasn't seen in years; Cody also runs into Karen (Rachel Hunter), once a fellow addict, who wants him to know there is a way out of the cycle of addiction. MacArthur Park's supporting cast also includes Julie Delpy, Lori Petty, Ellen Cleghorne, David Faustino, Sticky Fingaz, and Sydney Tamia Poitier, while R&B star Macy Gray contributed to the soundtrack; the film was enthusiastically received in its screenings at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Thomas Jefferson ByrdBrandon Adams, (more)
2001  
R  
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An aging hipster finds that there may be more to life than good looks and fast cars in this introspective comedy from first-time director Danny Comden. Twenty-something Los Angeles womanizer Sol Goode (Balthazar Getty) has been gliding through life thanks to solid genes and a quick wit, but when his car is trashed and the shadow of eviction forces him to consider getting a real job, he slowly begins to realize that some soul searching is in order. Eschewing his unfulfilling ways in a bid to find true happiness, Sol finds himself increasingly attracted to his best friend Chloe (Katharine Towne), who is all too aware of Sol's loose interpretation of the word "relationship." Will Sol ever be able to convince Chloe that he has truly changed and his feeling for her are genuine, or will his past remain a roadblock to the only means of happiness he knows? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Balthazar GettyKatharine Towne, (more)
2001  
 
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In this action-adventure story, Thomas Taylor (Christian Slater) is a master thief who was caught red-handed during a robbery and ended up in prison. Convinced he was pushing his luck, Taylor began pursuing a new career on the other side of the law as a paramedic when he's approached by one of his old partners and brought in on a robbery that could earn them a million dollars in cash. However, after Taylor and his cohorts pull the job, they discover the cash has been marked, and they find themselves at the mercy of Mark Cornell (Val Kilmer), an FBI agent gone bad. Produced under the title In God We Trust and shown on television as Run for the Money, Hard Cash also features Daryl Hannah, Bokeem Woodbine, and Balthazar Getty. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Val KilmerChristian Slater, (more)
2001  
NR  
In this digitally shot feature from acclaimed director Wayne Wang) (The Joy Luck Club), the boundaries of sexual relations are put to the test by two individuals. Richard (Peter Sarsgaard) is a dot-com entrepreneur who, despite earning millions of dollars, feels little connection to the outside world. After frequenting a strip club, he offers Florence (Molly Parker), a sometime-stripper who also works as a drummer, $10,000 dollars to accompany him to Las Vegas for a short stay. She makes him a list of rules that must be followed: no kissing on the mouth, no penetration, and each will stay in separate bedrooms and only convene during the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Staying in adjoining rooms, they stick to the plan as laid out until they develop a fondness for each other -- still, Florence tries to maintain the order of their agreement. Despite Richard's declarations that he is in love with her, she is forced not to let herself get too involved, even when their sexual relationship begins to increase after the arrival of Florence's hooker friend Jerri (Carla Gugino), who after a brutal fight with a man, immerses herself in the sexual lives of Richard and Florence. The film also features Balthazar Getty and Shirley Knight in small supporting roles. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Peter SarsgaardMolly Parker, (more)

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