IMDb > L.A. Confidential (1997)
L.A. Confidential
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L.A. Confidential (1997) More at IMDbPro »

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L.A. Confidential (1997) -- A shooting at an all night diner is investigated by three LA policemen in their own unique ways.
L.A. Confidential (1997) -- A shooting at an all night diner is investigated by three LA policemen in their own unique ways.
L.A. Confidential (1997) -- MattTrailer.com - Trailer (Flash)

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Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers (WGA):
James Ellroy (novel)
Brian Helgeland (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for L.A. Confidential on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
19 September 1997 (USA) more
Tagline:
Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush... more
Plot:
A shooting at an all night diner is investigated by three LA policemen in their own unique ways. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 69 wins & 43 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(71 articles)
Lambs Named Best Thriller
 (From WENN. 3 June 2009, 12:00 PM, PDT)

Actor Sandeen Dies
 (From WENN. 11 February 2009, 3:55 AM, PST)

User Comments:
A "Chinatown" for the 1990s more (533 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Kevin Spacey ... Jack Vincennes

Russell Crowe ... Bud White

Guy Pearce ... Ed Exley

James Cromwell ... Dudley Smith

Kim Basinger ... Lynn Bracken

Danny DeVito ... Sid Hudgens

David Strathairn ... Pierce Patchett

Ron Rifkin ... D.A. Ellis Loew

Matt McCoy ... 'Badge of Honor' Star Brett Chase
Paul Guilfoyle ... Mickey Cohen
Paolo Seganti ... Johnny Stompanato

Elisabeth Granli ... Mickey Cohen's Mambo Partner

Sandra Taylor ... Mickey Cohen's Mambo Partner
Steve Rankin ... Officer Arresting Mickey Cohen
Graham Beckel ... Dick Stensland
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for strong violence and language, and for sexuality.
Runtime:
138 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In preparation, Curtis Hanson showed his cast and crew Kiss Me Deadly (1955), Bad Influence (1990), The Killing (1956), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), In a Lonely Place (1950), Private Hell 36 (1954) and The Lineup (1958). more
Goofs:
Factual errors: When Bud White rushes into the morgue to find Dick Stensland's body, one of the sheets he turns up uncovers an older man with grey hair who appears to have almost had the skin scraped off of him (or maybe burned off). In a later scene where Exley is speaking to the coroner about the identification of another corpse, an event depicted as occurring days later, the coroner is doing an autopsy on what is clearly the same body. It's obvious that the production crew simply recycled the body, but in reality, it would have been a grievous error for a coroner to wait so long to do an autopsy. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Sid Hudgens: [voiceover] Come to Los Angeles! The sun shines bright, the beaches are wide and inviting, and the orange groves stretch as far as the eye can see. There are jobs aplenty, and land is cheap. Every working man can have his own house, and inside every house, a happy, all-American family. You can have all this, and who knows... you could even be discovered, become a movie star... or at least see one. Life is good in Los Angeles... it's paradise on Earth." Ha ha ha ha. That's what they tell you, anyway.
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Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Look for the Silver Lining more

FAQ

How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
Was Sid in on everything with Dudley and Patchett?
How did the three black guys escape police custody?
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106 out of 121 people found the following comment useful.
A "Chinatown" for the 1990s, 25 June 2000
Author: tfrizzell from United States

"L.A. Confidential" is brilliant. The screenplay and direction are second-to-none. The performances by the ensemble cast are also superb. Kim Basinger stands out the most with her Oscar-winning role. Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, David Strathairn, and Danny DeVito all have their moments as well. The film deals with the seamy side of Los Angeles in the post-World War II 1950s. Los Angeles is a place of shady dealings and police corruption. To add to those problems is the creation of the smutty tabloid. Multi-layered and smart, "L.A. Confidential" will be the greatest survivor of the films released in 1997. 5 out of 5 stars.

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