Boogie Nights (1997)
90%RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 3 Oscars
37 wins & 65 nominations total
Grounded in strong characters, bold themes, and subtle storytelling, Boogie Nights is a groundbreaking film both for director P.T. Anderson and star Mark Wahlberg.
Boogie Nights is a wild ride through the world of ’70s porn, complete with cheesy fashion, ephemeral music, and a cast of characters that will leave you both entertained and disturbed. The film captures the spirit of the era with its electric filmmaking and sheer talent, making it a must-watch for anyone looking for a hit of exhilaration. And let’s not forget the standout performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Heather Graham, and Burt Reynolds. It’s a party that goes on too long, but you won’t want to leave.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
New Line Cinema, Criterion Collection
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
19515 East Cameron Avenue, West Covina, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong sex scenes with explicit dialogue, nudity, drug use, language and violence
Year of Release
1997
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital SDDS
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:2h 32m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 10, 1997 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2007
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Boogie Nights, R, Drama, 2h 32m, 93% Tomatometer, 89% Audience Score, Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, John C Reilly, Don Cheadle, Heather Graham, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, written by Paul Thomas Anderson, produced by Lloyd Levin, John S Lyons, JoAnne Sellar, box office gross $26.4M, reviewed by Gene Siskel, Mike Clark, Jason Bailey, Candice Frederick, Owen Gleiberman, Andrew Sarris, Jonah Koslofsky, Kyle Smith, Federico Furzan, Brian D Johnson, Charles Mudede, MPAA rating R, explicit dialogue, drug use, violence, language, nudity, strong sex scenes, San Fernando Valley, 1977, teenage busboy, porn director, adult-film sensation, supportive circle of friends, drugs, egotism, 70s excess, southern California, Golden Era, pornography industry, drugs and sex, well-written, memorable, timeless film
Worldwide gross: $43,117,303
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $80,374,139
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,130
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 8,764,901
US/Canada gross: $26,416,349
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $49,242,211
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,079
US/Canada opening weekend: $50,168
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $93,517
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,955
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $15,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $27,961,213
Production budget ranking: 1,184
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $15,057,113
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $37,355,813
ROI to date (est.): 87%
ROI ranking: 990
Burt Reynolds – Jack Horner
Julianne Moore – Amber Waves
John C. Reilly – Reed Rothchild
Don Cheadle – Buck Swope
Heather Graham – Rollergirl, Brandy
Director(s)
Paul Thomas Anderson
Writer(s)
Paul Thomas Anderson
Producer(s)
Lloyd Levin, John S. Lyons, JoAnne Sellar
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
37 wins & 65 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (73) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (68) | Rotten (5)
A beautifully made survey of ’70s excess, filtered through the trashy world of the burgeoning porno film industry in southern California.
March 28, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
Gene Siskel
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
The pop 1970s were typified in part by cheesy fashions, ephemeral music and a regular diet of daring, cutting-edge movies that arguably made that decade Hollywood’s richest. Blistering Boogie Nights recaptures the spirit of that time on all three counts.
January 10, 2018 | Rating: 4/4
Mike Clark
USA Today
TOP CRITIC
The Tarantino comparison is ultimately less about technique than a shared joyful electricity of the filmmaking, the sense of an artist clearly high on the sheer act of making a movie.
October 30, 2017
Jason Bailey
Vice
TOP CRITIC
Nights humanized these actors and made them live beyond their reputations.
September 12, 2017 | Rating: B+
Candice Frederick
Reel Talk Online
TOP CRITIC
Boogie Nights, an epic tale of porn, pleasure, and excess, offers a purer hit of exhilaration than any movie this year.
February 4, 2010 | Rating: A
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
Not since the mysteriously reclusive Terrence Malick has there been such an explosion of sheer talent on the American movie scene.
April 27, 2007
Andrew Sarris
Observer
TOP CRITIC
Philip Seymour Hoffman is a standout in a movie chock-full of standouts.
July 20, 2021
Jonah Koslofsky
The Spool
Rarely, if ever, has any filmmaker depicted the void with so much sparkle and wit.
June 7, 2021
Kyle Smith
National Review
A fantastic take on a Golden Era that nobody wants to remember and it’s pretty relevant. [Full review in Spanish].
November 12, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
Federico Furzan
Cinelipsis
…there is enough brilliance-including a drugs-and-guns showdown that outdoes Tarantino-to make it worth sticking around for the end of the party. And nothing could be truer to the Seventies than a party that goes on too long.
October 11, 2019
Brian D. Johnson
Maclean’s Magazine
It is remarkable that [Seymour Hoffman] was able to stand out-it’s packed with great performances from some of the best of the best: Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Heather Graham, and, of course, Burt Reynolds.
September 24, 2018
Charles Mudede
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
Boogie Nights is an impassioned and creative portrait of American souls in distress from a young, passionate filmmaker who threw himself headlong into his movies (his follow-up, Magnolia, pushes even further).
January 13, 2017
Sean Axmaker
Stream on Demand…
Plot
Adult film director Jack Horner is always on the lookout for new talent and it’s only by chance that he meets Eddie Adams who is working as a busboy in a restaurant. Eddie is young, good looking and plenty of libido to spare. Using the screen name Dirk Diggler, he quickly rises to the top of his industry winning awards year after year. Drugs and ego however come between Dirk and those around him and he soon finds that fame is fleeting.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Philip Seymour Hoffman is a standout in a movie chock-full of standouts.
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