Return to Paradise (1998)
78%RT Audience Score: 74%
Awards & Nominations: 2 nominations
Return to Paradise is a film that, while attempting to explore the complexities of morality and responsibility, falls short of its lofty ambitions. The talented cast, including a surprisingly nuanced performance from Vince Vaughn, is let down by a script that relies too heavily on contrivances and B-movie suspense tricks. While the Prisoner’s Dilemma at the heart of the story is intriguing, the film ultimately feels like a “dilemma of the week” TV movie, lacking the depth and nuance necessary to truly grapple with its weighty themes. Despite its flaws, Return to Paradise is an involving drama that raises important questions about our responsibilities to others, even if it doesn’t quite stick the landing.
Return to Paradise is a movie that will make you question your morals and ethics, but don’t worry, it won’t give you an existential crisis. The cast is great, especially Vince Vaughn who proves he’s more than just a funny guy. The story is involving and suspenseful, but it does have its flaws. Overall, it’s a solid drama that’s worth watching, just don’t expect it to change your life.
Production Company(ies)
Greenwich Film Productions, Herald Ace Nippon Herald Films,
Distributor
MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Polygram, United Artists
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Eastern State Penitentiary – 2124 Fairmont Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language, drug content, some sexuality and a scene of violence
Year of Release
1998
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 49m
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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): Aug 10, 1998 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 9, 2002
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Joaquin Phoenix, Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche, David Conrad, Vera Farmiga, Nick Sandow, directed by Joseph Ruben, written by Pierre Jolivet, Olivier Schatzky, Wesley Strick, Bruce Robinson, drama, R rating, Steve Golin, Alain Bernheim produced, reviewed by Owen Gleiberman, Peter Travers, Kenneth Turan, Roger Ebert, Maitland McDonagh, Anthony Miele, Michael E Grost, Dragan Antulov, Eugene Novikov, Leonard Schwarz, box office gross $8.3M, budget, Malaysia, drug possession, death sentence, moral dilemma, orangutans, hash, prison, lawyer, Hollywood, schmaltz, The Hangover, fear of prison, media twist, tragic, chilling, suspense, ethics, friendship, decision-making, survival, justice, sacrifice, redemption, guilt, regret, remorse, drama, thriller, crime, prison, death penalty, legal drama, tropical setting, vacation, partying, illegal substances, human soul, profound exploration, B-movie suspense tricks, contrived script, fine cast, serious actor category, low-key performances, moral, thought-provoking, creative writing process, Hollywood story swings, conventional, uplifting, laughable final shot, twisted, tragedy, horror, suspenseful, emotional, heart-wrenching
Worldwide gross: $8,341,087
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $15,307,071
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,811
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,669,255
US/Canada gross: $8,341,087
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $15,307,071
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,489
US/Canada opening weekend: $2,465,129
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $4,523,859
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,113
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Anne Heche – Beth Eastern
Joaquin Phoenix – Lewis McBride
David Conrad – Tony Croft
Vera Farmiga – Kerrie
Nick Sandow – Ravitch
Director(s)
Joseph Ruben
Writer(s)
Pierre Jolivet, Olivier Schatzky, Wesley Strick, Bruce Robinson
Producer(s)
Steve Golin, Alain Bernheim
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (44) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (31) | Rotten (13)
September 7, 2011 | Rating: B+
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
It’s a painful prospect, to be sure, and Sheriff, in particular, insists he’s no hero, but the next hour or so of handwringing conjures little suspense.
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
What if director Joseph Ruben didn’t resort to B-movie suspense tricks? What if the fine cast wasn’t saddled with a shamelessly contrived script by Wesley Strick and Bruce Robinson?
May 11, 2001
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
TOP CRITIC
If it’s to be experienced at all, Return to Paradise is best seen as a lively piece of pulp, not a profound exploration of the vagaries of the human soul.
February 14, 2001 | Rating: 2.5/5
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
The real discovery … is Vince Vaughn, who didn’t make as much of a splash in Jurassic Park: The Lost World as he was expected to. Now he does.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/4
Bob Graham
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Like Sheriff and Tony, we’re pulled both ways by the story: We want them to go back and save Lewis, but we’re not exactly sure we’d do the same. That’s the Prisoner’s Dilemma in a nutshell.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3.5/4
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
Despite solid performances from the leads, it comes shrouded in a heavy cloud of ethics-class complications that makes it feel like a “dilemma of the week” TV movie.
October 4, 2009 | Rating: 2.5/4
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide
Vince Vaughn finally gives a performance putting him in the serious actor category, Joaquin Phoenix is notable and Anne Heche is believable as the impassioned attorney fighting for the life of her client.
December 6, 2005 | Rating: 3.5/5
Anthony Miele
Film Threat
Involving drama about our responsibilities to others.
January 24, 2005
Michael E. Grost
Classic Film and Television
The acting is generally good — Vaughn is very convincing as a man forced to make a difficult decision, while Joaquin Phoenix even more convincingly plays a man condemned to die.
July 28, 2004 | Rating: 6/10
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews
Return to Paradise is precisely the kind of film I tend to like; one which could go many ways, and one which, if done right, could have a true and profound moral. And it didn’t dissapoint.
May 22, 2003 | Rating: B
Eugene Novikov
Film Blather
Fine, low-key performances by Ann Heche as the attorney and Vince Vaughn and David Conrad as the two men she must persuade help sustain our interest in the characters. But after the wrong turn, the story feels as forced as it once was exciting.
May 20, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
Leonard Schwarz
Palo Alto Weekly…
Plot
Three friends share an exciting vacation in Malaysia, full of fun, drinks, women and hash. When the vacation is over, each have dreams of continuing their lives, and they all go their separate ways. One of them (Phoenix) remains on the tropical paradise to fulfill a dream of working with apes for research. Two years later, a lawyer (Heche) comes to New York and hunts down the other two friends to give some sad news. A few days after they left the island, police raided their camp and found amazingly large quantities of hash left about. Phoenix was still residing there, so he had to take the blame. He is set to be put to death in 8 days, and the only way the charges can be decreased is if the two friends come back to paradise and take their share of the responsibilty. If they do, they both will spend three years in prison. If only one does, he will spend six years behind bars…
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The real discovery in Return to Paradise is Vince Vaughn, who didn’t make as much of a splash in Jurassic Park: The Lost World as he was expected to. Now he does. – Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
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