The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
76%RT Audience Score: 70%
Awards & Nominations: 3 nominations
Smart, sharp-witted, and fueled by enjoyably over-the-top action, The Long Kiss Goodnight makes up in impact what it lacks in consistent aim
The Long Kiss Goodnight” is a wild ride that’s perfect for anyone who loves explosions, gun battles, and a healthy dose of sexual innuendo. Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson make an unlikely but hilarious duo, and their banter will have you laughing out loud. Sure, the plot might be a bit convoluted and the action scenes a bit over-the-top, but who cares when you’re having this much fun? So grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the ride. Just don’t forget to duck when the bullets start flying!
Production Company(ies)
Alexander Nanau Production, Samsa Film, HBO Europe,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for a substantial amount of strong bloody violence, and for strong language
Year of Release
1996
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital SDDS Dolby SR
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Nov 18, 2003
Genre(s)
Action
Keyword(s)
starring Geena Davis, Samuel L Jackson, Patrick Malahide, Craig Bierko, Brian Cox, David Morse, Stephanie Austin, Shane Black, directed by Renny Harlin, written by Shane Black, action, government assassin, amnesia, private detective, physical skills, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Jonathan Rosenbaum, David Ansen, Richard Corliss, Desson Thomson, Todd McCarthy, Geoff Andrew, David Nusair, Mal Vincent, Zofia Wijaszka, Mike Massie, Leigh Paatsch, MPAA rating R, producer Renny Harlin, Stephanie Austin, Shane Black
Worldwide gross: $89,456,761
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $170,750,191
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 781
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 18,620,522
US/Canada gross: $33,447,612
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $63,842,979
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 963
US/Canada opening weekend: $9,065,363
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $17,303,471
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 727
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $65,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $124,068,458
Production budget ranking: 298
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $66,810,865
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$20,129,132
ROI to date (est.): -11%
ROI ranking: 1,451
Samuel L. Jackson – Mitch Henessey
Patrick Malahide – Leland Perkins
Craig Bierko – Timothy
Brian Cox – Dr. Nathan Waldman
David Morse – Luke, Daedalus
Director(s)
Renny Harlin
Writer(s)
Shane Black
Producer(s)
Renny Harlin, Stephanie Austin, Shane Black
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
3 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (59) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (19)
Frankly, if I had to see either Harlin-Davis movie again, I’d opt for the klutzy unpleasantness of Cutthroat Island over the efficient if equally stupid unpleasantness of this 1996 release.
October 25, 2011
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
The Long Kiss Goodnight is the fall’s best summer movie.
February 16, 2011
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
Like the heroine, the movie has two personalities that smartly coexist.
February 16, 2011
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
There’s an excessive amount of excess — a mind-numbing plurality of firearm battles, vehicular explosions and brutally frank sexual talk.
February 16, 2011
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
“The Long Kiss Goodnight” has a jokey good time with its outlandish pyrotechnics and offbeat character interplay.
March 27, 2009
Todd McCarthy
Variety
TOP CRITIC
The only saving graces are Davis’s stripped-down, mean-as-a-wildcat portrayal of the Uzi-toting Charly, and Jackson’s engagingly ineffectual turn.
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
…a decent-enough actioner trapped within the confines of a wildly overlong misfire.
April 13, 2022 | Rating: 2/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
This movie is so bad that it needs to be seen to be fathomed.
March 10, 2022 | Rating: 1.5/4
Mal Vincent
The Virginian-Pilot
You wont be disappointed with cursing, extraordinarily skilled and smart Charly and warm, polite Samantha who, oftentimes, throws a knife around because “chefs do that”.
February 13, 2022 | Rating: B
Zofia Wijaszka
In Their Own League
With fast-paced adventure, detonative mayhem, a decent body count, and an unflinching approach to mouthy dialogue, the project is a shining example of an overlooked actioner.
September 14, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Despite its often basic action structure, there is enough substance in the script to intrigue those viewers who normally look down on movies loaded-up with blasts, blows and blood.
September 11, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5
Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)
The odd couple pairing of Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson is one of the film’s best assets, as the duo display terrific comedic chemistry.
December 26, 2018
Chelsea Steiner
The Mary Sue…
Plot
Samantha Caine, suburban homemaker, is the ideal mom to her 8 year old daughter Caitlin. She lives in Honesdale, PA, has a job teaching school and makes the best Rice Krispie treats in town. But when she receives a bump on her head, she begins to remember small parts of her previous life as a lethal, top-secret agent. Her old chums in the Chapter are now out to kill her so she enlists the help of a cheap detective named Mitch. As Samantha remembers more and more of her previous life, she becomes deadlier and more resourceful. Both Mitch and Charly proceed to do the killing thing, the bleeding thing and the shooting thing.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Geena Davis plays a schoolteacher and single mother who discovers she’s a well-trained government assassin in The Long Kiss Goodnight.
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