In 1954, in Austin, Texas, the sexy Nadine Hightower (Kim Basinger) pays a visit to the photographer Raymond Escobar (Jerry Stiller) begging him to retrieve the photos he took from her since she believed that he would show them to Hugh Hefner. He gives an envelope to her mistakenly with the plans of the route of a new road instead and while she is waiting to leave his office, he is murdered bu his client. Nadine becomes the prime suspect and when her ex-husband Vernon Hightower (Jeff Bridges) visits her asking to sign the divorce papers, he sees the documents and realizes that they are valuable. While Vernon wants to make money with the documents, the powerful criminal Buford Pope (Rip Torn) chases Nadine and Vernon to retrieve the plans.
"Nadine" is an entertaining romantic adventure, with Kim Basinger and Jeff Bridges showing a great chemistry. Maybe the best thing in this movie is the chance to see Kim Basinger in the top of her beauty and sensuality. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Nadine - Um Amor a Prova de Balas" ("Nadine – A Bullet Proof Love")
Nadine
1987
Comedy / Mystery / Romance
Nadine
1987
Comedy / Mystery / Romance
Keywords: texasmurderon the run
Plot summary
Working in an Austin, Texas, beauty parlour in 1954, Nadine Hightower endeavours to retrieve some 'art studies' she injudiciously had taken. Her visit to the photographer leaves him dead and her in possession of highly valuable plans of a proposed new road. With both the police and the murderous villains after her she enlists the help of her (almost) ex-husband Vernon, the none too successful owner of the Bluebonnet Bar. Fortunately the thugs are as much no-hopers as the Hightowers.—Jeremy Perkins {J-26}
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
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Entertaining Romantic Adventure
Surprisingly fun
I say 'surprisingly' because the rating is so low, I didn't know what to expect.
But it's a delightful little caper movie, driven (as all good movies are) by the performers and a tight script by Robert Benton, not known for his enjoyable caper movies!
Jeff Bridges all but steals the film from a delightful Kim Basinger, and the two of them together set the screen on fire. They are surrounded by some of the best character actors working today, including Rip Torn. As I was watching this I thought how smart Robert Benton is for casting real actors, and having the comedy come out of their behaviour and talent, rather than casting 'wacky comedians' and reducing the story to little bits.
A lot of fun, and worth seeing.
Why the low score?
I'm not sure where I was in 1987 when this film came out, but I saw it for the first time tonight, and I'd never heard of it. I found it highly entertaining.
Kim Basinger is Nadine, a pregnant, soon to be divorced woman living in small-town Texas in 1954. She posed for some "art studies" and wants to get them back from the sleazy photographer (Jerry Stiller) who told her that he knew Hugh Hefner. She's very insistent, so he lets her into his studio, even though he has an appointment coming, and sticks her in the back room. When he opens the door with what seems to be her file, he falls over, dead from a knife in the back. Nadine grabs her file and gets out of there. When she arrives home, the file has maps of an area of town in it. She lies to her ex-husband (Jeff Bridges) so that he will return to the studio with her; soon, they're on the run from the police - and the owner of the maps (Rip Torn).
This is a funny, fast-moving comedy with excellent performances from Bridges, Basinger, Torn, Stiller, Glenne Headley as Bridges' girlfriend, and Gwen Verdon, who plays Nadine's boss. Written and directed by Robert Benton, "Nadine" is a small film and an enjoyable one. Recommended.