3000 Miles to Graceland (2001)

Director:

Demian Lichtenstein

Writers:

Richard Recco (written by) and
Demian Lichtenstein (written by)

Release Date:

23 February 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Crime Is King.

Plot:

A gang of ex-cons rob a casino during Elvis convention week.

Plot Keywords:

Shot In The Face | Elvis | Hit By Car | Elvis Presley | Bow And Arrow

Awards:

8 nominations

Cast

Kurt Russell	...	Michael Zane
Kevin Costner	...	Thomas J. Murphy
Courteney Cox	...	Cybil Waingrow
Christian Slater	...	Hanson
Kevin Pollak	...	U.S. Marshal Damitry
David Arquette	...	Gus
Jon Lovitz	...	Jay Peterson
Howie Long	...	Jack, Gang Pilot
Thomas Haden Church	...	U.S. Marshal Quigley
Bokeem Woodbine	...	Franklin
Ice-T	...	Hamilton, Gunman
David Kaye	...	Jesse Waingrow
Louis Lombardi	...	Otto Sinclair, Boise Lawyer
Shawn Michael Howard	...	Roller Elvis
Michael Kopsa	...	Jefferson

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, sexuality and language.

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Spain:18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Philippines:R-18 | Singapore:M18 | Canada:18A (British Columbia) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:18 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Singapore:PG (censored version) | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Portugal:M/16 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

2400 Motel on Kingsway, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Franchise Pictures

Trivia:

At the beginning of the movie, Kurt Russell's character (dressed as Elvis) steps out of a car, and a kid comes running up to him and kicks him in the shin. This is an inside joke which refers to It Happened at the World's Fair (1963) in which Russell played a kid who runs up to (the real) Elvis Presley, and kicks him in the shin.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The quintet of robbers enters the Riviera Casino from Fremont St. The Riviera is about a mile from Fremont St.

Quotes:

Peterson: Are you gonna kill me?
Murphy: Not 'til you get the safe open.
[Murphy smiles]
Murphy: Now that's a joke. Open the safe.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs The Wild Bunch (1969)

Soundtrack:

Far Away

Costner is King!

Directed with a slightly overused yet still very affective "artsy" style by relative Hollywood virgin Demian Lichtenstein, GRACELAND starts with a bang. Judging from the television spots and theatrical trailers one would assume the film revolves around the slowly bubbling brewing plan to knock off a Vegas casino dressed as Elvises on International Elvis Night. But that is where you would be wrong. The ten minutes of nonstop action that are a result of the casino robbery (and in a weird dimension almost mirror the bank robbery scene in HEAT)happen in the first ten minutes of the movie; the other 120 minutes, revolve around the aftermath and repercussions of the bloodbath.

Costner, who I swear to God will never do wrong in my eyes, does well for himself departing from the usual character and plays a bad guy. The great thing about this film is that all the characters are bad guys, we just have to decide how bad they are and how much we want to let ourselves care about them. Costner, is the baddest of them all, and eventually it becomes clear that the bad guy we are supposed to care about is the one played by the best "Average Guy" actor of all time---- Kurt Russell (remember BREAKDOWN?)

In any case we have the romance, Courtney Cox and Russell. We have the bloody, cold hearted illegitimate (possibly) son of Elvis, Costner. We have the two cops chasing them, Kevin Pollack and Thomas Haden Church who compliment each other with wonderful chemistry. And we have the slew of supporting actors that plug up any possible holes the film might (but doesn't) have; Howie Long, David Arquette, Bokeem Woodbine (a Black Elvis), Ice-T, Christian Slater. Blah Blah Blah.

This film on the whole becomes the first film in quite some time that I know I will see multiple times in the theater, and one that I am sure I will eventually know all the words to. Making it the fourth of the Costner Movies I can recite word for word (Robin Hood, Tin Cup, Postman)

The relatively young director also made a unique decision in the editing of the film, allowing both of its stars, (Costner and Russell) cut their own version of the film. Costner's version concentrated more on the action, the blood, the guts, the death, the explosion, the "F" word with a strange annunciation of the "G". And Russell's focused on the budding, and slowly blossoming love between Cox and himself. Costner's cut won, but I can't see anywhere that film lacks because of it. overall this is one of the most fully fleshed, well rounded films I have seen in quite a while.

I loved it.

A-