Jackie Brown
EveryQuentin Tarantinomovie borrows from previous movies – likeDjango Unchainedtaking its Italian sandwich ’s name from Sergio Corbucci’sDjango , orInglourious Basterdstaking its misspelt title from Enzo G. Castellari’sThe Inglorious motherfucker – butJackie Brownis , as of yet , the author - director ’s only straight adaptation of late source material . It was based on the Elmore Leonard novelRum Punch , with the title vary to suitthe blaxploitation aesthetic that Tarantino brought to the board .
With a cast featuring blaxploitation legend Pam Grier , Tarantinoregular Samuel L. Jackson , Oscar candidate Robert Forster , and an uncharacteristically chasten Robert De Niro , Jackie Brownhas some fantastic performance . So , here are all the major performances inJackie Brown , ranked .
Michael Bowen As Det. Mark Dargus
Michael Bowen plays the detective who teams up with Michael Keaton ’s ATF agent eccentric , Ray Nicolette , and finish up getting duped by Jackie when she claims that Melanie ran off with the money . For the most part , Bowen plays second violin to Keaton throughout the movie , so he does n’t really put up out on his own .
Bowen has since gone on to re - collaborate with Tarantino onKill Bill , in which he played the distorted hospital orderly Buck , andDjango Unchained , in which he played one of the trackers .
Bridget Fonda As Melanie Ralston
The point of the Melanie part is that she ’s really annoying . She ’s so plaguy that Louis randomly resolve to burgeon forth her dead in the heart of a parking lot during the climactic job .
So , while Bridget Fonda does a good line of work of bring Melanie ’s irritating nature to the sieve , almost getting the audience on control panel with Louis ’ snap decisiveness to kill her , that ’s kind of a negative matter .
Chris Tucker As Beaumont Livingston
One year before he would join the heavy leagues witha lead role alongside Jackie Chan inRush Hour , Chris Tucker played a minor role inJackie Brown . Beaumont Livingston does n’t last very long , as he ’s picked up by Ordell Robbie , driven out to a secluded dapple , and toss off .
But Tucker bet the role brilliantly , shining with his signature funny personality before a all-inclusive audience was conversant with that comic personality . Quentin Tarantino is famed for casting fading stars in his picture , like Pam Grier in the titular function of this one , but he does n’t get enough credit for cast rising stars in early roles .
Michael Keaton As Ray Nicolette
Long before he ’d be consider Oscar - suitable endowment due to powerhouse performance in films likeBirdmanandSpotlight , Michael Keaton played an ATF agent name Ray Nicolette inJackie Brown . It ’s one of Keaton ’s most nuanced and underrated turn .
Elmore Leonard , who publish the novel thatJackie Brownis found on , is known for have a huge cast of fibre that dim in and out of each other ’s stories . Nicolette reappeared inOut of Sight , which was adapt for the screen by Steven Soderbergh , and Keaton reprise the role in that plastic film , bringing a little clump of the interconnective tissue paper of the Leonard - verse to the big screen .
Robert De Niro As Louis Gara
Apparently , when Robert De Niro first got a time lag of the book forJackie Brown , he was drawn to the function of Max Cherry . Tarantino had already cast Robert Forster as Max and did n’t require to put back him as he was perfectly suitable to the part , but as a vast rooter ofTaxi Driver , he still wanted to work with De Niro , so he offer him the character of Louis instead .
Considering Louis was n’t the role he initially wanted to wreak , De Niro does a all right line of play the quality as a nerveless - as - ice , hard - as - nails badass . De Niro transferredthe stony - present sternness of character reference like Max Cadyto the role of Louis .
Samuel L. Jackson As Ordell Robbie
After the succeeder ofPulp Fiction , it would ’ve been easy for Tarantino to save a 2d - rate Jules Winnfield for Samuel L. Jackson to play inJackie Brown . That part made him an icon ( and an Oscar campaigner ) a couple of years earlier , so Tarantino could ’ve taken what work about that character – sweary soliloquy , trigger-happy outbursts , a raging temper – and cloned him for a use inJackie Brown .
But Ordell Robbie is a different kind of lineament . He does n’t fly off the handle;he’ll just restfully raise his gun and kill someone , apropos of nothing . He still has soliloquy , but they ’re more laidback thanJules ’ monologues . Jackson has said that Ordell is one of his favourite characters he ’s played , while Tarantino has holler him the soul of the movie .
Robert Forster As Max Cherry
Subtlety is not one of Tarantino ’s strong lawsuit . His movies work bestwhen the screen is painted with bloodand gobs of gun are being give the axe and Samuel L. Jackson is yelling the word “ motherf*cker . ” But Robert Forster ’s Oscar - name carrying out inJackie Brownbrings a pregnant degree of nuance to the tabular array .
Tarantino ’s love tarradiddle are unremarkably ground on musical genre tropes , likeVincent Vega and Mia Wallace ’s flirtations inPulp Fiction , or come after the structure of a fairy story , like Django and Broomhilda ’s marriage inDjango Unchained . But thanks to Forster ’s believable on - concealment chemistry with Pam Grier , the feelings between Jackie and Max feel authentic .
Pam Grier As Jackie Brown
When Pam Grier first came into Quentin Tarantino ’s office to discuss the role of Jackie Brown , she was surprised to find the walls spread over in posters for her movies . She remember he put them up on the wall just because she was number over , but he told her that those poster were always up there . When Tarantino has a exceptional phylogenetic relation for an actor , because he grew up adore their movies , like Harvey Keitel or Kurt Russell , then he gives them a lot of freedom with their carrying into action .
That was certainly the caseful with Grier , whose turn as Jackie led to a much - merit career comeback . Grier does n’t flirt Jackie as an air air hostess in over her top dog ; she plays her as a nimble - witted criminal Einstein . And her likability make her one of Tarantino ’s easiest supporter to root for .
NEXT : Inglourious Basterds : Every Major Performance , Ranked
