Line #22 Film/HolySmoke


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/0144715_big.jpg]]
2
3	A 1999 comedy-drama film directed by Creator/JaneCampion, starring Creator/KateWinslet and Creator/HarveyKeitel.
4
5	While on a spiritual journey of discovery in exotic India, beautiful young Australian Ruth Barron (Winslet) falls under the influence of a charismatic religious guru. Her desperate parents then hire PJ Waters (Keitel), a macho American cult deprogrammer who confronts Ruth in a remote desert hideaway. But PJ quickly learns that he's met his match in the sexy, intelligent and iron-willed Ruth.
6
7	----
8	!!Tropes:
9	* BittersweetEnding: PJ's many attempts to cure Ruth and win her love all fail. A year later, they've both settled down, found different lovers and had children but still manage to profess their love for one another from afar.
10	* {{Deprogram}}: PJ is a deprogrammer called an "exit counselor" who's hired by Ruth's family to break her from what they believe is Indian guru Baba's indoctrination. However, he falls for Ruth while doing so.
11	* FanDisservice:
12	** A distressed, naked Ruth having lit the tree and her sari on fire.
13	** Harvey Keitel is a red dress.
14	* GirlOnGirlIsHot: PJ watches in lust as Ruth dances and makes out with another woman in a club.
15	* ItDoesntMeanAnything: Ruth's refusal to get emotionally intimate with PJ after sex and believes it was only a casual thing.
16	* ItMeantSomethingToMe: PJ falls in love with Ruth after having sex with her and tries to be with her, believing it was something special. It does not go well.
17	* KavorkaMan: PJ is not particuarly good-looking. Even so, he has sex with ''two'' different beautiful (and [[MayDecemberRomance much younger]]) women during the film, Ruth and Yvonne, while it's also revealed he's got a committed girlfriend too, Carol, who's also quite attractive. Both of them even come onto him and not the opposite.
18	* MadLove: PJ goes mad trying to cure Ruth and ends up falling for her despite her reluctance.
19	* MayDecemberRomance: Though their ages aren't given specifically, Ruth has sex with PJ, who is clearly much older. Their actors have a 36 year age gap. [[ItDoesntMeanAnything She declares this meant nothing]], though he [[ItMeantSomethingToMe disagrees strongly]] and wants to be with her.
20	* MsFanservice: Ruth is a beautiful young woman, spending a large part of the film wearing a tight-fitting blouse which outlines her large bust, along with showing full frontal nudity in a couple scenes. She also makes out with another woman in a club, [[GirlOnGirlIsHot turning PJ on while he watches]].
21	* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: The Indian Guru Baba is clearly based on real life spiritual charlatans like [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Chinmoy Sri Chinmoy]].
22	* QueerEstablishingMoment: Ruth, after having sex with PJ, makes out with another woman in a club as he [[GirlOnGirlIsHot watches lustfully]].
23	* SexEqualsLove: What PJ believes after sleeping with Ruth.

Context Film / HolySmoke