A 1991 drama film directed by Nancy Savoca, starring River Phoenix and Lili Taylor.
Set in 1960s San Francisco, it's about a young Marine (Phoenix) meeting a young woman (Taylor) on his way to Vietnam and the two falling in love.
The film also stars E.G. Daily, Anthony Clark, Mitchell Whitfield, and Brendan Fraser.
It was released on October 4, 1991.
It was also adapted into a 2012 off-Broadway musical composed by Pasek And Paul and starring Lindsay Mendez and Derek Klena.
Tropes for the film:
- The '60s: Takes place from 1963-1967.
- '60s Hair: Rose has the Jackie Kennedy inspired shoulder-length flick.
- The Atoner: Eddie has second thoughts about the 'dogfight' before he even takes Rose into the club, and tries to get her to leave a couple of times. After he's exposed, he goes back to her diner to apologise and take her to dinner to make up for it.
- Beauty Inversion: In-universe. Marcie the eventual winner of the dogfight was advised to leave her false teeth out to look uglier, and therefore win.
- Bittersweet Ending: Eddie is discharged from the war with only a mild limp as a result of getting shot. Benjamin is definitely dead, and the other two are implied to be as well. But Eddie reunites with Rose, leaving it open for them to become a couple.
- Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: Eddie is less angsty than most examples, but Rose's gentle nature seems to encourage him to be a better person.
- Brawn Hilda: Ruth Two Bears, one of the dates for the dogfight, is a big intimidating woman.
- Cerebus Call-Back: It's played for comedy when Eddie's three buddies are getting bee tattoos, and he misses it because he's going around with Rose. In the epilogue, all three are implied to be dead (Benjamin definitely is), and Eddie reveals that he got bee tattoos as tribute to them.
- Cosmetic Catastrophe: Subverted. Rose puts on lipstick quite well, and Eddie suggests putting on more (really as a way to make her look less attractive). He does it himself for a predictably terrible result, and she cleans it herself.
- Dance of Romance: In the arcade, Eddie activates all the musical attractions and shares a dance with Rose. It's clear in this dance that he has fallen in love with her for real.
- Expository Hairstyle Change:
- Eddie has the front of his hair spiked up in the 1963 portions. After the Time Skip, he wears it flat.
- Rose has shoulder length hair with a thick fringe in 1963. By 1967, it's grown out and she wears it in a braid.
- Extremely Short Time Span: Aside from the epilogue, the whole film takes place over one evening right before Eddie is deployed to Vietnam.
- Family Theme Naming: The women in Rose's family are all called that; she was named after her mother, who likewise was named after hers etc.
- Fan Disservice: A middle-aged, overweight bartender shows off a tattoo he got of a dancer over his belly button, and jiggles his flab to make her dance.
- Friend Versus Lover: Eddie is having such a good time on his date with Rose (the real one that is) that he forgets he was to get tattoos with his friends.
- Irony: Eddie tries to get Rose to leave before the 'judging' in the dogfight, but she insists on staying because she wants a dance. Eddie was ironically trying to spare her feelings, but Rose insisting to stay leads to her finding out.
- It Will Never Catch On: Rose is only mildly aware of what's happening in Vietnam, and Eddie nonchalantly says he expects to be home in a couple of months.
- Lipstick-and-Load Montage: Rose gets a montage where she tries on different outfits for her date, back combs her hair and puts on make-up.
- Mood Whiplash: A comedic scene of the Four Bees playing cards in Vietnam turns suddenly horrific when they're mortared, Benjamin is killed and Eddie is wounded.
- Not So Above It All: Rose is a Nice Girl mainly, but lies to a local tailor that Eddie needs a jacket for a 'midnight mass' funeral so that he can take her to a fancy restaurant.
- Only in It for the Money: Marcie the prostitute knows the deal with the dogfight and grudgingly goes along with it to get a portion of the prize money.
- Period Piece: Takes place from 1963-1967, from the day before the Kennedy assassination to 1967, when Eddie returns home.
- Prank Date: The 'dogfight' is a challenge to pick a homely girl, bring her to a club and the one voted the ugliest wins the prize money.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Rose lays the verbal smackdown on Eddie and the other marines when she discovers the purpose of the dogfight. It comes complete with Do You Think I Can't Feel, on behalf of the other women.
- Service Sector Stereotypes: The waiter at the Chez Restaurant Eddie takes Rose to fits the trope perfectly; a snobby attitude who won't let them in because they don't have a reservation, and Eddie isn't wearing a jacket or tie.
- Shrinking Violet: Rose is very shy and doesn't go out much, and is likewise very reluctant to perform her music in public.
- Sophisticated as Hell: At their dinner date, Rose keeps reprimanding Eddie for cursing too much. But when the waiter takes their order, Rose adds a curse word before every item she orders."I'm going to have the fucking poached salmon, with the son-of-a-bitching rice, and a dirty bastard salad with a shitload of Roquefort dressing. Thank you. And um, who knows what this asshole wants."
- Time Skip: The next part of the film takes place three years later when Eddie returns and sees people protesting the Vietnam War.
- Troubled, but Cute: Eddie seems like a Jerkass at first and is quite boisterous, but comes to like Rose sincerely and is encouraged to become better.
- True Blue Femininity: Rose spends the majority of the film wearing a blue cardigan and blue hair band, emphasizing her nurturing femininity.
- "What Now?" Ending: The film ends as Eddie and Rose embrace in her cafe after his return from Vietnam.
