ACT I: WRITER MEETS DIRECTOR | ACT II: ACTORS MEET MORE ACTORS
ACT III: MOVIE MEETS MULTIPLEX
 On September 10, 1993, a major motion Picture—penned by future hotshot Quentin Tarantino, directed by action pro Tony Scott, and starring Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette—hit theaters with a brash fusion of stylized violence and whip-smart dialogue. It bombed. But True Romance was born again when it was released on video, achieving cult status among film geeks, rock stars, and regular Joes who got hip to Tarantino after 1994’s Pulp Fiction. Now, on the iconic flick’s 15th anniversary, you’d never guess the saga of an Elvis-obsessed loner who marries a hooker and flees to California with her pimp’s cocaine, was anything but a Hollywood hit. A few of its scenes—cue the Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper face-off—are held in mythic esteem. We corralled the stars and creators to reconstruct the secret historyof True Romance—the production screwups, the on-set madness, and the sex and violence that reverberate so strongly to this day.
[ACT I: BOY SCREENWRITER MEETS HOLLYWOOD]
Tony Scott (director): When I was directing The Last Boy Scout, my assistant was hanging out with this quirky guy named Quentin Tarantino, and he’d be around the set. She said, “You gotta read his script.” I said, “Yeah, right.”
Quentin Tarantino (screenwriter): When you’re a nobody, it’s murder to get anyone to read your scripts. So my thing was making the first page fantastic, with dialogue that grabbed you right away. The original True Romance script started with a long discussion about cunnilingus. Most people said the script was racist and that the grotesque violence would make people sick. I told Tony, “Read the first three pages. If you don’t like it, throw it away.”
Scott: He gave me two scripts: True Romance, which was his first script, and Reservoir Dogs. I’m a terrible reader, but I read them both on a flight to Europe. By the time I landed, I wanted to make both of them into movies. When I told Quentin, he said, “You can only do one.”
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Life Beyond Romance |
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We all know about Gandolifini and Pitt, but where’s everyone else? A lot can happen in 15 years—just ask Tom Sizemore.
Quentin Tarantino Directorial efforts include Pulp Fiction (1994) Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2 (2003, 2004), and the “Death Proof” part of Grindhouse (2007). Remains an indie icon despite that last credit.
Tony Scott Filming a remake of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, which, like Reservoir Dogs, features crooks named Mr. Blue and Mr. Brown.
Christian Slater Legal trouble stalled his momentum in the ’90s. Was reportedly Tasered off Paris Hilton’s roof by the LAPD during a 2005 party. Memo to Hollywood: Rewatch Heathers and give him another shot.
Patricia Arquette Starring in NBC’s Medium, the best of the crazy lady with crime-related visions series.
Val Kilmer Continued to portray pop-culture icons with roles as Batman and John Holmes. Voicing KITT in the remake of NBC’s Knight Rider series.
Gary Oldman Perfected playing crazed miscreants through 2001’s Hannibal. Has since mellowed into “good guy” role in Batman Begins.
Dennis Hopper Turn on your TV. Wait 30 seconds. He will materialize, dressed in black, shilling for Ameriprise. Not Blue Velvet scary, but…
Christopher Walken Parlayed turns in True Romance and Pulp Fiction into lesser appearances in every faux-Tarantino film, lately complemented with comedic flair.
Bronson Pinchot Agitated Janice Dickinson on The Surreal Life. And, um... Memo to Hollywood, No. 2: Rewatch Beverly Hills Cop.
Michael Rapaport Appeared as Phoebe’s slow-witted boyfriend on Friends. And as slow-witted husband in sitcom The War at Home. Is actually quick-witted in Maxim interviews.
Chris Penn RIP, 1965–2006
Saul Rubinek Played Larry David’s dentist, Dr. Funkhouser, on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Do not give him the finger—he’ll have you killed.
Tom Sizemore Appeared in Heat (1995) and Saving Private Ryan (1998). Then went to hell and back. At press time: still back. |
Scott got True Romance. Given his blockbuster track record (Top Gun, Days of Thunder) Harvey and Bob Weinstein, whose Miramax Films would also distribute Reservoir Dogs, came aboard as executive producers. Now Scott needed to find the right cast.
Christian Slater (Clarence Worley): I was making Unchained Heart in Minnesota when I got the script. Clarence, the lead character, was an oddball. Not your typical film hero. He obviously spent a lot of time alone, talking to his imaginary Elvis. His brain wasn’t all there.
Tarantino: For most first-time writers, the lead character is your stand-in. Clarence was me. If you’d asked me then if Christian Slater was right for the part, I’d have said no— he was too handsome. I was thinking of Robert Carradine.
Slater: I met Quentin during rehearsal and remember thinking that Clarence was a version of who he wanted to be. I had visions of guys like Quentin who worked in video stores and are energetic about movies, but could never really be Charles Bronson. Tony had a different take. He thought of Clarence as much cooler.
Scott: Christian and I watched Taxi Driver. Before that I think he saw Clarence as softer. I was chasing black fucking comedy, and Christian was looking at it as more of a comedy.
Int. Rae’s Restaurant—night
CLARENCE: Turnoffs?
ALABAMA: Persians.
Patricia Arquette (Alabama Whitman): My agent told me about this script for a Tony Scott movie. There was a lot I liked about it, but I didn’t like when Alabama was sort of racist. By now we’ve all gotten used to Quentin’s tone, but at the time I was somewhat shocked by it. I was asking myself, “What is this? Whoa!” I don’t know if the line about being turned off by Persians was in the script. Actually, every time we shot that scene, I would say a different ethnic group—I wanted to be equally offensive to all people.
Tarantino: When I wrote it, my ideal Alabama was Joan Cusack.
Arquette: Tony really wanted Drew Barrymore as Alabama. He was obsessed with her. He had pictures of her wearing little outfits. But I think she was unavailable.
Scott: We met with Patricia, and Christian had a woody from the first time he saw her. That made my life a lot easier. The viewer believing they’re in love comes from their chemistry. Patricia fell in love with Christian, and he with her. They had a true romance.
Arquette: The material led to this incredibly romantic, magnetized relationship. Christian is charming and funny, and there was a sexual attraction between us.
Slater: It was love at first sight. But working with Patricia was tricky, because I was in a relationship. We both made attempts to be profe |