Cocktail

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Cocktail
Cocktail movie poster.
Directed by	Roger Donaldson
Produced by	Ted Field Robert W. Cort
Written by	Heywood Gould (novel) Heywood Gould (screenplay)
Starring	Tom Cruise Bryan Brown Elisabeth Shue Gina Gershon Kelly Lynch Lisa Banes Laurence Luckinbill
Music by	Maurice Jarre
Cinematography	Dean Semler
Editing by	Neil Travis
Distributed by	Touchstone Pictures
Release date(s)	July 29, 1988 (USA)
Running time	103 min.
Country	USA
Language	English
Budget	$6 million
Gross revenue	$78,222,753 (USA)

Cocktail is a film released by Touchstone Pictures in 1988. It stars Tom Cruise as a talented and ambitious bartender who aspires to working in business and finds love while working at a bar in Jamaica.

Plot

After leaving the Army and moving to New York City, Brian Flanagan (Cruise) gets a part-time job as a bartender at T.G.I. Friday's while studying for a business degree (which he needs to get a job in marketing). At first Brian is a terrible bartender, revealed in a montage of his screw ups. Over time, he learns the tricks of the trade from his boss/mentor Doug Coughlin (Bryan Brown). Brian and Doug soon become very close; Doug readily assumes a mentor role over the young and naïve Brian, and rains advice and opinions down upon him. His advice takes a familiar structure as he usually begins most of them with "Coughlin's Law". An example of his expert advice, which actually turns out to be quite poignant, is "Coughlin's Law: Drink or be gone!" Other pearls include: "Bury the dead, they stink up the joint." and "Anything else is always something better."

While Brian has high personal aspirations, Doug is leery of the notion of starting their own bar together. Doug intends to call his bar: Cocktails & Dreams.

Brian and Doug sing a song about their favourite drink, Gordon's Gin. "Gordon's is my favourite drink, It's very easy to sink, sink, sink. And we'll drink it now, we'll drink it then. We'll drink it till we cause mayhem. Mayhem, mayhem, mayhem."

Eventually, Brian and Doug's bar-tending act becomes popular and they end up working at a trendy nightclub catering to New York's wealthy and elite, the type of establishment where yuppies spout poetry from the top of the rafters for all patrons to hear. As their popularity rises, Brian becomes the focus of attention from a sultry brunette named Coral (Gina Gershon). Quickly, they elevate their friendship into a wild sexual relationship. Glib Doug doubts that any woman would be so attracted to such a "loser" as Brian and during a free throw shooting competition where Brian hits 10 free throws in a row, Doug bets him Coral will leave him by week's end, essentially doubting there is anything special about the seemingly perfect relationship shared between the two. Unbeknownst to Brian, Doug lies to Coral about secrets being shared by Brian about her, and secures his bet by bedding the hot brunette. Brian is very upset and fights with Doug in the bar/on the job, essentially ending his informal partnership with the older, wiser, and now relaxed, Doug.

Brian, taking advice from his former girlfriend, takes a job in Jamaica as a bartender to raise money for his own place, far away from the hustle, bustle and poetic yuppies of Manhattan. He finds a romantic partner in Jordan Mooney (Elisabeth Shue). Jordan is an aspiring artist from New York who is also a loser waitress. She and Brian fall for each other. Doug shows up in Jamaica, now married to Kerry (Kelly Lynch), a wealthy woman who openly flirts with other men and wears tarzan-like bikinis. Doug quickly asserts himself and bets Brian to be the first to sleep with a barfly named Bonnie (Lisa Banes), a wealthy older woman. Jordan catches Brian in the act and is devastated. She takes an overnight plane home to New York City.

With his dreams of fondling Jordan sailing away on a 737 back to NYC, Brian decides to "upstage" Doug and return to New York with the cougar-esque Bonnie under the auspicies that he will be placed high up in her company due to their romantic attachment. Brian becomes impatient as the payoff is too slow and irritated by her athleticism. They have a blowup during an art exhibition where Brian gets into a fight with the unshaven artist. As they cut ties, Brian, displaying wisdom one can only assume has been gleaned from his former mentor, states: "All things end badly. Otherwise they wouldn't end!"

Brian then seeks out Jordan. Much to his surprise, Brian learns that she is pregnant with his child. He embarks on a journey to win over the independent Jordan and prove to her that, despite being just a lowly bartender, he would make a worthy father. While pursuing Jordan, Brian also learns that her family is very wealthy, and he goes to her parents' Park Avenue penthouse to speak with Jordan. Unhappy with the situation, Jordan's father, Richard (Laurence Luckinbill), attempts to buy Brian off. Brian is forced to decide between the money offered which would surely help him get his bar started versus a life with Jordan and his child. Brian refuses the money. Jordan keeps her distance, not wanting to be hurt, again, by the thoughtless creep Brian.

During this time in Brian's lackluster life, he meets up with his old mentor, the aging Doug. Despite the outward appearance that Doug is living the good life (nightclubs, fancy clothes, expensive bottles of liquour, rich mahogany appointments in his yacht, etc.), Doug confides in Brian the end is near for him as his wife's money is nearly gone, lost in the stock market. Doug is despondent about his situation, unwilling to confess to his new bride the precarious monetary position they are in. Brian is completely shocked by the news. Then Doug takes one for the team (kills himself). Brian discovers him dead in his yacht. Doug's wife sends Brian a letter left for him by Doug, which is revealed to be Doug's suicide note in which he explains why he did what he did. Brian cries after reading the letter and realizing Doug's life was a sham.

Now reeling from the misfortune of the stiff-arm from Jordan and losing his best friend to suicide, he goes to Jordan's father's home (where Jordan is staying) and begs her forgiveness. He further promises to take good care of her and their unborn child. Brian has a brief scuffle with Jordan's father's staff, then takes the willing Jordan by the hand and heads for the door. They leave together, finally, as a couple and future mother and father. Jordan's father pledges not to lend a dime to the fledgling couple. Using the advice of the other (better) mentor in his life, his Uncle Pat Ron Dean, Brian is able finally achieve his lifelong goal, he opens a bar called "Flanagan's Cocktails & Dreams". Brian and Jordan have their wedding reception at the smoky bar while Jordan is visibly pregnant. Just before the credits roll, Jordan reveals she is pregnant with twins. Brian offers his patrons free drinks to celebrate the news, much to his Uncle Pat's chagrin.

Critical reception

Despite the film's success at the box office, the film won two Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay and Tom Cruise was nominated as Worst Actor.

Many continuity mistakes are obvious even at first viewing of the film.

Soundtrack

1. "Wild Again" - Starship (formerly 'Jefferson Starship')
2. "Powerful Stuff" - The Fabulous Thunderbirds
3. "Since When" - Robbie Nevil
4. "Don't Worry, Be Happy" - Bobby McFerrin
5. "Hippy Hippy Shake" - The Georgia Satellites
6. "Kokomo" - The Beach Boys
7. "Rave On!" - John Cougar Mellencamp
8. "All Shook Up" - Ry Cooder
9. "Oh, I Love You So" - Preston Smith
10. "Tutti Frutti" - Little Richard

Extra tracks

1. "Addicted to Love" - Robert Palmer
2. "Shelter of Your Love" - Jimmy Cliff
3. "This Magic Moment" - Leroy Gibbons
4. "When Will I Be Loved" - The Everly Brothers (uncredited)

Chart positions

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Cocktail (film)

• Cocktail at the Internet Movie Database
• Cocktail at Allmovie
• Cocktail at Rotten Tomatoes
• Cocktail at Box Office Mojo