Boogie Nights

Everyone has one special thing.

Promo Materials | Interviews | Production Notes | Trivia | Deleted Scenes | Awards & Reviews


In 1977, Eddie Adams is a high school dropout who lives with his father and alcoholic mother in Torrance, California. He works at a Los Angeles nightclub owned by Maurice Rodriguez, where he is discovered by porn director Jack Horner, who auditions him by watching him having sex with Rollergirl, a porn starlet who always wears skates. After agreeing to enter the world of pornography, he gives himself the screen name "Dirk Diggler", and becomes a star because of his good looks, youthful charisma, and extraordinarily large penis. 


Mark Wahlberg as Eddie Adams/"Dirk Diggler"
Burt Reynolds as Jack Horner
Julianne Moore as Maggie/"Amber Waves"
Heather Graham as Brandi/"Rollergirl"
John C. Reilly as Reed Rothchild
Don Cheadle as Buck Swope
Nicole Ari Parker as Becky Barnett
William H. Macy as "Little" Bill Thompson
Nina Hartley as "Little" Bill's wife
Thomas Jane as Todd Parker
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Scotty J.
Melora Walters as Jessie St. Vincent
Robert Ridgely as Colonel James
Philip Baker Hall as Floyd Gondolli
Michael Jace as Jerome
Alfred Molina as Rahad Jackson
Luis Guzmán as Maurice Rodriguez
Ricky Jay as Kurt Longjohn
Joanna Gleason as Dirk's mother
Laurel Holloman as Sheryl Lynn
Michael Penn as Nick
Robert Downey Sr. as Burt
John Doe as Amber's ex-husband

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Written by Paul Thomas Anderson 
Produced by Paul Thomas Anderson, Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levitt
Music by Michael Penn
Cinematography Robert Elswit
Editing by Dylan Tichenor
Distributed by New Line Cinema
Release date(s) October 10, 1997
Running time 155 minutes 
Budget $15 million
Box office $43,101,594

PROMO MATERIALS

THEATRICAL TRAILER

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Premiere Photos - October 15th, 1997


     
     
     

PROMOTIONAL ITEMS

     
     
   

INTERVIEWS

Addicted To Noise · AOL/ Premiere Chat · Boogie Nights Script Intro · Buffalo News
The Charlie Rose Show · Cinematractions Q&A · Cleveland Sun · Creative Screenwriting
Daily Mail & Guardian · Details Magazine · Detroit News · Roger Ebert Q&A
Empire Magazine · Entertainment Weekly · Esquire Magazine · Fresh Air Transcript · Film Ink George Mason University · Girls On · Greg King · The Guardian · Hollywood Reporter
Independent On Sunday · Los Angeles Daily Mail · LA Times · LA Times (2) · Now Magazine
Neon Magazine · NYFF Q&A · People Magazine Chat · Philadelphia Daily Paper
Philadelphia Daily News · Playboy - 20 Questions · PTA & Mike Figgis · Premiere (French)
Premiere (UK) · Roger Ebert Interview · Rough Cut Q&A · San Diego Tribune
San Diego Tribune (2) · San Jose Mercury News · Seattle Times · Seattle Times (2)
Sight And Sound · Sundance Online · Swirling Sphere · Telegraph Magazine · Toledo Blade
Toronto Eye Magazine · Toronto Sun · Total Film (UK) · Uncut Magazine (UK)
USA Today · Washington Post

PRODUCTION NOTES

Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, Don Cheadle, William H. Macy (Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nominee for Fargo), Heather Graham, John C. Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ricky Jay and Joanna Gleason star in the ensemble cast of New Line Cinema's Boogie Nights. Set to debut at the Toronto Film Festival in September, the film features a Capitol Records soundtrack infused with classic songs from the '70s and '80s. Written, produced and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film is produced by Lloyd Levin, John Lyons and Joanne Sellar, with Lawrence Gordon as executive producer.

Boogie Nights follows an extended family of filmmakers who struggle to redefine and revolutionize the adult entertainment industry. Led by an idealistic producer (Burt Reynolds) who dreams of elevating his craft into an art form, this film takes a behind-the-scenes journey into the turbulent lives of those who rise and fall in a misunderstood underworld.

"Boogie Nights takes on the adult entertainment industry the way Goodfellas explored organized crime or The Player exposed the cutthroat nature of studio politics," explains Michael DeLuca, President and Chief Operating Officer of New Line Productions. "The script had such a well-crafted canvas of characters, we were able to lure actors who might not have ordinarily considered this kind of provocative material."

The film also captures an authentic snapshot of Los Angeles during the late 1970s and early 1980s -- an era when disco and drugs were in vogue, fashion was in flux and the party never seemed to stop.

This unique time in American pop-cultural history attracted writer/director Anderson. "The story takes place from 1977 to 1984, and I have very specific memories of the way Los Angeles looked and felt," Anderson explains. "The story dictated the time, and it just happened to set itself in a wonderful period of music and fashion," he says. Attention was paid to the most minute details regarding the music, costumes, hairstyles and dance moves. "It was tricky just keeping track and monitoring the time lines," says the 26-year-old filmmaker.

Anderson set out to write a story that had a large and complicated cast of characters, which proved to be a challenge because of the enormity of the project. But at the same time, completing the feat on schedule with a modest budget was his greatest reward.

At the heart of the story is how the various players in an adult film production company come together to form a makeshift family -- comically dysfunctional in many ways -- but a family nonetheless. Their lives are intertwined in shared experiences that range from the successful highs to the brooding lows. "These characters are all searching for their dignity. They're just trying to find themselves," says Anderson.

The main character, Eddie Adams, who changes his name to Dirk Diggler, is played by Mark Wahlberg, who knew immediately upon reading Anderson's script that he wanted the role. "I put the script down and thought, 'Well this guy is a genius.' He's telling a story here that is so funny, disturbing and totally original, it's wonderful," says Wahlberg. With that in mind, he joined the project with complete trust in Anderson's vision.

"This is a difficult story to tell. People are scared of this material," says Wahlberg, whose character becomes seduced by the "glamour" of the adult entertainment industry.

Wahlberg saw his role as an acute departure from his other on-screen personas. "People put you in a category, and you can get stuck there. I was fortunate to get this part so I can step out and do something different," says Wahlberg. "Dirk's a very young, uneducated, innocent, gullible kid. He's just looking for love and finds it in this weird situation."

Burt Reynolds plays Jack Horner, who acts as a surrogate father to the members of his burgeoning porn production empire. Reynolds says, "There's no question that everyone in this film is damaged goods." On-set, Reynolds felt like the elder statesman -- much like the character he plays. Referring to the director, he jokes, "I got socks older than him."

"Jack doesn't think he's a filmmaker. He knows he's a filmmaker. And he knows how to get the best from his actors," says Reynolds. "I knew a lot of guys like Jack. He's very giving, and in a strange way, he's a hell of a good friend."

Playing the adult entertainment superstar Amber Waves, Julianne Moore sees Boogie Nights as "A film about the pursuit of stardom and the notion that it's inherently interesting to be a star no matter what the cost." Moore, who was drawn to the story immediately, adds, "I think people will be interested in the flawed nature of these people and how they're still trying to achieve something. One of the things Paul did so wonderfully was to present this world and allow you to make your own judgments about it."

Describing her character, Moore says, "Amber is fairly representative of the adult film actresses in that time period. She's given up all ties to anything else; she's completely immersed in this world. Even though Amber is seen as someone who is free, she has paid a high price for her lifestyle."

Working with two male icons at different ends of the spectrum, Moore observes, "Mark plays Dirk in such a refreshing and emotional manner. He's just very magnetic and charismatic in the part. With Burt, it was interesting to have an actor around who's had his level of experience in our industry playing this authority figure in the film. He's really remarkable in the role."

Heather Graham plays Rollergirl, who, like Dirk, is a child in this flawed family with Jack and Amber as substitute parents. "Hopefully, people will watch this film and get past the shock value, because it's a very human story," says Graham.

Boogie Nights marks the third time John C. Reilly, who stars as Reed Rothchild, has worked with Anderson. "Despite the sprawling nature of this story, you still get a real feel for each character, their individual quirks, personalities, weaknesses and strengths," he says. "Paul is real, and he's very frank. He doesn't fill in a lot between the lines."

Philip Seymour Hoffman, who plays Scotty J., has also worked with Anderson before. "He's a great audience and a great support system. He's incredibly talented intuitively," says Hoffman.

For Hoffman, Boogie Nights is "a film about people who are outside the realm of society, who are trying their best to be accepted. I think most people will probably be fascinated by the film because of the '70s. It was an awkward stage in America."

A character also wrapped up in the awkwardness of the '70s is Buck Swope, played by Don Cheadle. Buck goes through many fashion changes ranging from the "Midnight Cowboy" look to the "Commodores" style of clothing. According to Cheadle, "He doesn't stay in one look long enough for it to really manifest because he's constantly searching for his identity. Buck finds the acceptance he is desperately seeking in this 'family'."

"All these people are deficient in some way, and they need to be a part of something. This world provides Buck the ability to be a part of something."

For Cheadle, one of the most memorable aspects of Boogie Nights was the unique atmosphere on the set. He says, "Paul is one of the few directors I've worked with who doesn't say 'action' every time. Sometimes the camera just starts rolling, and he lets you go. It was very loose."

William H. Macy, who plays Little Bill, agrees and adds, "Paul's shots are wonderfully well-chosen because all of them tell the story. He's got a great eye, and he loves actors." Macy also points out that Boogie Nights is one of the healthiest sets he's ever worked on in terms of handling sex scenes. "It was truly refreshing and amazing that no one was embarrassed. Everyone was really candid on the set because we were dealing with this subject of sex as a business."

Looking back on the `70s, Macy remembers, "For just a nanosecond, people actually thought adult entertainment was going to become a legitimate art form. Boogie Nights is a microcosm of that period of that time."

Macy's character is the older soul trying to be the moral conscience in an awkward world. He says, "My character's take on everything is, 'Isn't this a little odd? Does anybody else think that what we are doing is nuts?'" However, Macy sees that Little Bill's main flaw is his unwillingness to stand up for what he knows is wrong, and that makes him very repressed. "He lets it build up until it comes out violently. What happens with Little Bill is a great metaphor for the whole country," explains Macy.

 To create the look for Boogie Nights, Anderson turned to costume designer Mark Bridges for his expertise. Says Bridges, "This is a big nostalgia piece. I went for a slick, sexy look that epitomizes the late '70s. I looked through yearbooks and photo albums to try and remember the high points style wise, as well as the fashion milestones over the seven year period the film covers." Finding the right clothes took a lot of time and research. According to Bridges, "It's sort of a treasure hunt. It's been a little difficult because the '70s look is so popular now, and so the vintage stores in Los Angeles are really bare. I visited a combination of thrift stores, vintage shops and garage sales."

Choreographer Adam Shankman was brought in to teach the actors the accurate dance steps of that time. "This kind of dancing is so ingrained into the American consciousness. It's such a dear part of our history. Nothing really says 1970's like disco dancing."

Principal photography on Boogie Nights commenced on July 10, 1996 and was completed on October 4, 1996.

Courtesy of New Line

TRIVIA

Some of the influences on the script include: John Holmes, Shauna Grant, Corey Feldman, Corey Haim, David Hasselhoff, etc.

Leonardo DiCaprio was his first choice to play Dirk Diggler but he decided to do Titanic instead. Mark Wahlberg impressed him when he saw The Basketball Diaries & Fear.

Samuel L. Jackson was originally offered the role of Buck Swope but he just didn't get it & passed.

Tracking shot which follows the cast around & into Jack's pool was inspired by the film I Am Cuba.

The trailer for John Holmes's Eruption helped to inspire the split screen celebration/dance sequence.

New Line had originally planned on opening the movie in May 1997 as counter- programming to Steven Spielberg's The Lost World. MPAA problems & Paul helped nix that idea.

Paul had always thought the subtitle/tagline of the movie should be "It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt."

Veronica Hart (The Judge) along with Georgina Spelvin & Seka were the main inspirations for Amber Waves.

During the wedding reception scene, Jesse says, "I've never been to Las Vegas." and Buck replies, "Have you ever been to Niagra falls?" A nod to Hard Eight?

Many of the sequences for the films & the documentary footage was "inspired" by Julia St. Vincent's documentary, Exhausted: The John C. Holmes Story. Here's a few stills that might look familiar. One. Two.

Boogie was shown at the 7th Annual International Oslo Film Festival in Norway in November 1997.

Other festivals included the Toronto Film Festival (9/97), New York Film Festival (10/97)& Germany's FilmFest Emden (5/98).

According to Premiere Magazine (5/98), Ted Turner & Jane Fonda sent a personalized note to Paul expressing how much they loved the film.

Here's a nice breakdown of the opening tracking shot courtesy of those fine folks at Empire Magazine (U.K.).

Boogie Nights premiered on the FX Channel on July 9, 2000. PTA & his editor, Dylan Tichenor cut the TV version. All nudity was handled with strategically placed graphics. Much of the profanity was left intact or simply bleeped out (instead of being dubbed). Although it was not letterboxed, PTA was extremely happy with the presentation.

DELETED SCENES

Jack Meets Eddie
Reed's Nova
The Next Morning
John Holmes?
Scuba Sluts
Rollergirl & Dirk
Bill & His Wife #1
Jack & Colonel
Black Beauty
Young Stud
Montage
Bill & His Wife #2
Party Stuff
It's Really Small...
Becky & Jerome #1
It's Really Small... #2
Johnny Doe
A Terrible Thing to Waste...
Dirk to the Rescue
Becky & Mr. Brown
Party Boys
Rahad's Last Stand
Dirk Calls Scotty
Going Home
Reconciliation (Alternate)
Back to Work
Major Finale: This is a wildly different ending with Dirk's sex scene, Jessie's labor & Amber's son showing up all happening concurrently.

You can also check out my comparison of the Theatrical version to an early Workprint version of the film which also contains many extras bits not listed above.

AWARDS & REVIEWS

AWARDS

Academy Awards, USA (1998) 
Nominated Best Supporting Actor (Burt Reynolds)
Nominated Best Supporting Actress (Julianne Moore)
Nominated Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Apex Awards (1998) 
Won Actor in a Supporting Role (Burt Reynolds)
Won Actress in a Supporting Role (Julianne Moore)
Won Original Screenplay (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Nominated Film Editing (Dylan Tichenor)
Nominated Original Soundtrack Compilation Sound Effects

Boston Society of Film Critics Awards (1997) 
Won Best New Filmmaker (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Nominated Best Supporting Actor (Burt Reynolds)

British Academy Awards (1998) 
Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Burt Reynolds)
Nominated Best Screenplay – Original (Paul Thomas Anderson)

British Independent Film Awards (1998) 
Won Best Foreign Independent Film - English Language

Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards (1998) 
Nominated Best Picture

Casting Society of America, USA (1998)
Won Best Casting for Feature Film, Comedy (Christine Sheaks)

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards (1998)
Won Best Supporting Actor (Burt Reynolds)
Nominated Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Nominated Best Picture Best Supporting Actress (Julianne Moore)

Connecticut Film Critics Circle (1998)
Won Best Supporting Actress (Julianne Moore)
Nominated Best Original Screenplay (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Details Magazine Movie Awards (1998)
Won Movie of the Year
Won Director of the Year - PTA
Won Breakout of the Year (Female) - Heather Graham
Won Actress of the Year - Julianne Moore
Won Actor of the Year - Mark Wahlberg
Won Best Monster - Dirk's Dick
Won Best Undressed Female - Heather Graham
Won Best Sex Scene - Julianne Moore & Mark Wahlberg
Won Best Soundtrack
Runner Up Coolest Looking Movie

European Film Awards (1998)
Nominated Five Continents Award (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Fennecus Awards (1999)
Won Actress in a Limited Role (Joanna Gleason)
Nominated Actor in a Supporting Role (Burt Reynolds)
Nominated Original Screenplay (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Nominated Film Editing (Dylan Tichenor)
Nominated Compilation Soundtrack

Florida Film Critics Circle Awards (1998)
Won Best Ensemble Acting
Won Best Supporting Actress (Julianne Moore)

Golden Globes, USA (1998)
Won Best Performance -Actor in a Supporting Role - Motion Picture (Burt Reynolds)
Nominated Best Performance -Actress in a Supporting Role - Motion Picture (Julianne Moore)

Golden Satellite Awards (1998)
Won Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Drama (Burt Reynolds)
Won Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Drama (Julianne Moore)
Won Special Achievement Award - Best Ensemble Cast Performance
Nominated Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama (Mark Wahlberg)
Nominated Best Director of a Motion Picture (PT Anderson)
Nominated Best Motion Picture – Drama (PT Anderson, Lloyd Levin, John S. Lyons, Joanne Sellar)
Nominated Best Motion Picture Film Editing (Dylan Tichenor)
Nominated Best Motion Picture Screenplay – Original (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards (1997)
Won Best Supporting Actor (Burt Reynolds)
Won Best Supporting Actress (Julianne Moore)
Won New Generation Award (Paul Thomas Anderson)

MTV Movie Awards (1998)
Won Best Breakthrough Performance (Heather Graham)
Nominated Best Dance Sequence ("Cast of Boogie Nights")

National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA (1997)
Won Best Supporting Actor (Burt Reynolds)
Won Best Supporting Actress (Julianne Moore)

New York Film Critics Circle Awards (1997)
Won Best Supporting Actor (Burt Reynolds)

Online Film Critics Society Awards (1997)
Won Best Supporting Actor (Burt Reynolds)
Nominated Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Nominated Best Screenplay (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Online Motion Picture Academy Awards (1997)
Won Supporting Actor (Burt Reynolds)
Won Supporting Actress (Julianne Moore)
Nominated Drama Picture Film Editing (Dylan Tichenor)
Nominated Director (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Nominated Original Screenplay (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Nominated Costume Design (Mark Bridges)
Nominated Production Design (Bob Ziembicki (PD), Ted Berner (AD), Sandy Struth(SD))
Nominated Ensemble Cast

PEN's Literary Award Winners (1998)
Won Feature Film Screenplay (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Screen Actors Guild Awards (1998)
Nominated Outstanding Performance by a Cast
Nominated Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role (Julianne Moore)
Nominated Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Burt Reynolds)

Shadow Awards (1997)
Won Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Nominated Best Film (#5)
Nominated Best Actress (Julianne Moore)
Nominated Reader Awards
Nominated Won Best New Face (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Toronto Film Critics Association Awards (1998)
Nominated Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Toronto International Film Festival (1997)
Won Metro Media Award (Paul Thomas Anderson)- Tied with L.A. Confidential (1997)

Writers Guild of America, USA (1998)
Nominated Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Paul Thomas Anderson)