When Mel Gibson’s peak years as a movie star are examined, it can usually be agreed that his 1987-2002 streak was pretty undeniable, kicking off with Lethal Weapon in 1987 and ending with Signs in 2002. During this period, there was arguably no bigger star, but one of his movies that often falls through the cracks is Tequila Sunrise, which has just gotten a beautiful new 4K from Arrow Video.
A slick crime thriller with three eighties megastars
A slick crime thriller from 1988, it was one of only a handful of movies directed by famed screenwriter Robert Towne (writer of Chinatown). It paired Gibson with two other eighties megastars — Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell. While a solid hit, it’s often overlooked because it doesn’t really qualify as an action film, as the body count is kept to a minimum — it’s more of a romantic drama with some thriller elements baked in. As a kid, I thought it was deadly dull, but it’s a movie I’ve grown to like quite a bit as an adult, simply for the reason that they really don’t make movies like this anymore.
In it, Gibson plays Dale McKussic, a former cocaine dealer trying to go straight. He was so wildly successful in the business that seemingly everyone in L.A. County — including cops and crooks — knows he was a big-timer, yet no one could ever pin anything on him. Yet, he wants to earn an honest living, with him having a young son who’s starting to ask questions about what he does. He’s also head-over-heels in love with a local restaurateur, Michelle Pfeiffer’s Jo Ann Vallenari, but he’s so self-conscious about his reputation that he’s never asked her out, even though he still eats at her restaurant five nights a week.
Kurt Russell is the cop on his trail
The problem for Dale is that the cops are after him because they know he can ID a drug lord named Carlos, whom no one has ever seen but him. He happens to be best friends with a narcotics detective, Nick Frescia (Kurt Russell), who’s working the case, but there’s little he can do to keep him out of the crosshairs of a none-too-bright DEA agent, played by the late J.T. Walsh, especially when it’s learned that Carlos is coming back to town.
While this all sounds like it could add up to a potentially violent thriller, that’s not exactly writer-director Towne’s vibe. Instead, it’s low-key, with a lot of time spent setting up McKussic’s laid-back Southern California lifestyle and the games Frescia plays to nab Carlos, with him using Jo Ann as a pawn, even if — like Dale — he starts to fall for her too. Even once Carlos enters the picture, it never really goes where you think it will, with the late, great Raul Julia playing perhaps the most likable, affable drug lord of all time. He legitimately cares about Dale and his future, even if his feelings that Jo Ann is a liability put them on a potentially violent collision course.
Tequila Sunrise is more about relationships than action
Towne’s movie is mostly about relationships, with the drug dealer — Dale — far more pure in his intentions than the cop character played by Russell. In a lot of ways, this movie set the template for the characters Gibson would play over the next decade and a half, with him laid-back and charming. Even by the time he did Lethal Weapon 3, a lot of the charm he brings to McKussic works its way into the Riggs character. His chemistry with Pfeiffer, who is dazzlingly beautiful, is strong, even if it would be the only time they would team up (although she would re-team with Russell for The Madison).
The movie also looks terrific, having been shot by master DP Conrad Hall, who found himself nominated for an Oscar. This is especially true if you watch it in 4K, as the movie has never looked so good on home video. The disc contains a few solid extras, including a commentary with producer Thom Mount and an interesting featurette where he admits that Towne, despite being a great writer, was a handful and that Hall often filled in for him as the one calling the shots on set.
While somewhat dated in that it’s very much a product of the eighties — especially the pop-song-filled soundtrack, which includes the power ballad “Surrender to Me” by Ann Wilson and Robin Zander — that’s part of the charm. If you like the eighties and sexy thrillers, the new 4K disc presents Tequila Sunrise in the best format possible short of a mint 35mm print. I highly recommend making a purchase when it hits 4K on September 15th.
