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Payback (1999/I)
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Overview
Release Date:
5 February 1999 (USA) moreTagline:
No More Mr. Nice Guy morePlot:
Porter is shot by his wife and best friend and is left to die. When he survives he plots revenge. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
2 wins & 2 nominations moreUser Comments:
Top-notch moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Mel Gibson | ... | Porter | |
| Gregg Henry | ... | Val Resnick | |
| Maria Bello | ... | Rosie | |
| David Paymer | ... | Arthur Stegman | |
| Bill Duke | ... | Det. Hicks | |
| Deborah Kara Unger | ... | Mrs. Lynn Porter | |
| John Glover | ... | Phil | |
| William Devane | ... | Carter | |
| Lucy Liu | ... | Pearl (as Lucy Alexis Liu) | |
| Jack Conley | ... | Det. Leary | |
| Kris Kristofferson | ... | Bronson | |
| Mark Alfa | ... | Johnny's Friend #2 | |
| Kwame Amoaku | ... | Radioman | |
| Justin Ashforth | ... | Michael, Bartender #1 | |
| Len Bajenski | ... | Fairfax Bodyguard #1 |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for strong violence, language, and drug and sexual content.Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
100 min | USA:90 min (director's cut)Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Color (DeLuxe)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 moreCertification:
Peru:14 | Philippines:R-18 | Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Argentina:13 | USA:R (certificate #36313) | Australia:MA | Belgium:KNT | Finland:K-16 | France:-16 | Germany:16 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 (cut) | Canada:16+ (Quebec)MOVIEmeter: 
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The bar where Val meets Stegman is called Varrick's. This is a reference to Walter Matthau's crime thriller Charley Varrick (1973), which was an influence on Payback. moreGoofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Pearl arrives at the Outfit building, she rings the bell by pressing the button down and holding it for a second. The way that type of bell works, however, her holding the button down would prevent it from ringing. (At most, it would go "dink.") moreQuotes:
[first lines]Porter: [voiceover] GSW: that's what the hospitals call it: gunshot wound. Doctor has to report it to the police. That makes it hard for guys in my line to get what I call, quality health care.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Same Story... Different Movie: Creating 'Payback: The Director's Cut' (2007) (V) moreSoundtrack:
Anniversary Song moreFAQ
What is the difference between the director's cut and the original cut?more
more
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Easily one of Gibson's best, and one of the best of it's kind you will ever see. Homage to film noir, combined with usual Gibson tongue-in-cheekness, and some fabulous supporting roles from the likes of Coburn, Kristofferson, Liu, and Devane. Henry does a stirling job here opposite Gibson. Liu is simply wonderful in a role that - worryingly perhaps - looks like it was made for her!
Porter's single-minded, no-nonsense determination to get what he sees as justice for himself strikes a chord, and has you rooting for him right to the end. This film rarely lets up on the intensity, and gets better as it goes along. It will make you laugh and cringe at the same time, but you won't want to take your eyes off the screen for a second. It looks good, feels good, and oozes class. Definitely a must-see.