Jackie Brown

PLOT

Jackie Brown, a flight attendant, smuggles money from Mexico into the United States for Ordell Robbie, a gun runner in Los Angeles. When his courier, Beaumont Livingston, is arrested, Robbie bails him out with bail bondsman Max Cherry, then kills Livingston later that night, fearing that Livingston would turn informant.

Acting on information Livingston gave them, ATF agent Ray Nicolette and LAPD detective Mark Dargus intercept Brown with Robbie's cash and a bag of cocaine, which she is unaware was intended for Melanie Ralston, Robbie's surfer-girl. She is sent to jail, which alerts Robbie. Having been paid by Robbie, Cherry bails out Brown. Robbie arrives at Brown's apartment shortly thereafter to kill her, and after she pulls a gun on him, it is revealed she stole it from Cherry's glovebox. She negotiates a deal with Robbie whereby she pretends to help the authorities while smuggling in $550,000 of his money.

Robbie brings in Louis Gara, a criminal associate and former cellmate, just released from prison. Meanwhile, Ralston, attempts to convince Gara to betray Robbie and take the money for themselves. Gara informs Robbie about this but Robbie replies that he is not concerned about her.

Unaware of the plan to smuggle in $550,000, Nicolette and Dargus devise a sting to catch Robbie during a transfer of $50,000. Unbeknownst to all, Brown plans to keep the $500,000 for herself. She recruits Cherry, offering him a cut. During a test run, Brown smuggles in $10,000, with Nicolette and Dargus aware, to swap with Sheronda (Robbie's live in girlfriend) at a shopping mall. After Brown leaves, Cherry observes an unknown woman swap bags with Sheronda. He informs Brown and she confronts Robbie, who states he used Simone Hawkins (one of Robbie's contacts) to secure his money as backup.

On the day of the transfer, Robbie discovers Simone has left town with the $10,000 and reluctantly recruits Melanie to perform the swap, with Gara taking her to the mall. Brown enters a dressing room in a department store to try on a suit. She has told Robbie she will swap bags there with Melanie, under the nose of Nicolette, who thinks the exchange will occur in the food court. Instead, the bag she gives Melanie contains only $40,000, and she leaves the rest in the dressing room for Cherry. Brown takes $10,000 she separated before entering the mall and places it on top of the bag she gives Ralston as a bonus. Brown then runs frantically to the food court and yells out to Nicolette, claiming Melanie burst into the dressing room and stole the money.

In the parking lot, Melanie taunts Gara about forgetting where they parked. He loses his temper and shoots her, confessing this to Robbie upon meeting him. Robbie becomes livid when discovering most of the money is missing and realizes Brown is the culprit. Robbie kills Gara and leaves with the money. Robbie turns his anger towards Cherry, whom he now knows helped Brown. Robbie tells Cherry to tell Brown that Robbie will kill them if he doesn't get his money back, and if Brown goes to the cops he will name her as an accessory. Cherry goes to Robbie's house and tells him that Brown, frightened, is waiting in Cherry's office with the money for him. Robbie holds Cherry at gunpoint as they enter his office. Brown yells out to Nicolette that Robbie has a gun. Nicolette jumps out (with Dargus, and Winston as Cherry's backup) and kills Robbie.

The charges against Brown are dropped. She plans a trip to Madrid. Cherry declines Brown's invitation to join her, they kiss goodbye, and she leaves as he watches her drive away.

CAST

Pam Grier as Jackie Brown

Samuel L. Jackson as Ordell Robbie

Robert Forster as Max Cherry

Bridget Fonda as Melanie Ralston

Michael Keaton as ATF Agent Ray Nicolette

Robert De Niro as Louis Gara

Michael Bowen as LAPD Detective Mark Dargus

Chris Tucker as Beaumont Livingston

LisaGay Hamilton as Sheronda

Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr. as Winston

Hattie Winston as Simone Hawkins

Sid Haig as Judge

Aimee Graham as Amy

Gillian Iliana Waters as Mossberg 500 Tammy Jo

Denise Crosby as Public Defender

Quentin Tarantino as Voice On Answering Machine

Danny DeVito as The Man Getting His Bag

Dick Clark as Himself

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

An adaptation of Elmore Leonard's 1992 novel Rum Punch