The story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973.The story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973.The story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973.
- Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 62 wins & 200 nominations total
- Tiny Toes Photographer
- (as Joshua Allen)
- Tiny Toes Photographer
- (as Pat Hoelck)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaLeonardo DiCaprio's father George DiCaprio portrays the man who sells Gary a waterbed in the film. George was a well-known figure in the Southern California underground art scene during the era depicted in the film.
- GoofsAlana listens to "Stumblin' In" through headphones while on a flight. The song was released in late 1978, five years after the date in which the film is set.
- Quotes
Alana: [during a fight] Este, don't you even look at me! Don't you even look at me! You're always looking at me!
Este: Oh, my...
Alana: What are you doing?
Este: I didn't even say anything!
Alana: What are you doing? What are you thinking, huh? "I'm Este. I work for mom and dad. I'm perfect! I'm a real estate agent. Alana doesn't have her life together. Alana brings home stupid boyfriends all the time."
Este: I mean...
Alana: I knew it! I knew that was what you were thinking. You're always thinking things, you thinker! You thinker! You think things!
- Crazy creditsThe film opens with the 2008 MGM logo with the live action Leo the Lion mascot, to set up the film's retro feel of being set in 1973. The studio's 1967-1968 "stylized lion" logo, best known for its appearance at the start of 2001: A Space Odyssey, appears after the end credits, alongside the Focus Features, Bron Creative and United Artists Releasing logos.
- SoundtracksJuly Tree
Written by Eve Merriam and Irma Jurist
Performed by Nina Simone
Courtesy of The Verve Music Group
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises
Courtesy of the Nina Simone Charitable Trust and Steven Ames Brown
Sadly, "Licorice Pizza" is also not all that great of a film for one very specific reason: it completely and utterly lacks a plot or overall meaning to all the technical expertise.
For a very basic overview, the movie tells the story of Gary (Cooper Hoffman), a high school student with a taste for showbiz, and Alana (Alana Haim), a 25-year-old Jewish "Valley Girl" stuck in neutral but always looking for the next adventure. As the two circle around each other trying to determine their romantic wants/needs, they stumble in and out of any number of period-specific historical events/schemes, such as a fuel shortage, waterbed craze, and pinball machine ban being lifted, to name a few.
Like I said, "Licorice Pizza" is truly remarkable at setting a scene. I felt like I was back in time and nothing ever broke that illusion. I was also extremely impressed by the acting performances from newcomers (at least to the big screen) Hoffman & Haim. They are more than capable of carrying the entire film, which is exactly what they are asked to do here.
But when the credits rolled--and even some time after--I'm struggling to figure out any discernible value or lasting concepts to take from the experience. In a certain sense, the viewing experience (plot-wise) felt like a cipher to which I wasn't given the key. A whole bunch of mini-escapades transpire--all at least somewhat entertaining--and the movie just ends. No more, no less.
I very much liken "Licorice Pizza" to 2019's "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood", though I have to say I liked that Tarentino film a bit more because even it hewed to the plot--not just the spirit--of the current events it was depicting. Here, director Paul Thomas Anderson creates a movie that is almost entirely aesthetic and eschews plot/meaning entirely. As such, it is difficult for me to grade it as "good" or "bad", hence the right-down-the-middle five stars.
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- Tình Yêu Chân Thật
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $40,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $17,318,007
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $345,157
- Nov 28, 2021
- Gross worldwide
- $33,276,075
- Runtime2 hours 13 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1