The Last Seduction
Encyclopedia
The Last Seduction is a neo-noir
1994
film directed by John Dahl
.
The movie features Linda Fiorentino
as the femme fatale
, Peter Berg
as a small town man whose one night affair turns into more than he wanted, and Bill Pullman
as Fiorentino's husband who is chasing her and running from loan shark
s at the same time. Fiorentino's performance generated talk of a possible Oscar
nomination, but she was disqualified because the film was shown on cable television (HBO) before it was released to theatres.
The movie was produced by ITC Entertainment
and theatrically released by October Films
. The direct to video sequel The Last Seduction II followed in 1999 featuring none of the original cast and starring Joan Severance
as the character Fiorentino originated.
when she happens to stop at a small town, Beston, a suburb of Buffalo and meets Mike, who is back in town after a whirlwind marriage and divorce
in Buffalo
. The two immediately hook up. Bridget is just looking for sex
while Mike is trying to find a way out of the small town.
Meanwhile, drug dealer Clay gets his thumb broken by the loan shark
who is looking for repayment for his loan. Clay, with the help of a private detective, frantically searches for his wife and the money. In the small town, Bridget changes her name
and gets a job at the same insurance company Mike works for. (Her alias
, "Wendy Kroy", is derived from "New York" spelled backwards; Clay knows of her penchant for backwards spelling and writing and eventually tracks her down through this alias).
When Mike tells her how to find out if a man is cheating on his wife by reading his credit reports, Bridget invents a plan based on selling murder
s to cheated wives. She then pretends to travel to Florida
to murder a cheating husband (when she in fact went to Buffalo to meet Mike's ex-wife, Trish). She shows Mike the money she stole from Clay to convince him she has taken a cut from the life insurance payout from the new widow
as payment for the supposed killing. She tells him she has done it so they can live together from the proceeds, then persuades him that he must also commit a similar murder so they will be even, and to prove that he loves her.
She tries to talk Mike into killing a tax lawyer cheating old ladies out of their homes. At first he rejects the idea, then later agrees after receiving a letter from his ex saying she is moving to Beston. But the letter was really written by Bridget to change his mind.
Mike goes to New York City
and breaks into the apartment of the attorney, who in reality turns out to be Clay. After Clay is tied up by Mike, he manages to work out what is happening when Mike mentions her alias, and convinces him of the truth by showing him a photo of himself and Bridget together.
They then hatch a plot to double cross her, but she turns the tables by killing Clay herself. She tells a stunned Mike to rape
her. When he refuses, she tells him she knows the truth about Trish who is a transsexual. She then tricks an enraged Mike into having rough sex with her while she has 9-1-1
on the line. Mike ends up in jail
facing rape and murder charges while she escapes with the cash.
Neo-noir
Neo-noir is a style often seen in modern motion pictures and other forms that prominently utilize elements of film noir, but with updated themes, content, style, visual elements or media that were absent in films noir of the 1940s and 1950s.-History:The term Film Noir was coined by...
1994
1994 in film
1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
film directed by John Dahl
John Dahl
John Dahl is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in the neo-noir genre.-Life and career:John Dahl was born in Billings, Montana, the second of four children . Dahl spent his young life in and around Montana all the way up through his college years...
.
The movie features Linda Fiorentino
Linda Fiorentino
Linda Fiorentino is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in the films Dogma, Vision Quest, Men in Black, After Hours and The Last Seduction.-Personal life:...
as the femme fatale
Femme fatale
A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art...
, Peter Berg
Peter Berg
Peter Berg is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is known for directing films such as Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom, The Rundown, Hancock and Battleship. He also developed the television series Friday Night Lights, which was adapted from the film he directed. As an actor...
as a small town man whose one night affair turns into more than he wanted, and Bill Pullman
Bill Pullman
William James "Bill" Pullman is an American film, television, and stage actor. Pullman made his film debut in the supporting role of Earl Mott in the 1986 film Ruthless People. He has since gone on to star in other films, including Spaceballs, Independence Day, Lost Highway, Casper and Scary Movie 4...
as Fiorentino's husband who is chasing her and running from loan shark
Loan shark
A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....
s at the same time. Fiorentino's performance generated talk of a possible Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nomination, but she was disqualified because the film was shown on cable television (HBO) before it was released to theatres.
The movie was produced by ITC Entertainment
ITC Entertainment
The Incorporated Television Company was a British television company largely involved in production and distribution. It was founded by Lew Grade.-History:...
and theatrically released by October Films
October Films
October Films was an American independent film production company and distributor founded in 1991 by Bingham Ray and Jeff Lipsky as a means of distributing the 1990 film Life Is Sweet...
. The direct to video sequel The Last Seduction II followed in 1999 featuring none of the original cast and starring Joan Severance
Joan Severance
-Early life:Severance was born in Houston, Texas to John and Martha Severance. Her father was an IBM Systems Manager that had to move frequently around the world. According to Severance "by the time I was 11, we'd lived in 12 different places". Severance and her family also lived in Libya, but in...
as the character Fiorentino originated.
Plot
The Last Seduction is a story about a sociopathic femme-fatale, Bridget Gregory, who steals a bag of money ($700,000) from her drug-dealing husband Clay. Bridget drives off headed to ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
when she happens to stop at a small town, Beston, a suburb of Buffalo and meets Mike, who is back in town after a whirlwind marriage and divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
in Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. The two immediately hook up. Bridget is just looking for sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
while Mike is trying to find a way out of the small town.
Meanwhile, drug dealer Clay gets his thumb broken by the loan shark
Loan shark
A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....
who is looking for repayment for his loan. Clay, with the help of a private detective, frantically searches for his wife and the money. In the small town, Bridget changes her name
Name change
Name change generally refers to a legal act allowing a person to adopt a name different than their name at birth, marriage, or adoption. The procedures and ease of a name change depend on the jurisdiction. In general, common law jurisdictions have loose limitations on name changes while civil law...
and gets a job at the same insurance company Mike works for. (Her alias
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
, "Wendy Kroy", is derived from "New York" spelled backwards; Clay knows of her penchant for backwards spelling and writing and eventually tracks her down through this alias).
When Mike tells her how to find out if a man is cheating on his wife by reading his credit reports, Bridget invents a plan based on selling murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
s to cheated wives. She then pretends to travel to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to murder a cheating husband (when she in fact went to Buffalo to meet Mike's ex-wife, Trish). She shows Mike the money she stole from Clay to convince him she has taken a cut from the life insurance payout from the new widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
as payment for the supposed killing. She tells him she has done it so they can live together from the proceeds, then persuades him that he must also commit a similar murder so they will be even, and to prove that he loves her.
She tries to talk Mike into killing a tax lawyer cheating old ladies out of their homes. At first he rejects the idea, then later agrees after receiving a letter from his ex saying she is moving to Beston. But the letter was really written by Bridget to change his mind.
Mike goes to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and breaks into the apartment of the attorney, who in reality turns out to be Clay. After Clay is tied up by Mike, he manages to work out what is happening when Mike mentions her alias, and convinces him of the truth by showing him a photo of himself and Bridget together.
They then hatch a plot to double cross her, but she turns the tables by killing Clay herself. She tells a stunned Mike to rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
her. When he refuses, she tells him she knows the truth about Trish who is a transsexual. She then tricks an enraged Mike into having rough sex with her while she has 9-1-1
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
on the line. Mike ends up in jail
Jail
A jail is a short-term detention facility in the United States and Canada.Jail may also refer to:In entertainment:*Jail , a 1966 Malayalam movie*Jail , a 2009 Bollywood movie...
facing rape and murder charges while she escapes with the cash.
Featured cast
- Linda FiorentinoLinda FiorentinoLinda Fiorentino is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in the films Dogma, Vision Quest, Men in Black, After Hours and The Last Seduction.-Personal life:...
–Bridget Gregory/Wendy Kroy - Bill PullmanBill PullmanWilliam James "Bill" Pullman is an American film, television, and stage actor. Pullman made his film debut in the supporting role of Earl Mott in the 1986 film Ruthless People. He has since gone on to star in other films, including Spaceballs, Independence Day, Lost Highway, Casper and Scary Movie 4...
–Clay Gregory - Peter BergPeter BergPeter Berg is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is known for directing films such as Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom, The Rundown, Hancock and Battleship. He also developed the television series Friday Night Lights, which was adapted from the film he directed. As an actor...
–Mike Swale - Bill NunnBill Nunn-Early life:Nunn was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of William G. Nunn, Jr., a well-known journalist and editor at the Pittsburgh Courier, as well as an NFL scout. Nunn's paternal grandfather was the first African American football player at George Westinghouse High School.Nunn was a...
–Harlan - J. T. WalshJ. T. WalshJames Thomas Patrick "J. T." Walsh was an American character actor. He appeared in many well-known films, including Nixon, Hoffa, A Few Good Men, Backdraft, Miracle on 34th Street, Breakdown, and Good Morning, Vietnam.Walsh was known for his roles as "quietly sinister white-collar sleazeballs"...
–Frank Griffith - Brien Varady–Chris
Awards
| Year | Award/Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| BAFTA Awards | |||
| 1995 | BAFTA Film Award - Best Actress | Linda Fiorentino | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Chicago Film Critics Association The Chicago Film Critics Association is an American film critic association.-Members:Current members include:*Sarah Knight Adamson*Zbigniew Banas*Shelley Cameron*Dave Canfield*Vittorio Carli*Erik Childress*Camerin Courtney*Bonnie DeShong... |
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| 1994 | CFCA Award - Best Actress Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress The Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress is an annual award given by the Chicago Film Critics Association.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:... |
Linda Fiorentino | Nominated |
| Chlotrudis Awards Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film The Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film is a Boston-area non-profit organization that teaches audiences to view films actively through discussion, formal and informal education, discourse, film festivals, special screenings and collaboration. Their focus is on international and independent film... |
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| 1995 | Chlotrudis Award - Best Actress Chlotrudis Awards 1995 The 1st Annual Chlotrudis Awards were presented in March 1995 by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film.-Best Movie:The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert* Bullets Over Broadway* Little Women* Pulp Fiction... |
Linda Fiorentino | Nominated |
| Cognac Festival du Film Policier | |||
| 1994 | Critics Award | John Dahl | Won |
| Directors Guild of America Directors Guild of America Directors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry... |
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| 1995 | DGA Award – Outstanding Achievement in Dramatic Specials | John Dahl | Nominated |
| Edgar Allan Poe Awards Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America... |
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| 1995 | Edgar - Best Motion Picture | Steve Barancik | Nominated |
| Independent Spirit Awards Independent Spirit Awards The Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit... |
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| 1995 | Independent Spirit Award - Best Female Lead | Linda Fiorentino | Won |
| London Film Critics Circle Awards | |||
| 1995 | ALFS Award – Actress of the Year | Linda Fiorentino | Won |
| Mystfest | |||
| 1994 | Best Film | John Dahl | Nominated |
| National Board of Review, USA | |||
| 1994 | NBR Award – Best TV Film | Won | |
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards New York Film Critics Circle Awards New York Film Critics' Circle Awards are given annually to honor excellence in cinema worldwide by an organization of film reviewers from New York City-based publications. It is considered one of the most important precursors to the Academy Awards.... |
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| 1994 | NYFCC Award - Best Actress | Linda Fiorentino | Won |
| Society of Texas Film Critics Awards Society of Texas Film Critics The Society of Texas Film Critics was an organization composed of selected print, television, radio, and internet film critics from across the state of Texas. Every major metropolitan area of the state was represented among its membership.... |
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| 1994 | STFC Award - Best Actress | Linda Fiorentino | Won |
External links
- The Last Seduction at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...